Hi!

[poetree]

Hi all! I'm new here and just wanted to introduce myself and hopefully get lots of info for my new chinnie, Linus, who I will be picking up on Saturday. Linus will be horribly outnumbered with myself, my daughter, and her female hamster Ich (pronounced 'itch'), but he will be loved just as much as the rest of us girls. I have a million questions, :confused: but I'll start with these:

#1: Yay or nay on the exercise balls - why or why not?
#2: Hay - cubes or loose? Alfalfa or Timothy or mixture?
#3: Raisins or Rose Hips?
#4: To neuter or not to neuter?

Thanks everyone in advance for your reponses!

~Heather

[beckie467]

Hey Heather! Welcome to CnQ!!! You definitely picked the best place to get chin info everyone on here is great!!!! Ok I'll do my best to answer your questions.
1.) I don't use an exercise ball but some people do. I don't use it b/c it can get really hot in the ball and chins aren't supposed to get hot so, I choose to not use them and op for the chinnie wheel instead.
2.) Hay cubes are good for their front teeth, and they'll carry them around all over their cages. BUT they don't help grind down their back teeth. So a lot of people go with the loose hay. I use both. And as for if you use alfalfa or timothy it depends on which pellets you feed. If you feed a timothy based pellet use a alfalfa based hay and if you use a alfalfa based pellet use timothy hay. Don't use both alfalfa and timothy though.
3.) Ok that is just your preference. They are both treats and should only be given to chins once a day with a size that is no bigger than your pinky nail and only to chins that are at least 6 months old.
4.) Also your preference. I do not neuter my chins. I will NEVER do that. But that's for personal reasons and I would rather just keep my chins with their same sex or alone than put them through getting neutered. So that is your decision.
Hope this helps some.
Good luck with your new chin!!!

[dream21]

Hi Heather.
Welcome to the addiction. Check out "New Chin Owner Questions". A lot of your questions will be answered there. That your time & scroll threw. There's a lot of info. Chins are great pets, but do require proper care. Have fun, they are a joy!

[Super Chin]

#1: Yay or nay on the exercise balls - why or why not?
#2: Hay - cubes or loose? Alfalfa or Timothy or mixture?
#3: Raisins or Rose Hips?
#4: To neuter or not to neuter?


Welcome, welcome, welcome. :) Congrats on getting your first! Let's see if I can alswer the questions a bit more thoroughly.

1. Nay. Not only do chins overheat very quickly, but if they go to the bathroom it will get in their fur. Being that you can't give chins baths, this would a pretty bad situation.
2. Ditto what Beckie said. Some very good chinchilla foods are Mazuri and Oxbow. I know there are more, I just can't think of them. I'm pretty sure there is a list of good foods in the FAQ section.
3. Your preference!
4. NO! Neutering a chinchilla is very dangerous and can even be deadly. I can't exactly explain why though, so perhaps someone more experienced can answer this.

It's great that your asking questions, it's great that you want to learn. :applause: Hope you enjoy your time here at c-n-q!

[dragonflower]

I see your first set of questions have been answered, so I will just say hello :hello: and welcome to the board.

[Funzle Bunny]

Welcome. I'm not a chinny expert and I never owned one myself, but I do plan to eventually get one. I know though that you aren't suppossed to use an exercise ball. Sorry thats all i'm able to give you, but everyone else here seemed to answer your questions.

[bell]

Welcome to Chins-n-Quills

[tamsam]

hi nice to meet ya. welcome to the site . hope you are having fun with your new babie.. take care. tam sam and capi tooo...