wondering???

[Lostone]

Currently i'm keeping gerbils and i have some space for another cage but the thing is my parents will scream at me but nevermind lah........i shall wait till either my fishes or my gerbils pass away then i will have second thots on keeping Chins........

okay my question is this:

How much does it cost to mantain a Chinchilla???

Is it lesser compared to a Gp??


My last gp was around $50 per month is mantaining a chinchilla cheaper than that???

I have went near a chinchilla cage and smelled the cage and to be frank i really like the odour like chicken odour but much more nicer...can the chinchilla's be litter trained if so how???

and is a fan enough to keep a chinchilla cool???

Can chinchilla's be caged i a wire bottom cage???as i know for GPs it is a complete NO NO........


I know my questions are alot but i do not want to get a pet on impulse........i miss my gp but now i have gerbils,frisky little animals so i would appreciate it if somebody can answer my questions.

Thanks....

[clover]

Here's my expenditure for 8 chins:

15 lbs Mazuri per month $66
1.5 kg Oxford hay $23 OR 2 lb APD 2nd Cut hay $17
30L Pets Preference Soft Texture $26 (I use abt 3 bags of this per month)

Those are the bare necessities. Pls note that this is for 8 chins, so umm, aiya, you try to calculate la. I think it's:

Mazuri + hay + bedding = $167
Per chin = $20.88
Quite cheap for the bare necessities. But note that the cost wld increase with my purchase of toys, accessories eg. ledges, and treats.

I keep guinea pigs also, I find their expenditure generally similar. Not much difference. Chinchillas can be litter-trained, in the aspect that they naturally pee in corners. So if you place litterpans in the corner, you'll notice it peeing there all the time (this way, you just clean the litterpan often and use less bedding). But they'll still p0o all over the place. But the p0o is dry, if the chin is healthy. So just sweep it up, or spread a thin layer of bedding. Then clear it once a week. But the litterpan must be cleaned more often.

Fans can be used for air circulation and ventilation, however, blowing it directly at a chin is useless cos chins dun sweat. So the fan won't help them feel cooler. Only an air-con can do that. But there are other ways that can cool a chin, effectively. Use tiles or iced bottles. There are many other ways. You can find out more on the internet or through chin mailing lists. But I admit that those chin owners who keep more than a few chins, normally invest in an air-con. Chinchillas can be caged on wire bottom cages, but the width of the mesh must be very small. Cos accidents do happen (it's happened to my chins before), and you'll have to bring it to a vet in the end. But I actually believe that plastic bottom cages are much better, but not foolproof (my chin caught and twisted his foot on the wire door on the side, not on the floor at all).

Am glad that you love your gerbils. My bf loves his 20-30 odd gerbils too. -_-; So many.

[PeTsLoVeR (",)]

I spent less than $50 per month for the food. Hay, pellets, bathing sand, treats.

So far my expenditure for my chin (kept for 6 months) is $300 inclusive of cage and other accessories like ceramic house, H2O-bottle, food..etc.

[Lostone]

I know that the starting costs would be high but my mantainence should be low lar........cos i onli student so maybe cannot afford more than $60 only for vet trips lar.Some websites say that a fan is an absolute necessity some say it is not necessary so which one is correct??I'm thinking of keeping only 2 or 1 chinchilla not more than that and i have read that there is not much difference in their mantainence cost of having one or two chins as they eat a little and they can be litter trained.So would you advice me in getting one or two chins not counting on their cost but their well-being.........


For gps i had used up alot of money to buy vegetables,fruits and a whole lot of bedding as i had to cahnge it after three to four days and even with the changing they still smell.........

[PeTsLoVeR (",)]

I dun use fan/air-con. I just keep my chin in cool place. If you gotta use fan for better air-ventilation, dun face it directly to the chin. They will get flu/sick easily.

To me, 1 or 2 chins expenses should be the same lor coz chin eat beri little wan. However do keep in mind that if you gotta keep 2 chins of opposite sex... definitely you'll expecting litters from them. Be prepare for it

[clover]

I strongly encourage a fan, just to ventilate the place. Especially if you're not using an air-con. Let's just put it this way, it's better to be safe than sorry. While an air-con is not a must, at least get a fan so the the air around them circulates alot and the room is very airy. Remember 1 thing, they are wearing a fur coat, that they can never take off. It's VERY HOT. Just cos they remain healthy and alive, doesn't mean they are extremely comfortable. If you want your chin to be more active and comfortable, try your best to make its environment a little cooller. I mean, how much does a fan cost? It's really cheap compared to an air-con.

I hope I'm not being offensive. I apologise if I am. It's just that, I've heard this debate many many times on chin mailing lists. You know, hard core chin lovers actually INSIST on an air-con. I admit that for these pp, their chins have very beautiful fur and they are healthy and active. I know that sometimes, you really can't afford an air-con, but at least get a fan. I'm not giving orders or anything, just stating my opinion. This is for the chinchilla's sake lor. Never ever forget, that their native environment is actually a very cool one. Although they are adaptable animals, they still wear a very thick coat of fur. So I really hope that you'll at least use a fan for the room you keep them in. My fan is on 24/7. It only gets a rest when the air-con is on. Lucky for me, my dad invested in a very good fan. It's a KDK one, and costs $100 plus. The good thing abt this fan is, it doesn't heat up easily.

All the other fans I use, heat up very quickly. This one doesn't. And it's a powerful fan also. Anyway, good luck k. Generally, chins eat slightly lesser than other animals, I've noticed. But then, I'm not very sure abt that la. Cos I find, if you feed too little, your chin might actually be thin, but you can't tell cos of the thick fluffly fur coat. Must weigh them. Chins in America weigh an average of 700g to 800g. In Sg, I dun find many chins at this weight. Those who are at this weight, are kept in air-con, fed a premium diet, and have fantastic genes, from what I observed and read from all the other chin owners. It's not easy. And it's terrible, to breed a female who is 'not in good flesh' (I quote from the 'All About Chinchillas' book).

Caley is a very good example. Her previous owner bred her and didn't feed her regularly. It's amazing she is still alive, but she is so thin. Fortunately, she is slowly putting on weight. I hope she'll continue to do so.

[Lostone]

Thanks Clover ,You are not being offensive you are just stating the facts......

I was thinking cos at night i would on the air-con but it is only 25c to 27c and i have read that it is really useless for a chinchilla to be kept in this temperature.will they be more healthy and active???or will they have beutiful fur in this temperature???I can't afford to on the fan 24 hours lah but i can afford to buy the battery operated fan and on it for at least 12 hours and at night since i sleep in an air con room i can bring the chins inside is it ok???


Your opinions are really appreciated Clover,THANKS ALOT.

[clover]

I'm not sure what's the best temperature for them, but I think at least go below 24 degrees. I know 1 guy who keeps his air-con running at 18 degrees for them! Brrrr! So cold. But I think they like it. Cos they are kept in such a cool environment. They are naturally more active, cos they dun feel hot and uncomfortable. They jump abt and are more alert. Their fur will be thick and fluffy. It's much better cos in normal Sg weather, their fur may seem matted and clumpy cos of the humidity and heat. They dun sweat, but the moisture in the air will cause the fur to look less beautiful.

If you want your chins to be in air-con at night, it's better to just keep them in your room directly. Dun shift them in and out every night. It's stressful. There was a lady who wanted to bring her chin to and fro work everyday, to let it have air-con in her office. Cos she doesn't have it at home. She dropped the idea after many chin owners told her how stressful it can be for her chin. So I think she employs other ways now, to keep her chin cool. Don't move your chin everyday, it'll be frightened and confused.

I'm no expert, just want to offer my opinion. Good luck.

[Lostone]

Thanks,so i just put them in my room lah,so no stress lah..ok got it thanks!!!

[clover]

lolz Yes, you can put them in your room. But I hope you're not a light sleeper. Cos they tend to make alot of noise at night in the cage. They jump here and there, rattling the cages seriously.