Question:
Hi.I would love to get a chin but am doing alot of research first.
Do they shed and i would not be interested in breeding just for a pet so can a person only have one if you took it out alot?
Will they chew the plastic cubes that people make guinea pig cages with?
Don`t know if i will ever get one as my hubby says i spend to much money buying rabbits lol. And chins are expensive.
Does anyone know of any chin rescues in Nova Scotia.Would want a young one.
Thanks all.Will be checking back often.Kathy


Answer:
Welcome Kathy! It is great that you want to do your research first, before buying. Chins do not really shed the way do dogs, for instance. However, they do lose a bit of fur, which is so soft and fine it seems to drift just where it shouldn't (like my keyboard!).
Having only one chinchilla is okay if it gets plenty of attention and exercise. Two chinchillas are also great to keep each other company. Since chinchillas are quite long-lived, two are often a good idea in the long run, especially as there may be times when you can give them less attention than they need and deserve.
Yes, they will chew plastic, but I'm not sure what you mean by "plastic cubes that people make guinea pig cages with". There are plenty of excellent cages that are suited for chinchillas.
I am not sure about chinchilla rescues in Nova Scotia, but I am sure someone on this forum will have that information for you.
Again, welcome to Pets on the Net!


Answer:
"plastic cubes that people make guinea pig cages with"
she means the C&C cages... those would probably not be a good idea.. yes they would chew on them... and the spacing is probably not small enough... believe it or not.. chins can fit thru surprisingly small spaces...
good luck in your search for a chinchilla.. they are such awesome pets!!!!!


Answer:
Hi.Thanks for the nice replys.
Well i guess i will be doing alot more hoping and wanting before i get any as i think they would be better in pairs too but they are very expensive.
Do they smell bad if not cleaned out everyday like a rabbit lol?
I think they are so sweet but maybe will be thinking about another pet for house.Thanks again.


Answer:
a good once a week cleaning is good... they are no where near stinky like a rabbit.. hehe...


Answer:
Thank you.I was reading that they are active at night and i really don`t think my hubby would want to be woke up at nite as he has to get up at 5 to get ready for work so i guess a chin is out of the question.lol.


Answer:
Chins are very unique pets. They are rarely cuddly and affectionate. In general, they would prefer to be out and about rather than being a lap pet. I'm glad that you are responsible enough to realize that a chin may not be the best pet for you. Perhaps a guinea pig may be a better option?


Answer:
I've been very curious about chins too. I've never seen one before (except the pictures on here) and am surprised how small they are.
I don't know why but I thought thet were big like ferrets but it seems they're small like...mice?
My frined in Conneticut was thinking about getting one and mentioned "dust baths."
After doing a search on Google I don't know any more now about baths than I did before.
Can anyone give this curious cat girl a bit of info? I'd really appreciate it!


Answer:
Originally Posted by LankaKitten
I've been very curious about chins too. I've never seen one before (except the pictures on here) and am surprised how small they are.
I don't know why but I thought thet were big like ferrets but it seems they're small like...mice?
Chins are about the size of a ferret, ferrets are long and skinny whereas chins are fat and round.
I find chins a low cost/low maintenance pet. IF they need vet care, then they can get pricey as I find exotic vets do charge more since they tend to specialize. But for day to day care, the are inexpensive. They only eat about 2-3 Tbsp. of food a day, and a handful or two of timothy hay (my chins eat a lot more hay than pellets since the hay is farm fresh)
Although they tend to be happiest with a room mate, they can be kept alone provided they get a lot of play time and attention.
They need a dust bath 2-3 times a week, depending on the humidity levels in your area. You can usually tell when they need a dust bath, their fur gets kind of greasy looking, losing it's poofiness
They need a cage that has some height to it (3 feet high will do) with multi-levels to jump on, since they are mountainous animals (untreated pine shelving works good for this). The floor area can be 2 1/2' x 2 1/2' or larger if wanted. Oh, and lots of toys for single chins to beat boredom of course.
They are nocturnal, so will be up all night bouncing around, and can make quite a racket, so a bedroom is not the best location for a cage.


Answer:
Thanks for all the great info. Maybe because all the pictures are close-up, I thought they were small.
I've seen some of the cages on here and they look great: real spacious and fun.
So a dust bath is like a box with a certain kind of dust/powder in it and the chins jump around? I'd love a visual to accompany the image in my head!
Thank so much!