Furrylovables

Welcome to furrylovables. We are located in Wilmington Illinois. I am a 34 year old stay at home mom who has been in love with chinchillas for years. I got my first chin 8 years ago.  I have read almost eveything about chins and I consider myself very knowledgable.  In January 2007, I decided to start a chin rescue and try to re-home these little characters.  Chinchillas can live for 15-20 years if properly cared for.  

You must house your chin in a wire cage to allow for ventilation. They also must have wooden shelves and some type of enclosure so they can hide. Aquariums will overheat the chin even if their in a cool room. They are nocturnal, meaning they sleep all day and their up at night. Do not house your chin close to a window, drafts and the sunlight is harmful to your chin.

Accessories:

Just like any other animal your chin needs a food dish and a water bottle. The ceramic food dishes are the best, their easy to clean and your chin cannot dump its food over. When using bedding for your chin use pine shavings. Never use cedar, its toxic and it will kill them. Chinchillas love to chew. Their teeth constantly grow so you must provide something for them to chew on. Lava stones, apple tree branches, chew blox and pine shelves and wood enclosures will help them file their teeth down.
 

Food:

Chins have a very delicate digestive system. Find out what their previous owner feeds them, and graually change their food if you cannot afford the food that they are used to. Only feed them their special chinchilla feed. DO NOT buy any type of chinchilla food that has seeds, carrots, corn and treats in the mixture. Stick to chinchilla feed that only has the dehydrated alfalfa meal that shaped as pellets. Tradition, PANR, Oxbow, Nutrena and Mazuri make a great pellet for your chin. They also require timothy hay daily. Never feed your chin watery foods like lettuce, it will cause diarrhea and could be fatal. Chin also love their treats. Dried papaya, mango, raisins, rose hips, whole grain cheerios (no sugar) shredded wheat are great treats to feed your chin. Only give them a treat, 1 or 2 weekly, no more than that or they won't eat their pellets.

Play Time:

Chins love to play out of their cage. Playtime outside the cage should be about 1 hour daily. The safest place to do this is in the bathroom, toilet seat down. Make sure you pick everything up before bringing your chin in, supervision is a must. Never try running after your chin when outside the cage, let them come to you. Offer them a treat, or bring in their dust bath if you can't catch them. You don't want them to overheat. You want their outside experience to be pleasant.  If you can't play with them daily, it may be a good idea to get them a buddy. Make sure you pair your chin with another of the same sex unless you want babies running around.

Chinchilla Useful Links

www.chins-n-hedgies.com  Chinchilla and hedgehog forums with alot of information including: general topics, new owner questions, emergencies, behavior, health, diet and nutrition,  housing, supplies, breeding and babies, shows and also a classified section.

www.chinworld.com Online store for chinchilla supplies

http://www.etc-etc.com/calendar.htm  Chinchilla gestation calendar

http://www.silverfallchinchilla.com/genetics/ChinCrossCalculator.aspx