just some chin questions from the newbie

[iwantone!]

hey, i'm new to chins and am planning on getting one in a week or two. i just have some questions:
what's the difference between a hetero and a homo?
what's a TOV?
i bought an alfalfa based pellet and loose alfalfa hay. way to not pay attention. should i definately get some timothy hay?
which keeps chins cooler, granite or marble?
is it ok to have a fan blow on the cage when it's hot?
how do you train them to sit on your shoulder?
annnnd...anything else would be of great help. thanks all!

[kryssy]

There's another forum in think in FAQ that explains hetero and homo I'll have to look it up
TOV = touch of velvet
yes, you need timothy hay
I use marble cheaper to buy some from a home depot type store
fan no not directly at the cage, I think there is a forum somewhere in here on that too
training, time and patience, may learn fast or may never learn, depends on if they want to do it. there's a forum on that to, let me go find some links.
you can try using snacks to get him to sit up there, but just remember snacks need to be very limited. please we can't stress this enough to new owners, it's everywhere on the forums. Limit snacks, One raisin size peice a day, if that.

[kryssy]

hetero homo link
http://www.chins-n-quills.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66592

keeping cool
http://www.chins-n-quills.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41253

[melvtech19]

is it ok to have a fan blow on the cage when it's hot?


Fans work to keep people cool because they speed up the evaporation of water from our skin when we sweat, making us feel cooler. Since chins do not sweat, a fan will do nothing to keep them cool. In an emergency situation, you could blow a fan over ice (but not directly at the cage) and this can help to cool your chin. This is not a long term solution, however. You need to make sure the room the chin is in stays cool, probably about 65-75 F, some may go a little lower, some may go a little higher. Another rule you can use is if the temp (F) + %humidity = 150 or more...this is too hot and can be dangerous to the chin.

edit: sorry, Kryssy posted that link while I was typing this lol

[Chingal]

what's the difference between a hetero and a homo?
Heterozygous means they have more than 1 color gene
Homozyogus means they have only one specific color gene
There is a more technical scientific way to explain this I just cannot type it into words right at the moment..

i bought an alfalfa based pellet and loose alfalfa hay. way to not pay attention. should i definately get some timothy hay?
I feed only alfalfa and no timothy and have for years , you need to watch their weight ( they tend to get a little hefty with too much) and you need to make sure they get plenty of water with Alfalfa

is it ok to have a fan blow on the cage when it's hot?
An airconditioner is a MUST with chinchillas if your house is ever over 70 degrees even for a short period of time
how do you train them to sit on your shoulder?
I think it depends on the individual animal how trainable they are , but also lots of positive reassurance and patience.

[iwantone!]

thanks all! i just remembered another question. is there a difference in temperment between males and females? if so, what. i'm getting one as a pet, not for breeding, so i'm trying to decide between male and female.

[bear]

depends on the specific animal, really. there are a variety of temperaments not related to gender. besides that, cranky females can spray, and on males you have to do hair ring checks.

[iwantone!]

neither of the two sound pleasant, but considering my retarded dog is always peeing inside, i think i can handle a bit of pee. :laugh: