Long story short, my youngest who will be 11 before long has had her gerbils for two years and is very responsible (I never have to ask her to do her weekly cage cleaning, etc.). She has been begging for Chinchilla's and I've found two with a cage that I can adopt. I've read online stuff about them, but can anyone give me some additional information on them, etc. Can you feed/water them and leave them like you can gerbils for a few days while out of town, etc.? Any advice would be helpful in my determination if we should wait on these or not.
I think they would need a petsitter as daily(nightly, really, as they are nocturnal) exercise is very important for them. But I think they would be very cool pets and ok for an older child. Once when I was adopting from Raleigh Rodent Rescue I had the opportunity to play with one they had. Apparently they like to be petted but not held and are hilarious to watch. They can be very destructive, though, so you really have to keep an eye on them. As long as you both do your research you should be fine. They probably need more vet care than smaller stuff, though, so that might be an expense.
Cheryl, right? If you call me I'll answer any questions you might have...I'm a horrible typist.. Sorry wrong person oops Anywhoo-----Heatstroke at 85 degrees since they have no sweat glands and 85-100 hairs out of each follicle. 15-20 year average lifespan so you need to think about where they'll be when your daughter heads off to college.
Thanks for the replies. Yes, I've been researching them for a while, so I have all the stats on them. I was looking for personal experiences, etc. with them.
My exhusbands cousin had one... you can't leave them out unattended. I've heard this from several people since as well, they eat anything! This one that my exhusbands cousin had, it munched on all speaker wiring behind their entertainment center, it nawed on wood door frames, the entertainment center, cabinets.... They like to chew!!
I have had chinchillas and while I loved mine I do not think they are an appropriate pet for a typical 11 yr old. You've probably read that they do make noises (6 different ones) and being nocturnal means that these noises will be made at night when your daughter is asleep. This will probably rule out them living in her room. Most people keep family pets in a bonus room but since it is harder to regulate the temps in a bonus room it will probably get to hot for them in the summer (although they would love it in the winter). Leaving them for a couple days should not be a problem . Unlike most rodents they do not consume a lot of water since they have no sweat glands so an extra bowl of food should be the only necessity. But be aware that as with most living things the more time you spend with them the better adjusted they will be--particularly important with these guys since they tend to be a little more stand-offish anyway. Consistency is key. I mentioned their lifespan only as a way to help you evaluate whether or not you could commit to them in the long run. Bouncing anything around from house to house--whether it be foster children, dogs, birds, etc.. etc..---only adds to their anxiety and makes them harder to place as time goes on. I don't think I could expect an 11 yr old to commit to a pet for 20 yrs---I haven't met many adults that could either. You will have dust on everything in the room they live in. Drum fishbowls help contain it better than open bowls, but trust me it is still everywhere.---Rachael
Thanks Rachael. Yes I've been talking to others who have them today and I think that it's better to wait. We've had the gerbils for a year and they are doing great, so we'll reevaluate once they are in rodent heaven.
I'm going to second this one. My sister got one when she was 16, so I'd see her experiences. Don't leave ANYTHING near the cage that can be chewed. My sister lost a cell phone charger because of that. They are entertaining to watch for their dust baths. When I had to deal with the cage cleaning for her freshman year of college, I'd put it in the bathroom while I did the cage. I just made sure that everything was off the floor, etc. Unfortunately, it had something wrong with it and died at a young age (4 years maybe?). Makes me wonder if it was the heat thing because I know she'd keep it in her room in her apartment and would keep her door shut. I'd be very careful in making this decision, especially given the life span. Good luck!
