For those of you who do not follow @chinchillas on twitter, I just got a new ebony chinchilla last Wednesday!  I am so happy with my new chin. We named her cherry, like chocolate covered cherry, because she is such a sweetheart. Cherry is very friendly and curious. She eats right out of my hand and comes up to great me when I come into the room at night. I have high hopes for getting her shoulder trained like my first chinchilla. So far, I have been keeping her all to myself ! The other chins are just going to have to wait to meet her. This baby is all mine!

Although many items at a pet store may be marketed for a chinchilla, they may not be chinchilla safe products. Here are a list of products to steer clear of that can be harmful or even fatal for your chinchilla.

1. Plastic Exercise Ball-These round plastics pet ball are very dangerous have caused many deaths in chinchillas. They have poor ventelation so they become hot. As everone reading this foum should be awate chinchillas are very heat sensitive. These platic balls very easily cause chinchillas to overheat and go into heat stroke.

2. Mesh Small Pet Exercise Wheel With Spokes- Many chinchillas have ended up with broken legs and severed limbs due to getting their feet caught in the spokes of these wheel. A safe alternative would be the flying saucer wheels.

3. Pine/Cedar Wood Chip Bedding- The problems with softwood shavings such as pine and cedar stem from the natural, armotic chemicals called phenols that give the woods their natural aroma. These phenols interact with the liver and respiratory system in the body, potentially producing unwanted and harmful side-effects.

4. Wired hay feeder-  Hay feeders run similar risks to the problem with the mesh wheel. Your chinchilla can eaily get a foot stuck in the mesh and get injured. I have also read in forums chinchillas crawling inside of them and getting stuck. (Thank you for the submission Rosemary!)

I am continuing to think of things to avoid, but was wondering if you have any specific ones in mind? I would love to have a complete list to help the chinchilla community. Please put suggests in the comments section below.

Thanks!

Jennifer

As many of our readers may already know, the standard chinchilla color is grey. This is the color that chinchillas have in the wild. Through selective breeding, several color variations or mutations have developed. White chinchillas are one of the many color variations that has become common among chinchillas. When buying a pet chinchilla, white chinchillas may be called several different names based on their color pattern White, Silver, mosaic, and reverse mosaic,are common names for a white chinchilla. Though white chinchillas may look very different, with silvers retaining a more grey pattern, they all have the same genetic makeup and for showing purposes are shown as Wilson Whites.

According to www.greenwoodchinchillas.co.uk the first white chinchillas was a male born and recorded to at the ranch of Blythe Wilson in Redding, CA in 1955. Both parents of this white male chinchilla were standard gray.

Albino chinchillas had periodically appeared before this white male,  but they were infertile. This male chinchilla was not an albino--instead of having the lack of pigmentation and pink eyes of a normal albino, he had was a distinctive healthy "mutation chinchilla"  with silky white fur and dark  ears and dark bright eyes. He was truly one of a kind.

When this white chinchilla was paired with standard female chinchillas, he was proven to be fertile and many offspring were produced - some of which were again silky white with dark eyes and ears. These became known as Wilson Whites. They were very rare at that time, and extremely expensive, so it was years before the first white chinchillas reached the general market.

For those interested in breeding, pairings of white chinchillas with standards does not always result in a white chinchilla. The white gene is not completely dominant.  A white male or female paired with a standard grey mate will result in a 50-50 shot at being a white chinchilla. Here is a breeding chart that will help you to better calculate the possibilities when breeding chinchilla.

Often times breeding color mutation with color mutation can result in chins that are below standard size. We recommend breeding color mutation to standard until you are more experienced and can make sure to pair your chinchillas to mates that will equal strengths and weeknessess to produce the healthiest prettiest chinchillas possible.

Even with the 50-50 chance of a white chinchilla being born from a pairing of a standard and white chin, there is a possibility for quite a lot of color variation. Since the genes involved in the creation of a white chinchilla are not totally dominant, the standard gray may show through. This results in several beautiful variations of "white chinchillas." This is why we have so many different varieties of "white chinchillas." The  differing patterns of white and gray fur, result in the subcategories of white chinchillas such as  the silver, mosaic and reverse mosaic.

For those that are more scientific, the  variety of patterning occurs because white genes work as a pigment inhibitor--they do not work by showing themselves in the fur, simply by stopping other genes from showing their colors.   The Wilson white gene is therefore known an incomplete dominant gene. The result of this non dominant white gene causes areas where the pigment  in the fur of the chinchilla is not visible at all.  This can be all over, in patches, or blended through another evenly, resulting in a silver chinchilla like smoke below

As beautiful as white chinchillas may be, it can be dangerous to breed them if you are not careful. White chinchillas have a lethal gene and should NEVER be paired with another white chinchilla. If two white chinchillas are paired together, the fetus will die and be absorbed by the female chinchilla, often killing the pregnant female and any other kits she may be carrying.

A lethal gene refers to the inability of certain genes to exist in the homozygous state. The two lethal genes for color involved in chinchillas are White and Velvet (also referred to as TOV – "Touch of Velvet" – or Black, not to be confused with Violet or Ebony). If a homozygous allele of White + White or Velvet + Velvet results from a breeding, the embryo will never develop but be reabsorbed by the mother. It has been said that this may result in a blocked uterine horn (chinchillas have two horns to their uterus that branch out from the cervix) and can cause illness and even death for the pregnant female. Chinchillas do not abort the fetus, but reabsorb it into their body, which is very hard on their health.If you are unsure if your chinchilla may be white or partially white, you can tell if they are a carrier by looking at their tail. If your chinchilla is a carrier of the white gene a portion of the tail will be white. This could be the whole tail, but may just be the tip

White chinchillas are prided by chinchilla breeders and loved by pet owners, but thankfully they are not of interest to the chinchilla fur trading industry.Their lovely white fur would too easily be mistaken for rabbit fur.

Ok so I know that no one can possibly enjoy chinchilla cage cleaning day. It's tough work. Especially with 4 cages! I kept hearing this pet butler commercial and went to their site and checked things out. Apparently their slogan is "we pick up where your pet left off." Yes indeed poop scooper company that comes to your house to clean up the little presents your dog leaves behind. I was like hmmm ok what about chinchillas? I called the main number and spoke with a friendly receptionist. They unfortunatly do not have a pet butler in the Salem MA area but are looking to franchise out the business. Yes this dream job could indeed be yours. If you start a franchise in my area let me know! I have a greyhound, 6 chinchillas and a full time job. I would love more time hanging out with the pets, and less time cleaning up after them. I am sure most people would be willing to pay a monthly fee to have their chinchilla cage cleaned would you?

What: WI MCBA Regional 5th annual show!!

When: Oct 3, 2009 start at 5 pm Friday evening.

Where:Barneveld American Legion Hall at 102 Wood Street, Barneveld, WI

Registration: Friday October 2nd until 9 pm and Saturday morning from 6:00a-8:30 am.

Entry fees: $4 per animal for MCBA and sister organization members/$5 for non-members.

Grooming Available: Saturday morning from 6:00am- 9:00 am.

Classification: Starts at 9:00-live animal show to follow.

Judging by Jim Ritterspach.

Lunch:  $5 Cook out - grilled burgers and brats with sides provided

Highlights: Chinchilla Baby Derby! Chins 8 weeks to 6 months can enter. (Entry fees apply)

Optional Claim: Designated table for claim animals that are not being shown. (Entry fees apply)

Raffel: Several prizes for raffel

Trophies: Available for sponsorship as well as show book space for advertising. Trophy sponsorship will include 1/2 page in the show book.

Show Book ads are $20 for a full page, $10 for a half page and $5 for a business card-sized ad.

Trophy sponsorships are $25.

Reasonable Hotels: Mt. Horeb, WI, which is about 15 minutes east of Barneveld.

Karakahl Country Inn Mount Horeb
1405 Business Highway 18/151 East
Mt Horeb, WI 53572
1 608 437-5545

Village Inn Motel
701 Springdale Street
Mount Horeb WI 53572
(608) 437-3350
www.littlebedder.com

Deer Valley Lodge is right at the Barneveld exit. A bit pricier, but it does have an indoor water park.
Deer Valley Lodge
401 West Industrial Drive
Barneveld, WI 53507
(888) 924-1601
(608) 924-1600
www.DeerValleyLodgeWI.com

If you have questions about the show, please contact - Brenda Walter - at bwalter@mhtc.net or by phone - 608.924.1144.

Questions about the claim - please contact Kristy Morici at abcchinchillas@comcast.net.

Breed backing refers to breeding a female chinchilla immediately after she gives birth.  Females are fertile after delivery and for the next 72 hours, and any males will attempt to mate them if they are not separated into different cages. Breed backing is generally discouraged as it proves to have potential health risks for the female chinchilla and the potential risks for the kits. There are several reasons why breed backing is discouraged:

1.    The new mother may be unable to produce the necessary nutrients for her recently born kit and the forming kits. If the mother is still nursing kits during this point in her pregnancy she may become run down as her body works to provide for the needs of all of her kits.
2.    Overall wear and tear to the mother. Having 2 sets of babies in a row is a lot of work! Imagine nursing your newborn baby while new babies are consuming energy as they grow. Defiantly not pleasant.
3.    The new born kit may be injured during the “chase”. Every played pacman? Remember the chase scene between Mrs Pacman and Pacman? In that screen they end with a pretty heart. In a breed backing scene it ends with a fussy female annoyed that the male jumped on her right after giving birth. There is hair flying, annoyance and undue stress to the new mother. Nothing like starting motherhood with your man not letting up. During this next mating, newborn kits could possibly be injured.

For these reasons and many others breed backing is not encouraged. Now it seems like common sense right? No breed backing no problem. Babies are born=mother and kit should be separated from the other males and their mate. Unfortunately it is not always this easy. It is often very difficult to tell if your female chinchilla is pregnant. It is unadvisable to feel around for kits, as this could cause a whole slew of problems ranging from bad to worse including stress during pregnancy, premature birth, damage to the fetus, and damage to the mother. So what else is there? Well the mother may lay on her side, look more full (like a cat when pregnant), become more irritable with you and her mate, tear fur from her sides (to expose nipples for nursing), have enlarged nipples (on a chinchilla difficult to see, especially if she has already had kits in the past).  You might possibly detect a mating plug right after the mating has occurred, but in short it is terribly difficult to be 100% sure.

The average length of pregnancy is 111 days however some chinchillas will deliver early and others will go a bit later. Here is an interesting chart on chinchilla fetus development. The majority of chinchillas will birth their babies during the early morning hours but they can deliver any time of day. This means you may be at work, come home, think you separated them quickly enough, but indeed be too late.  If you think your chinchilla may be pregnant it is best to separate them before babies are born. If you are unable to do so, don’t fret. Though it is unadvisable, chinchillas are typically strong and healthy and your chinchilla will more than likely be just fine. This has happened to me before, though I prefer to wait several months between breeding. I avoid the situation, but again sometimes it is very difficult to tell. If you suspect your chinchilla may have become pregnant again, the only thing to do is wait and see. Chinchillas are healthy enough that this typically is not a serious dilemma, but  a situation that should be avoided. If others have tips on avoiding breed backing, your feedback would be greatly appreciated as we strive to give the most up-to-date information regarding proper chinchilla care and breeding.

If you are thinking of breeding chinchillas or happen to find yourself with an unexpected chinchilla pregnancy, there are some steps you should take in preparation for the new additions to the family. As a reminder to all chinchilla lovers, we know babies are cute, so cute in fact that many people find it hard to resist the urge to create and pair their chinchilla up with a mate. Chinchillas of course are very social and do really well in pairs. They cuddle, they "talk," they play, they dust together and truly enjoy the company of another chinchilla. If you own a single chin they will be far more dependent on you for interaction and risk becoming lonely, irritable, and disturbed if they do not have social interaction. For these reasons and many others, several chinchilla owners who start with one chin, end up with 2 or more. If you are thinking about getting a second chinchilla or possibly getting into breeding there are things you should do in preparation.

First, have a plan of action. If you have a male chinchilla and adopt a female, she will more than likely become pregnant. This is a fact of life and shouldn't come as a surprise. Being "surprised" by a pregnancy can be dangerous. Knowledge is power and preparing yourself and your chinchilla supplies is an important first step, not an after thought.

If and when a female chinchilla becomes pregnant, you will likely have no idea. There are very few signs that a mating had taken place. In some cases you may see a mating plug and notice some changes in behavior in the upcoming weeks and months for the expecting mother, like changes in eating, irritability, lor laying on their side stretched out while they sleep, but you shouldn't pry and feel around for the kits. This can cause harm to the unborn chins and undue stress to the mother. What you will need to do is assume she likely will become pregnant  if you have her in the same cage as a male and prepare for the new additions. In preparation you should decide whether you will keep the baby or babies or find someone interested in buying or adopting the chinchillas, even before they are born. Regardless of finding a new home the mother and babies will need to be housed in a separate cage while she is nursing. Chinchillas nurse their young for 6-8 weeks. Nothing is more devastating than ending up with a bunch of chinchillas that you cannot care for and have no idea how to find someone who can. If you do end up in this situation there are chinchilla rescue services that can help. See the Links page for information on adoption agencies that can help. Our goal is to prevent this from having to happen by preparing you.

One of the most important step's you can take is having a small, clean cage ready for the baby chin and her mom. The baby chinchilla cage cannot be the size of most regular chinchilla cages. Babies can slide between surprisingly small bars.  Assume that your baby chinchilla will likely escape and you will have to track her down. They are born fully furred and full of energy. They also have keen instincts and will be fearful of you. The room you keep your chinchillas should be chin proof, you should also be sure to keep the door shut so your chinchillas can be confined to a single area of the house should an escape happen. Having a confined area will also help to prevent them from harm. Many people like myself who are pet lovers will have more than just chinchillas as pets. If your chinchilla or your new baby escapes it may prove to tempting for your cat or dog and could end in devastation. Making sure the room where your chinchillas are housed is safe is paramount, especially if you may have babies on the way.

Before the babies are born secure the small cage, water bottle, wooden chinchilla house, and extra food bowl. A modified bird cage is a great, inexpensive option. You do not want anything too tall, or a cage with bars that are more than 1/2 and inch by 1 inch. We have found that the All Living Things cage at Petsmart is a good option. It does have multiple levels which will keep the mother from feeling cramped, anxious or depressed, but it is also small enough to help keep babies from escaping and prevent injuries should a fall occur. It is also nice that they can begin to get experience with jumping.

You should keep your mother and babies in this separate cage for 6-8 weeks until the babies are weened. Your male may become distraught being separated from his mate and family, but it is important not to reintroduce them immediately. Female chinchillas are most fertile right after they have given birth, and as stated in previous articles breed backing is a bad practice and should be avoided. It is very hard on the new mothers body. Male chinchillas are often good fathers, but not always. It is safer to keep the babies separate. If there is a female chinchilla kit born from their pairing it must never be housed in the same cage as the father. This means that you WILL NEED TO HAVE SEPERATE CAGES. This is in bold because I see this come up more frequently than it should. Animals are animals-- they have urges and do not distinguish from daughter to mother. I have had many surprised inquiries from people who have said they "thought" that the chinchillas that were part of their family would have a "scent" that would prevent them from breeding. This is wishful thinking. The same goes for having a male chinchilla. If your new kit is male he will also have to be separated from his mother after about 8 weeks to prevent inbreeding. With either case you are looking at adding a new cage, or finding a new home for your baby chinchillas. 

I have had as many as 11 chinchillas at any given time, and it can become stressful at times. Cleaning 5 chinchilla cages is much more time consuming than cleaning 1. It is also far more intensive deciding which chinchillas will be able to live together. In some cases the answer might be they are not compatible with any other chinchillas in your herd. If this is the case you will need to have them in a separate cage or find them a new home. It is upsetting to me to see many breeder sites with chinchillas with chewed fur, missing pieces of their ears and other signs of fighting in their herd. It is unacceptable. You should not "hope for the best" and let one or more of your chinchillas become mauled. I find it surprising that these preachy breeders talk so much about perfect weight and show quality and seem to have such a lack of concern for a chinchillas happiness and well being. In short, accidents can happen, but that does not mean that we can not properly prepare and make a safe and happy environment for the animals that depend on us. The experience is rewarding and babies are a ton of fun, but  just make sure you can dedicate the time and have the resources to make it work. 

If you decide that breeding chinchillas is what you want to do, do it. Don't let this discourage you or other more experienced breeders scare you off. Just make sure your chins are breed quality,and you have done your homework before jumping in. Also if you have questions Chinchilla Place is here to help and there are several other sites that can lead you in the right direction.