Meet The Fluffy Chinchilla
This exotic animal was named after the Chincha people of the Andes region. The Andes Mountains in South America. Chinchilla actually means "little Chincha". Back around the close of the 19th century, the animals were known for their thick and soft fur.
There are two types of chinchillas. The chinchilla brevicaudata, which is also known as the Bolivian, Peruvian and Royal chinchilla, has a short tail. They came from the Andes Mountains in the regions of Chile, Peru and Bolivia. This chinchilla was on the verge of becoming extinct and were known for the exquisite fur. Even with the fur, the population of these animals continued to decrease. The chinchilla lanigera, which is also known as the Chilean, Coastal or Lesser chinchilla, has a long tail.
"Chinchillas can NOT have fleas or ticks. Their fur is just to dense having 80-100 hairs per follicle"
New Table of Contents
- Want A Chinchilla As A Pet? Here's Where To Start
- Evi The Chinchilla
- Looking For A Good Chinchilla Care?
- Is A Chinchilla A Good Pet
- Looking For The Right Vet For Your Chinchilla
- Chinchilla Kits
- Vet & Veterinarian Emergency Hospital Finders
- Chinchilla Facts
- Keep Your Chinchilla's Cage Clean And Safe
- Some Great Chinchilla Pictures
- Are Chins Just Too Cute?
Want A Chinchilla As A Pet? Here's Where To Start
If you want a chinchilla as a pet, you can keep a domestic chinchilla. They are known to have nervous tendencies and are night owls. They like to stay up at night and be active. They also don't care for someone holding them. However, they can be friendly animals, but it will take a while for them to get used to their owner. They're not easily coerced into getting close to people. The owner has to earn their trust, just like a human relationship.Chinchillas that become captive have a life span from 15 to 20 years. They can be noisy, making sounds in the form of chirping, barking and squeaking. They use these noises to communicate and express their feelings. If you are not an early riser, you may have to deal with them making noise in the wee hours of the morning. If you are sensitive to noise while you sleep, a chinchilla may not be for you.
It's ok to have more than one chinchilla of the same gender, as long as their personalities don't clash. If they interact when they're still young, they have a better chance of enduring each other. If they're older, it may take a little longer for them to form a bonding. If you have a male and female in the same domain, they will have to be sterilized so to prevent procreation of offspring. The chinchillas are so full of life, that it's necessary for them to have plenty of space for them to roam.
Read more about having a Chinchilla As A Pet
Evi The Chinchilla
Looking For A Good Chinchilla Care?
The Information You Need to Raise Healthy and Contented Chinchillas. Facts, advice, and fascinating insights tell you all you need to know about:
# Acquiring
# Housing
# Feeding
# Health Care
# Breeding
# and much more
Filled with color photos and instructive line illustrations
The Chinchilla Handbook (Barron's Pet Handbooks)
Amazon Price: $9.59 (as of 10/12/2008)
""The Chinchilla Handbook" makes a great companion book to Dr. Vanderlip's standard, "The Guinea Pig Handbook," by the same publisher. Profusely illustrated by Michele Earle-Bridges to enhance the well-organized, straightforward text, this book covers everything the novice (and veterinarian) should know about chinchilla history, suitability as pets, anatomy, housing, feeding, behavior, health care and reproduction. This comprehensive book concludes with information about color inheritance and the fascinating world of showing chinchillas competitively. A helpful list of chinchilla affinity groups and recommended publications precede the detailed book index.
Among the many user-friendly features of the book are the well-organized tables and summary boxes which condense the essential facts about these charming little creatures into easy-to-find bites. The health management aspects of the book point the reader to the most common problems likely to be encountered with chinchillas, and practical advice about avoiding them and deciding when to seek the help of you local chinchilla veterinarian.
A great, but compact, book for chinchilla lovers and veterinary staff alike, and a welcome new addition to the Barron's series of pet owner handbooks. It goes alphabetically on my shelf next to Dr. Vanderlip's manual's on "Degus" and "Dwarf Hamsters." "
Is A Chinchilla A Good Pet
Looking For The Right Vet For Your Chinchilla
Just because they may like exotic animals doesn't mean that they're qualified to take care of them. They must have special training to medically care and treat them. You will probably have to do a "Sherlock Holmes" number in searching for the right one to treat your chinchilla. It's best to search for a veterinarian that specializes in exotics and exotic animal medicin or one who is board certified in it. You can ask veterinarians what kind of training they've had.
You can also check through certain organizations, such as the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) and the Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV). If you still need assistance, try a regular veterinarian with an interest in exotic animals that can consult with an exotic animal specialist. It's better if they're experienced, but if not, this would be the route to go.
You should try to find one as soon as you can. It's not best to wait until your chinchilla has an emergency where you'll need someone right away. Then you'll be taking more time away trying to find someone. It could be a matter of life and death for your pet. I would even go so far as recommending that you find a good Vet even before buying your Cin. In fact once you have found a veterinarian with an interest in chinchillas they should be able to recommend you to a breeders or at least a quality pet shop to get your new pet from.
When looking for a quality veterinarian for your chinchilla be prepared to ask lots of questions. For more on what to as check out Finding The Right Vet For Your Chinchilla
Chinchilla Kits
Chinchilla Vids Part 1
Chinchilla Kits and their Mother in a bath tub. Includes the adorable sound of the babies squeaking.
Vet & Veterinarian Emergency Hospital Finders
- ACVIM Specialist Search
- This is provided by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. This is the first locator I turn to and most of the time the only one I need to use.
- VetLocator
- This is the other finder I use when the ACVIM Specialist Search doesn't give me the results I am after. The best part of this finder is that you can search by city.
Access to over 26,000 veterinary clinics in the United States and 2,400 veterinary clinics in Canada By City & State/Province - Healthypet's Hospital Locater
- Use Healthypet's Hospital Locater to find an AAHA-accredited veterinary hospital near you. If you are moving or traveling with your pet, look up an AAHA-accredited hospital near your destination so that you'll be prepared when your pet needs medical attention.
- Veterinarians Search Directory
- Find a Veterinarian near you. Use our free Animal Hospital search service to locate Veterinarians Veterinarian Nationwide.
- Vet Services Directory
- At a glance Online Vet-Comparative Veterinarian Guide , vet directory by services - Species, Vet Specialists, Holistic Veterinarians, House Calls, Emergency, Boarding, Educational, Corporate, Government Veterinarians too,... Find a Vet for your need.
- Pets 911 - Veterinarians
- For a listing of your local emergency clinic locations please enter your 5-digit ZIP Code.
Here's my favorite link:
Keep Your Chinchilla's Cage Clean And Safe
Before you put your pet chinchilla in their cage, it must be cleaned thoroughly. Once they've made it their home, you should clean it at least once a week. To keep the cage smelling fresh, you can use baby cornstarch powder or baking soda (preferably the Arm & Hammer brand). It should be sprinkled in the areas where they urinate. Usually, your pet won't venture into those areas, but if they do, they may contact a fungus.If your pet's cage has solid flooring, the bedding needs to constantly stay fresh. Keep the flooring area clean and use a disinfectant for the area. Pull-out litter pans that have a wire mesh may be in conflict with solid flooring. If the flooring is wire-based, make sure that you have shelves and mats installed to give your pet relief from standing on the wire mesh.
If you're cleaning your pet's cage at in your shower or outside, you must use disinfectant by scrubbing the cage with pet-safe cleaner
Find out more on keeping your Chinchilla Cage safe and clean! A clean Chin is a happy & healthy pet
Some Great Chinchilla Pictures
chinchilla
"Rush's Dream&q...
Sleeping Marcello
chinchilla
baby chinchilla
baby chinchilla
baby chin
baby chin
0917081655.jpg
Come out and play
Are Chins Just Too Cute?
We want to hear from you. Have a cute story about your chinchilla we want to hear it. Have an unusual name for your pet chin share it with us all. Or if you liked Meet The Lovable Chinchilla and just want to let us know you were here then stop and say hi.
~Jeff C.
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ShelleyC
Hi, I am new to chinchillas but will keep checking back to see how this site comes along. Posted February 11, 2008 |
