Safari and pet wonderland have plenty of good cage to sell. You can go for min 2' in width x 2' in high. Chinchilla like to jump, so buy cage that abit tall, but not too tall that they fall and die accidently. About the gap, as long as your chin is not a baby chin, 1inc x 1 inc will do will.

I have not seen any cage where the cage-bars gaps are only 1inch x 1inch. Those cages in pet safari/pets wonderland have bigger gaps. similar to what u can see behind my rabbit in my avatar, the gaps are 1inch x 3inches. Isn't that too big for chins? they like to bounce of the cage walls and with gaps that big, their legs may get caught and broken. How big are your cage bar gaps? or is your cage acrylic, etc. with no gap?


In case you seriously want to go for a chin, here is some simple guideline to purchase some item.
Cage : don't use dog cage, don't use cage that is wire bottom(need to be solid/flat ground), don't use cage is smaller then 2' in width x 2' in high.

I like the 3feet or 4feet tall cages, don't like confining my pets in small places if solid ground is better, that means i don't have to bother with cages with pull-out bottom trays?

Feeder n water bottle : use ceramic heavy clay bowl, use DOG type water bottle(those can fit in any mineral bottle as bottle), not rabbit or hamster type water bottle.

err.. a bit confused about what you mean by 'those that can fit in any mineral bottle as bottle'? do you mean the drinking tube i.e. the tube is large enough so that it can be screwed onto mineral bottle heads?

Bedding : Kaytee Aspen is good, Chipssi or other bedding that does not release aromatic oil.

got it same as for rabbits hehe but i'm concerned about not being able to get good pellets for chins. I've only seen Sluis brand, with lots of corn, etc in it. That's not good..

If you really get a chin, I have 1 more new chin friend

I definitely will! its just a matter of time if you know of anyone else selling chins, do let me know!

Hey guys, dropping by to say hello. Neo is doing quite fine. He is extremely manja and kind of hyperactive too. He likes sitting on my shoulder. Oh and i found traces of ringworm fungus on him in the early stage and treated it with anti fungal powder and some anti fungal cream for small animals. He likes the daily scratches and back rubs. Will upload pictures soon. Oh and how do you know if your chin really trusts you and likes you.Also he wags his tail and makes a sort of muffled laugh. Very cute. Will post pictures if he stays still for 5 minutes.

Daily diet:
-pellets
-hay(alfa alfa&timothy)
-1 grape
-1 apple cube
-1/8 wheat biscuit(No sugar)
-2 raisins
-3 leaves of dried herb(mint)

is this okay for the diet??

Rather than hay and pellets, can we give vegetables and fruits 2-3 times a week?

I will not suggest that. Chinchilla in the wild is eating dried leave, root, bark..etc. They origin from a very dry and cold climate, and their digestive system is design to eat dried food, not fresh green. Fresh green is a no no for chinchilla, even tho some chin owner still feed them tiny piece of dried apple, even is dried, I will not encourage chin owner doing it, because of the high sugar content which chinchilla cannot handle. Good pellet and hay is all chinchilla need, they thrive on a simple, high energy, low fat and high fiber diet, not fresh green or any treat is needed.

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Added on April 28, 2008, 11:37 amPhotos of Snowball.



Snowball's husband Zolro

bro,
u r the best guy to ask for question on chin's stuff.
u.
btw plannin to get 1 for my wife since dog is out of the question.
any breeder to intro?
how much for tontoro btw?
cheers! 

pai seh, pai seh.

Well, currently I have not meet any breeder yet, if you wish to get a chinchilla, currently pet wonderland and safari at Ikano power centre have some available. I am currently keeping all the offspring.

Price range depend on colour, you may need to visit pet shop to find out, difference shop sell difference price. Just get ready of RM1.5K to get started(Chin, cage , pellet, etc.)

Secondly, very important is to know what is chinchilla and how to take care of them, cause they cannot be treated like a hamster or rabbit or guinea pig.

Here is some simple guide line :

Chinchillas, originating from mountaineous regions of South America, are great pets - cute, social, yet inexpensive and relatively easy to take care of. However, most beginner chinchilla owners don't know much about the animals. In fact, chinchillas, like other small rodents, can be rather delicate and an illness contracted for instance by a cold draft can be fatal for them within a very short period of time.

The most common mistakes made by inexperienced chinchilla owners include the following:

10) Wrong cage placement. Both too hot or too cold temperatures are bad for chinchillas. They can easily get heatstroke at temperatures of above 90F (30C), but can also freeze at temperatures below 50F (10C). Drafts are to be avoided as well, since they can cause pneumonia.

9) Mistakes when handling. The correct way to pick up and hold a chinchilla is by placing one hand below the body, with the thumb around a front leg, and supporting the weight with the second hand below the hindquarters. Never pull a chinchilla by the tail since it has a lot of delicate vertebrae which can break easily.

8) Not giving the chin a chance to take a regular dust bath. Dust baths are essential for chinchilla hygiene, and a fun spectacle to observe, too. Chinchillas should have the chance to take a dust bath at least once a week.

7) Using a wire mesh bottom cage. This is not a very good idea since chinchillas' small feet can slip through the mesh and get irritated by the metal, causing foot sores. A solid floor cage with a soft bedding like pelleted paper is much better.

6) Overfeeding treats. Many a newbie owner is all too happy feeding sweets and treats to a chinchilla, unaware that it is in fact harmful for the animal. Treats like a raisin should only be fed occasionally, maximum once a day. Things containing chocolate and industrial sugar should not be fed at all.

5) Not making the house chinchilla-proof. There are numerous dangers in a typical household for a chin on the loose. The most obvious ones include anything that moves - be it people, doors, things that can fall down, or anything that can squeeze. Another one is cables - chinchillas chew everything in sight, and electric cables are not very healthy food! Green plants are another potential threat to chinchilla health - a lot of them (such as ficus or azalea) cause food poisoning if chewed on.

4) Not cleaning the cage regularly and often enough. Chinchillas are clean animals and feel miserable in a dirty cage. Bad hygiene is often one of the main reasons for infections and various serious diseases. A chinchilla cage should be thoroughly cleaned at least once a week (better twice), with the whole bedding renewed. Food bowls and the water tube should be cleaned daily.

3) Not providing enough space and exercise. A sight seen very often is a chinchilla hunched in the corner of a small cage, barely moving from that spot all day. Combined with unrestricted dry food access, this is a sure way to make a chinchilla overweight and significantly reduce its lifespan. For chinchillas, the same basic principle applies as for humans - leaner is better. A healthy chinchilla should feel firm to the touch below the fur, not soft and wobbly. Methods to ensure that your chin is in good shape and not overweight include enough space (at least 9 sq.ft for an adult chinchilla), toys to play with, an exercise wheel, and regular exploration forays outside of the cage.

2) Incorrect bedding. Wood shavings in particular, although very frequently used, are not a good bedding for chinchillas. They can cause foot sores and injuries to the chins' delicate eyes. Also, the wood dust which often accompanies shavings causes respiratory (lung) problems. Some kinds of wood, such as cedar or redwood, also contain oily components that can cause liver damage.

1) Improper food. This is probably the most frequent cause of illnesses among pet chinchillas. In particular, feeding a lot of moist vegetables such as lettuce can cause diarrhea, which can be lethal for a chinchilla within one or two days. Insufficient access to water (for instance, failure to notice that a gravity water bottle's ball was stuck and the chinchilla cannot drink enough) leads to dehydration and is also quite dangerous. Providing water in open bowls instead of a bottle can lead to contamination with droppings and bedding material and various infections as a result.

By avoiding these mistakes you are on a good way towards having a healthy and happy chinchilla with a long lifespan (perhaps over 20 years!). However, there are more issues that we could not cover in this short article.
Here is few website is good for to read to get ready before buy a chin back home.

1. Chincare.net
2. US Auction chinchillas.com
3. greenwoodchinchillas
4. azure-chinchilla

1.5 k for with cage n acc.
well contemplating over ferret or chins la.
maybe next off spring sell me one can?
too much to handle now. lovebirds just lay eggs!
hope can hatch this round
cheers!

No problem.

I would like to see your lovebird's eggs!!!! Can you please post few pictures here? I am very curious to see the lovebird's  eggs!

General knowledge is, bird need hay to make nest, give them lot of hay to make nest, so it can hatch!

Trying to get people to buy your hay? XD

Wait till my wabbits 6 months old then ill buy your hay.

No problem.

I would like to see your lovebird's eggs!!!! Can you please post few pictures here? I am very curious to see the lovebird's  eggs!

General knowledge is, bird need hay to make nest, give them lot of hay to make nest, so it can hatch!

well.. this is the 10th round of eggs.
only 2 manage to hatch.
will try to look 4 the egg pic n post ok.
tryin to locate a video how they make love n post 2.
very the horny. everyday have sex ok.
even im standing there still doin it like in invisible.

why no more pics of chins???

would love to have them but not now...

end of the year maybe & would like to get from a loving breeder...

Well, i do read. Its fun!

NEW BORN BABY IS IT CHIN? So cute... So how many in total are you chins now?

Hahaha... no bump... post here also no body see...

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Added on May 11, 2008, 12:17 pm





If you wish to see more photos of my chins, can also visit the Chinese forum on cari, I have a link on at my signature(the chinese wording), you can click and direct you to that forum with plenty of pictures(if you dont understand chinese, that is ok, just see picture also happy!)