Is this the pet for me? question about cuddlness

[jburbine]

Hey everyone,
I almost got a Chin a little over a year ago, but opted not to. Now that I own my own home, and my Degu has passed, I'm looking for a new furry friend. My main question is .. Do Chins like to be held? Can I get a pouch and carry them around ? Can I train one to sit on my shoulder? I'm really looking for a "pocket book" pet that I could possibly take with me places!

And, how do Chins do as an "only". If I pay lots of attention to him, hold him a lot, bring him places with me. Will he be ok without another chin friend - or are Chins better in pairs?

Thanks for your suggestions and comments!

~Janis

[dawn]

Every single chinchilla is different in personality. Some hate being held, some are cuddle bugs some are somewhere in between. They can do ok as a single as long as you pay attention to them. Being in a pouch won't be great because they can overheat-A/C is a must so that is something to concider.

[annabelina74]

Maybe a rat? I hear they make wonderful pets!

[x_maddy]

Rats do make wonderful pets !! They will run but not hop of your shoulder or anything like that. They will sit on your shoulder and will probably do fine ina pouch, though they might poo in it .. which is a little unpleasant. Mine ALWAYS find some dark place in my clothes to hide in. Like if I`m wearing a sweatshirt they`ll go in the hood or in the pocket in the front. 0r they`ll even climb down my shirt. Sometimes I put them in my pocket that`s in my sweats and they jusp sleep and poke their heads out once in a while. I can take them anywhere .. but usually don`t. I don`t want to scare people in the store, or my babies themselves, either.

Maybe a sugar glider ? When I hear pouch, I think sugar glider. I know you can have them in puches and they really bond with their owner. They require a lot of care, which I`m sure you`d be able to give, as it sounds.

[Thorsmom]

Yes, as was said above, chinchillas are all different, and you aren't guarunteed that the one you get will ever let you hold it or sit on your shoulder. Of my four, only Heliosa really is ok with being "held", she and my boy are the only ones trusted on my shoulders, only Thor enjoys a good scratching but she absolutely hates to be held, and Ellie is tolerant of pretty much anything but doesn't really love it.

I am thinking sugar glider if you want a pouch. They bond extremelly tightly with their owners, and it sounds like you have the time for one. They can be tricky to own, so you would have to do your research, but your time and effort would definitely pay off. When they are bonded they love to be carried around with their owners, so I hear.

[chin_gal]

Yeah,I agree with everyone else.And besides...you wouldn't really want to take a chinchilla out of the house...they are really fast and pretty much impossible to catch in a wide open space.I would have said go with a sugar glider,but I've had my own experiances with them.I couldn't get them to do much of anything,much less bond.Maybe you should try a rat.

[SFuzzy]

:| I agree about chins not being a pocket pet and also about escaping and don't sound like the right pet for you..
;) And I just wanted to say that rats are THE perfect pet, especially for what you are looking for.. I often take my Blossum with me places and she hides in my hood.. We've been in McDonald's and Kmart, walmart, the record store, marcs. Blossum isn't as good about hiding as some of the rats I've had in the past cuz I didn't start taking her places til she was a little bit older.. But my Stewie would hide when I would tell him to and come out when I would call. I got him from a friend and from the time he was just old enough to be away from his mother for a bit she'd started taking him places. Rats are awesome pets. Like dogs a little. And they bond really well if you get them when they are small.. I could go on for pages and hours.. You can tell rats got my vote as the best pet!! lol:laugh:

[emy_k]

I read something on a certain kind of possom(sp???) I don't think it was a short tailed, but it may be. Anyways, it said they like to be in pouches or something along the lines. My dad also had a patient who had a pet flying squirrel that he carried around in his shirt pocket. He said it slept during the day so he just carried it almost every where. And like most people have said already, a rat sounds like a good choice.

[Boo-Boo's Mommy]

What about a sugar glider? I heard you can do that with them? I am not 100 percent sure but I was told that they are that type of pet maybe someone can help me out with that statement and you to figure out the type of pet you want. I know rats arent accessorable for some people but they arent the nasty animals that some make it to be, they are just as cuddly as your degu

[x_maddy]

:| I agree about chins not being a pocket pet and also about escaping and don't sound like the right pet for you..
;) And I just wanted to say that rats are THE perfect pet, especially for what you are looking for.. I often take my Blossum with me places and she hides in my hood.. We've been in McDonald's and Kmart, walmart, the record store, marcs. Blossum isn't as good about hiding as some of the rats I've had in the past cuz I didn't start taking her places til she was a little bit older.. But my Stewie would hide when I would tell him to and come out when I would call. I got him from a friend and from the time he was just old enough to be away from his mother for a bit she'd started taking him places. Rats are awesome pets. Like dogs a little. And they bond really well if you get them when they are small.. I could go on for pages and hours.. You can tell rats got my vote as the best pet!! lol:laugh:

Just wanted to tell you that I`ve heard that rats do much better with at least 1 other rat and most breeders will not ever sell them alone, unless it is a very aggresive male that cannot be housed with others for safety reasons. It sounds like you love your rat a lot and give her a lot of attention, so I`m not so sure in your case, but maybe you should look into getting a cagemate for Blossum.