COMMENTS
I found this one too and have a question. :) I am not a video stalker - I promise...
I saw one video that had what looked to be like a rawhide doggie chew toy. Is this okay? I have been trying to find a list of simple household things that will amuse my two (you guy already know about them).
But they really really love to chew first, play later.
empty paper towel holders? large jars? small boxes with holes cut out? Thanks!
Hey Brandy!
I don't know for sure if raw hides are safe for chinchillas. I do know that chins are strictly vegeterian and should not have any animal by-product, but I will have to double check if there are other precautions regarding the raw hides with my "chinchilla mentor" and I'll get back to you. I guess the reason I've never really looked into it is because there are so many other good, natural treats and chew toys that I know for sure are not only safe, but actually contain vitamins and are good for them rather than resorting to items I'm not sure about.
If you haven't done so yet, check out Forchinate Chins' online store. They offer a variety of fun chinchilla chew toys and the rose hips in particular are loaded with vitamin C: http://geocities.com/forchinatechins/chincessories.htm
Never ever give chinchillas commercial cardboard, including boxes, papertowel or toilet paper tubes.
I totally know what you mean about the chewing habits! Check out the "What chew talkin' about?" link on the homepage (right hand tag menu). Tango really loves the wood chews and devours one or two a day.
Hope this helps!
hey where can i get a flying saucer wheel??? i cant find them
i cant find it on
www.qualitycage.com but i found it on another site. i want to set my cage up like tangos,would you mind telling me the the number of shelfs and what sizes they are cuz that set up is sweeet thanks
Jeremy,
Wow, you're right! I can't seem to find it there anymore either! It looks like they've taken it off the site... that's weird. Sorry about that! I'm glad you found it elsewhere.
I'd be happy to help you set up a cage like Tango's :) What kind of cage do you have, or will you have? Tango's is a Martin's Chinchilla Highrise. I don't know the exact dimensions of the shelves, but I am going to send you the email address of the woman who made them for me. She runs a chinchilla rescue in Michigan and has made several of these shelving sets. She should be able to advise you on the shelving. Actually, the woman who owns Simply Chintastic is one of the "foster moms" of the rescue and she could help you out also in getting what you want for the cage. Both of them should be familiar if you tell them you want the same as "Tango's" cage design. They should both know him! The only thing not sold at Simply Chintastic is the "L" shelf, but she might be able to customize something for you if you ask her about it.
I'll email you the info!
Amanda
Here's a site for the flying saucer
so you have it when other ppl ask
<http://www.chinworld.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=CW030010&Category_Code=CW03>
Also brandy Fortunate Chins is totally awesome!!! i just ordered stuff for my chins last week.
Hey Amanda I have a question.. I found this site
<http://www.the-white-pages-of-chinchilla-pictures.com/cages/> And my boyfriend and I are looking into cage options and its hard to guess if a cage is going to be what you want on-line so we were thinking about building one... but are the cages on that site safe do you think? If you have any ideas thatd be great!
Hey Angela!
Thanks so much for your post :) You're right - sometimes it is hard to tell online what you'd be getting in a cage from pictures.
I checked out the link you posted above and the first thing I notice is that the cages seem to be on the small side for my preference. Check out the "Cage" link on the right hand menu to see the guidelines I usually go by. My other concern is that 3 of the walls are solid. It makes me nervous that there would not be adequate airflow because chinchillas can very easily become overheated and die of heat stroke. They definitely have some cool ideas for cage accessories though! If you take anything from those pics for your cage design, I love the log tunnel! It does appear that they have safe accessories, but I would suggest going a little taller with your cage and using material that can breath better like the traditional wire. These pictures almost seem to me like something you would see at a pet store, but I didn't actually check out the rest of the site to read about them.
How are your cage plans coming so far? I'd say, in general, go for a taller cage rather than longer with multiple levels of shelving to provide variety and the allure of a larger cage, but also to ensure if they fall, it won't be all the way to the bottom (if you arrange the shelves appropriately). I haven't found a cage out there to meet my satisfaction completely, but I am happy with the set-up we evolved for Tango. We ended up just purchasing a wire "shell" of a cage and just making the wood shelving and hidey house to fill it in. In the long run, it might be the cheapest way to go also. Keep me updated!
Amanda
Hey Amanda!
Yeah I definitely wasn't sure about the cages it looks like they are extended out with mesh but it is hard to figure out...
But at any rate we back tracked with Cheeko and Ramone... I thought Ramone was just "bar biting" but the more I watched him the more it seems that he is yanking on his cage and almost getting out to get to Cheeko across the way. So I have now removed Ramone from the living room with Cheeko and put him in my room and not to my surprise he is very well behaved... I'm not sure what to do I'm afraid that they wont ever be able to get along....
Do you know anything about chincare.com.... I've been reading over it and the things they recommend to do but it also has a lot of horror stories that I'm afraid not to try anything else with getting them socialized with each other.
Cheeko I think (not sure tho) is passive and very mellow and I'm not sure if it is because Ramone is only 6-7months old that he is over active and I'm not sure if he would be considered aggressive or not but Cheeko has been the "only chin" for the last 2 years and before that he was let loose all the time and chased by a dog.
But anyway if you have any suggestions or ideas I'd love to hear them!
Thanks again
Angela
P.s. id love to send pics of my boys so if you want to email me you Addy I'll send them your way!
Hi Angela!
I think it was a wise move to separate the two in different rooms for now. You definitely don't want to stress them out. I don't want to say it won't ever happen, but some chinchillas unfortunately just are not compatible. I tried to find a cage mate for Tango with 3 different chinchillas and sort of figured out that he just was not interested in sharing my attention or his cage.
I can share with you the method that my "chinchilla mentor" uses when trying to match cage mates (though I don't know if you will find success with it since Cheeko and Ramone already have a bit of a history). You will need someone to help you out. Each of you holds a chinchilla securely in your hands (supporting the feet, but careful NOT to squeeze them) and slowly bring them together face-to-face. A compatible match may respond with curiosity or squeaking, but will not make that chattering sound as a warning to one another. If you are satisfied that the two are not responding with aggression after a few minutes, place the two in the same small area, such as an open cardboard box, but remain over the open box at all times and be ready to break up a fight if one breaks out. (DO NOT leave them in an enclosed space unattended.) A compatible match will interact cooperatively, may groom one another, and may be playful. They should not bite or chatter. If one cowers in the corner while the other triumphs around, this may not be a healthy interaction either, but give it a few minutes to see if they will warm up to one another. If they pass "step 2", introduce the chinchillas into a full size cage together. You need to observe how they interact when toys, food, wheels, and hidey houses are involved. Again, if you notice aggressive behavior or terror, it is likely an uncooperative match and they should not be homed together. If this third step appears to be successful, allow them to remain in the cage over night and check on them periodically. If the night is uneventful, it is likely a compatible pair.
Sometimes it is more difficult to introduce a new chin into another chin's existing home. If possible, introducing both chins into a new cage together reduces the defensive, territorial behavior of the original chin. (Though I understand this isn't always financially practical.)
ChinCare, in my opinion, is a reliable source so you could try a strategy that they suggest, but you are right, there are a lot of sad stories about chinchillas traumatizing each other and you should be cautious as you have been. Since Ramone is still young, he may develop a change in personality that would make he and Cheeko more compatible at a future time. Cheeko sounds a lot like Tango with his "only chin" syndrome :P Keep us updated on how things are going. I will send you an email because I would love to see pics and post them here if you'd like!
Amanda
P.S. I will second that - Forchinate Chins IS great and Carise is a pleasure to work with! :)
I have had a pair of two chinchillas for about three years now. Saturday morning we awoke to one of our chinchillas hanging from the middle of his cage with his little paw caught in the Timothy Hay Ball that hangs from the top of the cage. We took him to the vet and he has nerve damage which left one of his front legs paralized and they had to amputate one of his toes. I feel that the timothy ball is unsafe to put in a chinchilla cage. What can I do to prevent this from happening to other chinchillas? Who do I report this to?
Wow, that sounds awful! I'm so sorry to hear that, poor little guy :( That is a definite safety hazard that consumers should know about. I'd be happy to post an article here on Chinchilla Place warning readers if you provide me with a link to the product. Beyond that, I would suggest writing a letter to the company to at least notify them. Unfortunately, we don't often see results with these kinds of things because many pet product companies are mostly concerned with making money, as they continue to manufacture and market products to chinchillas which are actually unsafe for them, but at least you can know you tried.
I recommend instead using a hay rack that hangs on the outside of the cage, where the chin can pull the hay through the bars of the cage. Tango has the hay rack from Quality Cage Company: http://qualitycage.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1788 . With the external hay racks, you don't have to worry about the chinchilla getting trapped inside, suffocating, overheating, or getting suspended from it.
Sorry again for his injury :( Send me a link and I'll post a notice to our readers.
I've found that Quality Cages offers great cages for chins complete with wooden shelves. I got a great deal several years ago on a 36"x24"s36" cage with rolling base platform and wooden shelves for about $150 but I think those cages are quite a bit more expensive now. Still, I would highly recommend Quality Cages. Their metal wheel is also great but I agree that you need to purchase the largest wheel -- I tried a smaller wheel for a young chin who didn't have a lot of real estate in his cage. He used it a lot but he had to arch his back too much when he used it so I quickly upgraded to a larger size. FYI -- he would never use the "saucer" but he immediately took to the wheel.