Question:
I know that many of you keep several chinnies at once, and all of you love your chinnies very much (some of you are even getting chinnie tattoos ). I was wondering if people ever look at you strangely or make negative comments when they learn that you have so many chinchillas and you are so dedicated to them? I know that people think I'm weird for having rats, and especially weird for having so many. I get lots of weird looks and rude comments. People have even told me that I have too much time on my hands! I would expect, that since chins aren't the most well-known or most popular pet, that many people would be ignorant about them. Is this the case? Just today I came across a few people who have no idea what chinchillas are!


Answer:
I usually get the 'what's that?' remark. And then the 'Are you insane?' when they find out the numbers I keep. And then the fur comments start 'Oh, you aren't breeding for coats are you????' followed by the discusted looks.


Answer:
Originally Posted by Lixx
I usually get the 'what's that?' remark. And then the 'Are you insane?' when they find out the numbers I keep. And then the fur comments start 'Oh, you aren't breeding for coats are you????' followed by the discusted looks.
Thats what I thought. People are so closed minded!


Answer:
I get the "what's that remark" like Lizz mentioned along with the question that follows "You don't breed for fur do you"? .... Although I will admit some of them that have never heard of chinchilla are usually interested in learning a little about them, so by the time the short conversation is over, I feel like I've educated another person even if only a little


Answer:
Don't forget about the "oh I love those little dogs!" comment when people confuse them for chihuahuas.

I actually had a vet do that to me once


Answer:
I've gotten all of the above...as well as the "What do you do with them?" and "Where do you keep them?"

One of the girls I work with tells everyone from her church or anywhere we go and we meet someone about my chinchillas. It's kind of aggravating, as most of the time this isn't something I would share with them unless I introduced myself. I swear half of Duluth knows I have chinchillas and I've never met them...


Answer:
Originally Posted by Solarsis
Don't forget about the "oh I love those little dogs!" comment when people confuse them for chihuahuas.

I actually had a vet do that to me once
I got a bill from a vet once that said FOR my chihuahua!! I was like umm, you know this wasn't a dog right?


Answer:
I get a lot of comments from people at school. "Why do you have so many of those" "What are those?" "Will you make me a fur ___" "Oh, you use them for fur don't you?" Some even call them "Devil Rats" but that is to tick me off, as they are friends...it doesn't work, though lol.

I also get "Your crazy for having so many" "Why would you want so many rodents?"


Answer:
I have gotten all of the above comments, including everything from fur coat comments, to what do you do with them to people calling them chimichungas (yes mexican food). People are surprised how much time I spend with them and how much I dedicate my life to them (like we are building a new custom home with a special chinnie room). I guess the worst was my MIL....she had always made comments about fur coats (she has a mink coat) but right after my Sydney passed away she asked if I atleast took the fur coat off of her before I buried her (after that comment, I thought Darren was going to bury her).

Steph, I used to own rats and I got the "ewws" and you are gross comments. And I had my fellow bio grades that would have prefered just to use them for experiments (note: this is why I am a microbiologist so I don't have to do animal research). Its tough to deal with people sometimes, but I just don't waste my time with them if they don't have anything nice to say about my family of furries.


Answer:
My friend's gf calls chinnies "crats" because she finds them to look like a weird mutation between a cat and a rat (don't ask). I think it's kind of funny though

She's one of the only people I know who doesn't think chinnies are cute though