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Chinchillas!

  • 05-01-2011 11:09pm
    #1
    ABajaninCork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,411 ✭✭✭


    Can anyone tell me a bit about them? Things like:
    • Housing
    • Diet
    • Lifespan
    • Cost
    Are they suitable as pets for children?

    TIA :)


Comments

  • #2
    Cherry Blossom
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,972 ✭✭✭Cherry Blossom


    Housing
    As big as possible and with as small gaps in it as possible as they tend to rikochet off the sides of cages so needs to be of a type they can't catch their leg in. Mine had free access to the whole house most of the time though as long as I was home

    Diet
    Chinchilla pellets are better than the museli type, rolled porridge oats for treats

    Lifespan
    15 - 20 years

    Cost
    Minimal after initial setup costs

    Are they suitable as pets for children?
    No way, definately not for under 10s, and not interesting enough for over 10s :rolleyes:

    Chinchilla's can't be picked up and cuddled, they may decide to come and sit on you but thats their perogative. The general rule is the more you ignore them the more interesting you are to them.

    I miss my Chillas :(


  • #3
    Cherry Blossom
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,972 ✭✭✭Cherry Blossom


    BTW initial costs depend how mental you are :rolleyes:, my costs included chinchilla proofing the whole house, roof to floor cat trees, a sandpit instead of a dust bath etc. :rolleyes:

    One of my babies :

    picture.php?albumid=1088&pictureid=5532


  • #4
    laurat
    Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭laurat


    i have 14 chins and my cousins are 8 and 4 and there realy good with them when i told them how to handle them theres only certain ones they can hold it realy depends on the personality of the chinchilla and if the kid will get bord... ferrets mite be a good idea they chase strings and play and are more fun i have two but would only trust the male with a kid but the female one is so gentle


  • #5
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,528 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    adrenalinjunkie wrote: »
    One of my babies :

    pic

    awww

    laurat wrote: »
    i have 14 chins

    :eek:

    We only have one and can't believe the mess he makes :D 14 must be pretty epic to try and deal with.


  • #6
    laurat
    Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭laurat


    ha its not too bad but we need to keep a hoover constintly in there room which helps.. the big clean out once a week is a nightmare takes hours atleast they dont smell.. but there worth it... my 14 is now 18 two girls gave birth :)


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  • #7
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,528 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    Any pics?

    Here's our little guy, Elmo is his name.

    SAM_0413.jpg
    SAM_0421.jpg


  • #8
    ABajaninCork
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,411 ✭✭✭ABajaninCork


    Thanks everyone for the help so far!:D I've found it very useful....

    I love the pics! They look so cute, don't they?


  • #9
    laurat
    Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭laurat


    i thought it would be a bit to much if i posted the lot :P
    i duno how ta get the pictures up properly


  • #10
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,528 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    laurat wrote: »
    i duno how ta get the pictures up properly

    if you click on the attachement and open it and paste in the url

    http://boards.ie/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=147355&d=1297293170

    and put

    [img ][/img ] around it

    attachment.php?attachmentid=147355&d=1297293170 but without the space between G and ].

    Its massive so not going to put it up


  • #11
    kimmyt1987
    Registered Users Posts: 261 ✭✭kimmyt1987


    [img ][/img]35608_1762587227621_1327312546_1944212_2459487_n.jpg

    167841_1750471124726_1327312546_1913396_6336808_n.jpg

    Im new to owning Chinnies,
    fell in love with little Gizmo who was abandoned by her mum.
    As the runt of the litter and having a cleft lip she was taken away and hand fed daily. I had to have her, spent a small fortune on getting a cage and all the bits and bobs she would need. I ended up coming back two months later to buy her big sis who amazingly hadnt been sold yet. They have now been reunited and are two happy, healthy little monsters! They are both very different personality wise, Gizmo is very happy to climb on your hands and arms when you approach the cage whereas Dib is very skittish. Once they got used to being let out in a Chinnie proof bathroom they were happy enough to explore a little more and generally climb up onto my head and shoulders for a better view of their playspace! :D

    Not really a kids pet as they generally don't like being handled too much but they are such amazing little characters if you are willing to put up with their chewing and mischief natures!


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  • #12
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,528 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    nice little girls :)

    Elmo went to the vet the other day and turns out he's actually a lady.
    have to come up with a new name now...


  • #13
    laurat
    Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭laurat


    Ha... that happend to me the first two i got the pet shop told me they were boys it was a boy and a girl... did you get yours from a petshop?


  • #14
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,528 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    yes, Petstop in Carrickmines after we went up to have a look at the fish :rolleyes:

    She's called Daisy now :)


  • #15
    godtabh
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 23,241 Mod ✭✭✭✭godtabh


    Cookie_Monster wrote: »
    yes, Petstop in Carrickmines after we went up to have a look at the fish :rolleyes:

    She's called Daisy now :)

    ot I know but there is better places to be getting fish other than Pet Stop


  • #16
    Asphyxia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,740 ✭✭✭Asphyxia


    I saw these in Petmania yesterday and fell in love :rolleyes: It might end up on my pet list :)


  • #17
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,528 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    godtabh wrote: »
    ot I know but there is better places to be getting fish other than Pet Stop

    Yes I discovered that fairly quickly. Only went up as I only found out it was there at the time, had a look at the fish, a lot of which didn't look too good. I wouldn't buy fish up there but it's still the handiest place for food and bits for me.


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