She's only 10 weeks old and she's beautiful! I love her so much. I just want the best for her.
2007-06-30 15:39:52 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
congrats! if you live in an area where the temperature goes above 70 degrees then you'll need airconditioning for her - chins should never be in temps over 73-75. they can overheat very easily and die. their diet shoud consist of chinchilla pellets and loose timothy hay - nothing else. safe healthy treats are: cheerios, mini plain shredded wheat, a rosehip, a piece of dried papaya, dried banana, dried apple, or a raisin. no vegetables! treats should be given no more than 1-2 per day. they need fresh water, too (filtered/bottled is the way to go due to giardia infections being a possibility from tap water). the bigger tha cage, the better - chins need lots of room to jump around. make sure there's NO plastic in her cage - it could be deadly if she ingests any. invest in a 15" solid surface wheel - it's excellent for exercise, fun, and preventing boredom. chin-proof a room (remove any cords or other things that could be dangerous to chew on) and let her run around - chins need to run and jump and exercise out of their cages. she'll need plenty of toys, and things to chew on since her teeth grow constantly. good things to chew on are: pumice stone, cholla cactus, loofah, and chin safe wood (KILN-DRIED pine, apple, willow, manzanita, pear). make sure she has a hidey-box to sleep and hide in. chins are nocturnal so she'll be up at night, and she'll need darkness and quiet to sleep during the day. chins are prey animals so they spook easily, loud noises especially. be very patient and gentle with her while she gets to know you. speak to her softly and give her lots of love. good luck with your baby!!
2007-06-30 18:30:06 · answer #1 · answered by goddess1131 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Wow omfg do not turn her loose. She'll get eaten by a dog or die from the weather because she wouldn't know how to survive out in the wild without being taught by her mom/dad, w/e. However I highly doubt anyone would be stupid enough to do that. My advice would be to get a book about how to take care of chinchillas. Basically you just have to make sure you clean her cage often enough and that she gets enough attention, don't just leave her in their cage all day. And also always make sure that they have water. And I'm not sure what they like to eat but maybe give her some fruit instead of just plain old packaged food, I give my bunny fruit. Just love her :)
2007-06-30 22:59:33 · answer #2 · answered by rockcandy123456789 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
oldyogi, you can say the same thing about any animal, cats, dogs, whatever. But you know what, I'm sure you probably own some sort of animal, or have owned some sort of animal and you're being a hypocrite.
I really don't know too horribly much about chins, but books are always a great idea. All I really know is, the larger the cage the better. Good luck. Hope someone with a ton of chin experience answers after me.
2007-06-30 22:57:40 · answer #3 · answered by Stephanie V 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
aww, a baby chinchilla, she sounds adorable:) hope these links help, and good luck!
http://www.bluecross.org.uk/web/site/Pawprint/AllAboutPets/Caringforyourchinchilla.asp
http://www.huggablepets.com/book/ : this is an ebook, for $10 or a smaller version free
http://www.chin-chillas.com/chinchilla_care.htm: look on the other parts of the above website as well, they may help too.
also, specifically for baby chincillas:
http://www.essortment.com/hobbies/chinchillakits_sdte.htm
2007-06-30 23:02:47 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinchilla
or
http://members.aol.com/sirchin/chininfo.htm
2007-06-30 22:57:06 · answer #5 · answered by KimbeeJ 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
StarGazer i hope these will be helpful to you,
www.2ndchance.info
sites.centralpets.com
oldyogi you didn't have to be so rude.
2007-06-30 23:06:05 · answer #6 · answered by Lady T 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't mean to be a rude party pooper, but if you really wanted the best for her you'd find a place to turn her loose so she could live a natural life and not one of captivity.
2007-06-30 22:48:23 · answer #7 · answered by oldyogi 3 · 0⤊ 7⤋