LYNN'S HOMEPAGE

Mating Chinchilla


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Be extremely careful in pairing chinchillas for mating. Because of the high probability of a lethal gene factor, certain color mutations should never be bred to that same color mutation (i.e. white to white, black to black). It is usually safe to breed the standard grey to any other color, including another standard. By far the majority of chinchillas are the original or "standard" grey color.

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Other chinchilla colors (all of which have been created by human "genetic engineering") are white, beige, mosaic (white with grey), black (or ebony), black velvet (black on top shading to light grey below), brown (really a dark beige), brown velvet, Afro-violet (a very light, smooth grey) and sapphire (a pinkish sheen) . These colors are much harder to find and are more expensive.

Hetero Beige is a beautiful color of light beige. There are also different shades of beige as well.They also generally have a darker back than the rest of them. They have pink ears and red eyes.

Homo beige is a lighter shade than hetero beige, and they have bright red eyes. Homo beige will have a wrap around effect. They carry 2 beige genes, instead of just one.

One tip: it is always best to cuddle chins before their dust bath, not afterwards.


To gain your chinchilla's trust, start by giving them treats while they're in their cage. Put the treat in your hand and let them come to you. This way, they'll associate with your smell and your hand. After a few times of this, try giving them a few scratches underneath their chins. Be sure with each of these exercises to talk in gentle, soothing voice. After a while, you'll be able to pick up your chinchilla and eventually hold him and pet him. But go at his pace. If he's uncomfortable and tries to wriggle out of your grasp, let him. It takes time.

chins2 If they do dart and hide, don't yell at them or force them to come out. It takes a longer time for them to trust you,sometimes even months. Have patience and be consistent with your training (same time every day) and with your praises, your chinchilla will learn the routine. Chinchillas thrive on routine.

Once you've gained your chinchilla's trust and they're not afraid of you anymore, you can let them come out for supervised romps in a safe room. You can train them to go back to their cages too, by following the same treat-reward system. After many romps, they're get used to going in and out of their home.

Remember, never chase your chinchilla when he's out and about or when you're trying to get him back in his cage. If you scare him, you'll set back the months of training.

To entertain your chinchilla once he's outside his cage, you can build mazes and places for him to play hide and seek. Chinchillas love the challenge of figuring things out, plus this will keep him busy and away from chewing your furniture.


Grooming Chinchilla


The beauty of chinchilla, besides the actual beauty of them, is that they really don't need grooming tips or help from you. If you provide them with a regular dust bath, keep their cage clean, they're take care of the rest. Unlike cats and dogs, you don't have to brush them. Plus, chinchilla have no noticeable odors and their fur is generally too thick for parasites.

A chinchilla dust bath is a finely ground powder, five minutes should do the trick. If you wailt too long, they're use it for a toilet or throw it out of their cage.

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HEALTH PROBLEMS

"Nothing beats prevention."
It is better to prevent or reduce the chances of a chinchilla falling sick one. However, we may not have been that careful or observant enough to spot an existing signs. For a chinchilla to remain healthy, be sure to keep the cage clean, feed them clean and fresh food and water, and keep food free from fungus and insects.

In general,chinchilla is naturally robust and hardy, except it has an extremely sensitive and effective digestive system which is designed to extract the most out of the bare minimum food in its natural habitat. Unlike dogs and cats, chinchillas do not have a vomit mechanism. It is not able to expel bad food out of its system, which means illness(es. Keep in mind, if you observe a trend of weight loss, see a vet immediately. First sign of a sick chinchilla is weight loss.

The Injured Animal
To Have Healthy Chins.
Chinchilla's Postures

card_d To have a HEALTHY chinchilla:

  • Let it rest during the daytime.
  • Ensure food and hay are fresh.
  • Change water daily.
  • Give hay (Timothy, Alfalfa,etc) so the animal to provide sufficient roughage.
  • Check that the poops are dark, smooth, opaque,odorless and hard.
  • Avoid food rich in fats, sugar, oil and starch.
  • Give treats in small quantity.
  • Avoid frequent change of food.
  • Avoid frequent change of enviroment.
  • Clean food dish and water bottle regularly.
  • Cage is cleaned regularly.