This is very heartbreaking....

[Essentia]

OOOH. Apparently I missed that!

 

[LovableFuzziezandCrawliez]

Why is it that so many people sound so condisending? Most of us kept our chinchillas like this before we knew better. So really, stop laying into her for the things she is doing wrong, and how about calmly explain to her things she can do to make the situation better?

I completely agree with your statement here. People on Youtube were soo quick to attack those girls and honestly, if this is their first chinchilla and they were at a pet store - they never knew any different.

I too have seen chinchillas in MUCH worse conditions. Watching the video I was waiting for the "bad part" to happen....so she has a few poor choice items in her cage - and????. They are in no way abusing or torturing this chinchilla.

 

[Riven]

There is a misconception that fungus happens if a chin is EVER exposed to water.

Okay guys.. it's time. I've water bathed chins before, and NONE of them have died from it. You need to make sure they are dry of course, I don't just toss them in a cage all wet.

Not only am I sick and cruel enough to have done it... I'm sick enough to stop and take PHOTOS of it... wanna see? Well you're going to see. And you know what else... I've NEVER had fungus here! Not once on one chin! This chin took color champ hands down... he's still alive, and producing 1st place offspring. Ranchers in certain parts of the US used to bath their chins prior to shows...

And this is him non-wet...

And this is him if you allow my dad to see the photo...

There, now you all know. If that's not sick and gross enough, then just ask for more. I have tons of despicable photos, I have necropsy pics too if anyone wants to see things that are heart breaking.

ETA: and if you didn't just look at that wet chin pic and giggle... you're one out of 100.

ETAA: She's going to listen to this really smart person for advice on the youtube comments too.. of course bowels are breeding grounds for bateria... duh.

bowels of water are breeding grounds for bateria.

 

[Ash]

I didn't giggle....















I cracked up. How ocme you had to water bathe him? And he looks so pathetic. Kinda like those wet kitten pics.... lol

 

[EveningChin]

I will stick to my previous statement. It was not so much the set up as it was the girls themselves... and I know that sounds mean. I watched a few of their other videos and they are ummm.... I won't go there. I just doubt that they have tried to do any independent research after getting their pet. it just seemed to me that the chinchilla was just another cute "thing" and that once its brand spankin new-ness wore off they probably have neglected her. I hope that this is untrue. That they love and care for her daily and she is a happy and healthy chinchilla. Thus my comment here (I did not comment there) that if reincarnation is real they be treated as they have treated their pets....

And to be honest I think thats why most people here were quick to jump on them about the things they saw. It was less about the obvious pet store set up but how the girls treated the chinchilla as a novelty and not a living breathing creature.
Edit:
Riven - The pictures... :rofl: How very cute!

I agree we should be nice, and helpful but its hard if the person/persons involved don't seem to have any respect for the animal or those trying to give good advice. Just my thoughts, and as we all know I am often wrong. lol!

 

[alli713]

Nicole, that chin looks like a rat when it's wet! lol!

 

[Cinder and Me]

Nicole, that chin looks like a rat when it's wet! lol!

That's exactly what I thought! hehe

I have heard of people water bathing chins for shows actually. I heard that a loooong time ago.

 

[HaleyGoBoom]

Tunes--
That's what my friend said the vet had told her, if I was misinformed I'm sorry to further the ignorance you just mentioned. I was 14 years old when she told me that. I understand your correcting my comment and thank you for the information.

I can't leave her a comment, I've tried posting a link to this site, maybe it will show up later(?) All I said was: "You should visit this forum www.chins-n-hedgies.com , its free to register and has useful information on how to properly care for your chinchilla."

Nothing nasty, but I did see some people yelling torture torture.

 

[Nancy S]

Good Golly-that Chin's adorable-Riven!! And, way to go "haley" sending her to forum!!
Big Yah!! The pet stores stink; they sell ya all that stuff and who knows any different.
Yep, there was alot of plastic in that cage; and hope that chin doesn't go at it. Some
do, some don't---I have 2 that won't---and 1 that will. At least she didn't put it in
the "ball of death"!

 

[LovableFuzziezandCrawliez]

Holy Cr*p Riven!!! Those pics are hilarious! He looks so cute, poor little fella all wet. I can honestly say that I have never heard of breeders bathing chinchillas before a show but thats interesting. Is it strictly to remove any staining?? Or do they do it if they feel that dust baths wont be enough to make them look super clean (especially if they are white like your fella there)?

The girls were young and, yes, a bit obnoxious. They will be loud and happy and saying weird things because they are happy about the new pet. HOWEVER, you can't jump to conclusions that everyone who acts this way when they first get a pet will be bad pet people. Granted - we don't and will never know exactly what happened to this chinchilla but it kinda bugs me that people will automatically assume the worst. You don't know what bad is until you've seen 12 chinchillas, all inbred, living 5 to a cage that is smaller than the one in the video with thick layers of pee and feces caked onto the bottom and in between the wires.

It is frustrating to see people who are ignorant of chinchilla care, I agree, but that is from our perspective because we know more than them. I admit that after all the research I put into my chinchillas, it bugs me when others CHOOSE not too research and remain ignorant. Like a friend of a friend whom I told not to use those exercise balls for her chinchillas because THAT could kill them - she said "oh, ok" and bought them anyway. THAT is something to get mad about because they are rejecting good advice.

Flat out - I DID EVERYTHING WRONG WITH MY FIRST CHINCHILLAS!!!! It was by chance that I stumbled across CnQ and seriously changed everything! I was given my first chinchillas by a "breeder" (not a good one - long story) and I took everything they said as legit because of the three of us - they had the experience I didn't. However, they never researched - I did.

ANYWAYS - I just don't see why we should assume that something bad happened to this chinchilla?? It could be fine! Maybe after posting that video they wanted to go look at other chinchillas online and stumbled across someones site and learned a thing or two....

 

[andymilo]

Nicole, that chin looks like a rat when it's wet! lol!

hahahaha he does....so cute...im sure the bath is not his fav part tho...by the look on his face lol!!! he is very handsome....gorgeous coat...and those eyes are precious!!!!!!

 

[Essentia]

Ok, best chinchilla picture ever. Poor soggy baby. Why is it that whenever any animal is wet they automatically look like the most pitiful thing on the planet?

 

[tunes]

That is the most pathetic looking chinchilla I have ever seen Nicole. Poor guy, has NO dignity, does he? LOL

I didn't bother posting to the video as some of the people on there were a bit too rabid for me and it would have turned into a war (as it has in the past with certain folks). Instead, I sent them an email and asked them to join CnH. That's what a forum is supposed to do, isn't it? Educate? Not go around posting zingers to videos and so on because they can hide behind their computer and chortle. I thought several of those comments were just stupid.

 

[Sandi]

I totally agree about the some of the stupid comments. Geez, I try not to judge people I don't know (only the one's I do know, heehee) but some of those were just ignorant. These teenage girls need advice period.

 

[Riven]

I bathed him about 3-4 weeks before a show because I made the mistake of putting him in a cage with a round perch, the ones that are cut branch ya know. Well he'd sit on it and pee, then he'd run around and crawl under it, and he had this yellow skunk stripe down his back. There was no way I'd get it dusted out before the show and it was the last show of the year, I had heard about people giving water baths, especially on the coasts, so I figured I'd give it a try. He's an awesome chin, he's not huge, but his fur and color is awesome, he was bred by Cathy Kane of Kansas City Chinchillas. His pumpkin photo has been in calendars and on shirts! He really is a Casanova!

 

[mishellyshel]

Riven he has a beautiful coat (when dry!)
Speaking of inexperience, the first day I got my first chin I let him in the bathroom for playtime, forgot to put the toilet seat down and within 30 seconds he jumped in!
I dried him off and felt horrible, but he survived. Now if i try to wipe him with a wet wipe he is mr squirmy! Gotta try that taco in a towel thing.

 

[Jenn]

Well, let me start off by admitting my chinchilla, soon after we got her, jumped into an open toilet and her whole backend was wet. At the time I knew a chin wasn't supposed to get wet, but I didn't really know why. I had dried her off as best I could and that was it. Almost a year later, she is healthy and fine, and there was never an episode of fungus. So I suppose we are all capable of being "bad" chin parents at one time or another, but hopefully we learn from our mistakes and don't repeat them. I'm a much better chin parent now than I was when I first got Tink.

I watched the video and had expected to see something worse. But I didn't see anything that I thought was overly alarming. I thought the cage was too small, too much plastic - although I couldn't be sure whether it looked chewed on or not, and the water bowl needs to be replaced. Looked like newbie mistakes. I'm assuming the girls in the picture had recently gotten the chinchilla and were showing her off. Hopefully by now they have learned a bit more and have made some improvements for Bela.

I don't think these girls need harsh words, though, as they appear to love Bela. I just think they need to be educated. People listen to advice when it is given without all the criticism. Just my two bits...

 

[Stackie]

Wow...I have seen much, much worse...

 

[FiaSpice]

The wet chin pic made me laugh really. Poor thing looks like he shrank and looks like a wet cat!

 

[Lindz]

Ok, best chinchilla picture ever. Poor soggy baby. Why is it that whenever any animal is wet they automatically look like the most pitiful thing on the planet?

LOL I was going to say, whenever I bathe my dog, she looks fairly similar to that chin. I think most wet animals do, especially ones with a nice, full coat. They just look so much smaller and they always go " mommy why you get me wet?" .. At least in my mind.

And I have to agree, there's nothing horrible about the video. I'll save my opinion on the girls, but hey, we were all that age at some point. We just didn't have the YouTubez. When I got Shiina, the cage the pet store recommended (and I bought) was similar, somewhat larger, (the kind with a plastic second half level and ramp). The only sad thing is that pet stores tell people these things are not only safe, but recommended for chinchillas.

It doesn't even look like the chin's been chewing on the plastic, which Shiina never did either, and she certainly survived. While not an ideal situation, ignorance doesn't always equal negligence.