Pet The World

Chinchillas, like all rodents, need to chew. It keeps your teeth short and healthy since they don’t stop growing. There is a variety of material, shapes and flavors of things for them to chew on. Switching it up from time to time and giving your pet a variety of chew toys can make it a little more fun for them. I have noticed that through past experiences with rodent pets of both myself and friends, and with my current chinchilla, they enjoy both soft and hard things to chew.

My chinchilla will chew anything. This is important to note if you ever let your own chinchilla or rodent out of his/her cage to have some fun. You have to be careful of the environment they are in. My chinchilla has chewed through two electric wires. She has chewed on numerous furniture, books, and paper. It’s not that I don’t watch her when she’s out, it’s that she’s so fast and just gets to things quicker than I can at times.

When she’s not running through the house for her next quick snack, she is sitting in her cage chewing on a variety of things I try to provide her with. The first, which is probably the staple thing for rodents to chew on as pets, is toilet paper and paper towel rolls. These are great. Not only do you get to put what would usually be trash to good use, they are somewhat soft and easy for the rodent to chew. Sometimes they prefer this over the harder things, though you have to make sure there isn’t a lot of glue on them.

She also loves to chew wood. The constant piece she has is a wooden ledge in her cage, though she doesn’t chew that as much. She likes to jump on it and stuff, but only chews it when she really doesn’t have anything else to chew. It’s a nice thing to have in the cage for moments between her old and new chew toy.

I also get her wood blocks that she just loves. They are little, finger length, and usually come in many assorted colors. Some even are flavored. I’m not really sure if she enjoys the flavored ones more or not, but she loves all the wood chew toys. They are her favorite, a treat almost, and she will chew on that contently for a long time. I like to keep one of those, since it’s a harder toy, and a roll, since it’s a softer toy, in her cage at the same time. This gives her variety for when she wants to chew.

Of course, anything in her cage she will chew. She has a green plastic igloo for a house, and that is covered in bite marks. She usually only chews that when she is antsy and wants to get out of the cage. It’s a good sign to let me know she might be feeling too cooped up. I noticed that some, maybe even more, will start to chew these constant items in their cages when they are bored.

They also will chew their cages for the same reason. My chinchilla is no different. She will chew that when she has ran out of a good chew toy and gets bored, or when she wants out of the cage. I can tell because she is most active when I let her out after she has been chewing on the cage.

Animals are smarter than most people give them credit and a wonderful friend to have. We should treat them better by providing variety for their life. We need to not just show them love and affection with hugs and petting, but also show them that we care by providing them with enjoyable items we give them. Take note of what they prefer, what they often chew, and what gets chewed the fastest. Rodents are one of the most affectionate pets surprisingly, always amusing and entertaining, and deserve every little treat and toy they can get.

This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.PetLovers.Com which is a site for Pet Forums.

Jake Rose is an artist and an author from Massachusetts.

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The first and most important thing to bear in mind before deciding on a chin as a pet is that it has a life span of 8 to 10 years, much longer than the average rabbits, guinea pigs or hamsters. So ask yourself: “Will I be tired of it after a couple of years?”

Always buy your chin from a breeder, who can give advice on chin care as well as providing the necessary equipment to house your chin and appropriate food. Pet shops sell other animals and thus will not be able to offer expert advice. If your intention is to breed quality chins with the aim of winning awards, then look for a pedigree chin with a certificate. Price is not necessarily a guarantee of quality, so be sure of your requirement and shop around for the best deal.

First, check if all the chinchillas with the breeder are bright and alert. Healthy chins have active, bright and clear eyes; yellow-orange and aligned teeth, dry nose. If one or more look sickly, the likelihood of the rest that will be infected is high. Look for another breeder if you are not convinced.

Next, decide on the colour that appeals to you. The numerous colours that are available are attractive to most new owners. The rarer the colour, the more expensive is the chin. Take the time to get to know your chin. Gently extend your hand, it can take a while to sniff or nibble you, especially if it has had bad experiences with people before you.

The next step is to get the basic necessity for your chin’s house. Essential items are cage, water bottle and wood shavings as bedding. The cage must be made of wire mesh with size of 24 by 24 by 18 inches. Get those with raised wire floors if possible, to allow droppings, urine and partially eaten food to fall through. In addition, your chin needs a dust bath at least once a week, so bath dust and a dust pan or container is a must.

Last word of advice before you head back home with that incredibly soft ball of fur, take along about 2 weeks’ supply of whatever feed the chin has been eating. A chin’s diet must be adjusted gradually.

Be kind, gentle and offer it lots of hugs, and the chin will reward you with an unconditional friendship for life!

Sandra Kwok is the author of “By the Fur of my Chinny Chin Chin” Ezines. Her love for Chinchillas has led her to create a website exclusively for Chin owners. Subscribe to her FREE Ezines and get expert tips on everything you need to know about chins:

http://www.chin-r-us.com

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They are more affectionate than dogs, smarter then rabbits, more fun than the average hamsters; less temperamental than cats and the list goes on. There is simply no comparison. Meet the amazing Chinchillas, and you’ll be instantly drawn to them. Chins, as they are more affectionately called, have the good looks and intelligence to scream about. To find out more, read on!

Origin:

The Chinchilla is a member of the rodent family originating from the Andes Region of South America.

Characteristics:

The most attractive attribute of a Chinchilla is its push coat. Each hair follicle contains 60-80 hair, 20 to 30 times more than cats and dogs! Add the large button eyes, big round ears and long fluffy tails; it is not surprising that Chinchillas melted many hearts. Chins are nocturnal, spending most of the day dosing. They have no smell, unlike rabbits or guinea pig, so they can make decent apartment pets.

Fur Colors:
The Standard Grey is the original color but when chin trade grew, demand for variety gave rise to a new trend - color mutation. Colors available are Beige, Silver or Pink White, Black Velvet, Brown, Tan, Sapphire, Mosaic, Violet. The rarer the color, the more expensive it is.

Life span:

Average 8 to 10 years, in some case over 15 years.

Diet:
Chins are herbivorous. Their nutritional requirement are quite bland, all they require are commercially produced chinchilla pellets, dry timothy hay and alfalfa and fresh water. An occasional treat of dried fruits will make them very happy.

Healthy sign:
Healthy chins have active, bright and clear eyes; yellow-orange and aligned teeth, dry nose; hard and elongated stools; dense and even fur. The ideal weight for a full grown chin is about 450 to 800 grams. Chins are hardy and rarely fall ill.

Maintenance:
Chins don’t cost much to maintain. Essential items are cage, water bottle and wood shavings as bedding. A wire mesh cage size of 24 by 24 by 18 inches is considered good, larger if you have more than one chin. Get those with raised wire floors if possible, to allow droppings, urine and partially eaten food to fall through, as chins are clean animals and do not like their fur to be soiled. In addition, Chins need a dust bath at least once a week.

Where to buy Chinchillas:
Always buy a chin from a reputable breeder. The breeder should know the background of the chin as well as providing appropriate chin equipment and feed. Pet shops sell many other animals and therefore the staff may not have sufficient knowledge about chins. Look for a pedigree certificate, if you want to breed quality chins with the aim of winning awards. Otherwise, all chins are adorable. Price is not necessarily a guarantee of quality, so be sure of your requirement and seek a second opinion.

Sandra Kwok is the author of “By the Fur of my Chinny Chin Chin” Ezines. Her love for Chinchillas has led her to create a website exclusively for Chin owners. Subscribe to her FREE Ezines and get expert tips on everything you need to know about chins:

http://www.chin-r-us.com

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