new chin owner

[joeybubbles]

Hi,
My 14 year old son just bought a chinchilla from a local pet store yesterday. He is really cute and is two years old. His breeder recently divorced and sold it to the pet store.

He seems active-is eating well, going on his wheel and jumping around his cage. We aren't going to try and pick him up for a while yet, but he does come up and smell and nibble us and will walk on our hands if we lay them in the cage.

My only concern right now is that at the pet store he went in his hut frequently and slept in there. We bought the exact same hut, but he won't go in it. He sleeps on top of it. We put a cardboard box in his cage and he'll go in for a minute or two, but still sleeps on top of his hut. The pet store said they really need and enclosed place for security. Do you think he just needs more time to adapt?

We also have a hard plastic bottom and plastic shelves. The cage we bought is specifically a chinchilla cage (18 in by 30 in and two levels high)

thanks for your help
jane

[wagfamily]

Mine mostly sit on top of their house instead of inside also. After reintroducing their house to their cage, it ook a while for them to stay inside of it for any length of time. How old is the chin?

[ClemsonChin]

first off, welcome to C&Q!!

secondly, he'll sleep where he's most comfortable. If he feels secure in his cage and surroundings, he won't necessarily sleep inside the hut. Mine sleep all over their cage. Its a sign of comfort.

last thing... get rid of anything plastic that he can reach to chew on. wood shelves are cheap to make or buy online. plastic is very dangerous for chinnies b/c it can cause blockages if they chew and ingest it.

enjoy your new chinnie... they're addictive :)

[JBBinTex]

Welcome to the forum. I commend you for searching for more information. Sadly, pet stores are usually quite lacking in knowledge on chins. The house...it is great for them to have, as long as it isn't plastic. Wood is best. Chins like to be at the highest point of the cage....whether that be a shelf, or on top of their house. I have some that sleep in the house, most don't. The plastic shelves need to go...as does the ramp. You can go to Lowe's and get some kiln dried untreated pine and make some new ones. They will even cut the wood for you. Then attach the same way as a ledge...the double sided bolts and wing nuts. In a cage the size of yours, the ramps aren't needed. Chins jump. Ramps are an accident waiting to happen..IMO.

Hopefully they suggested a high quality food and hay...which usually isn't anything a pet store carries. If you keep reading around the forums, you will find out what kind of treats are safe for chin (no more than one raisin size treat 2-3 times a week). Most things are not good for chins. So it pays to research. Knowing what they can and can't chew on is crucial to a long healthy life.

[suchablond]

My only concern right now is that at the pet store he went in his hut frequently and slept in there. We bought the exact same hut, but he won't go in it. He sleeps on top of it. We put a cardboard box in his cage and he'll go in for a minute or two, but still sleeps on top of his hut. The pet store said they really need and enclosed place for security. Do you think he just needs more time to adapt?

thanks for your help
jane

:hello: Welcome to CnQ! He probably is curious (unlike at the pet store) about what's goin on. When we got Luna, the first couple of days she hung out in one spot, didn't chew her toys, sleep in her hammock. But I think she needed some time to trust the stuff I was putting in her cage, b/c now she acts like Ms. Spoiled Pants.

[BellaBella]

Hello and Welcome!

JBB said it all. She is wise.

[stacys_mommy]

Hi,
Welcome to Chins & Quills....

[Twister]

hey, welcome to chins and quills. You have the superpet cage for chinchillas right? really, if you can afford a bigger one, its better. Trust me. I am using it for a temp. cage for one of my babies until he can try to be introduced to my other chins. and if they dont get along im buying him a huge cage too.

You can get wood at hardware stores. Make sure that its Kline dried pine or other chin safe wood.

Also, did you get the cage that comes with all the food ect? that food is crap, throw it out. I think it comes with hay too? throw that out also.

Welcome to chins and quills! hope you like it here and learn a lot!