My cat thinks it's a chinchilla!

[mudnuri]

Because we're moving, that majority of 'stuff' in the house is either packed or already moved. Leaving the dinning room with only the table and the chin cages.

Last night I let the 4 big chins out of their cage to run around the room. The mom and baby stayed in their cage. As the chins realized they were FREE, they started barking at one another.

Out comes dustball, the 20lb grey ball of fur. The chins were jumping around, playing with one another, when the cat decided to join in. Of course, she can't bark like a chinchilla, but she can pretend to jump on all 4 legs, and pounce like a chin does...

I let them play for about an hour, and then corralled the chins back to their cage, and the cat ended up laying next to the cage. I went to bed, and thought nothing more of it. Until this morning when I woke up and the cat is still laying next to the cage, 'talking' to the chins LOL..

Wish I could video tape it and then put it up here, you guys would laugh

Brandy

 

[Sherri]

Because we're moving, that majority of 'stuff' in the house is either packed or already moved. Leaving the dinning room with only the table and the chin cages.

Last night I let the 4 big chins out of their cage to run around the room. The mom and baby stayed in their cage. As the chins realized they were FREE, they started barking at one another.

Out comes dustball, the 20lb grey ball of fur. The chins were jumping around, playing with one another, when the cat decided to join in. Of course, she can't bark like a chinchilla, but she can pretend to jump on all 4 legs, and pounce like a chin does...

I let them play for about an hour, and then corralled the chins back to their cage, and the cat ended up laying next to the cage. I went to bed, and thought nothing more of it. Until this morning when I woke up and the cat is still laying next to the cage, 'talking' to the chins LOL..

Wish I could video tape it and then put it up here, you guys would laugh

Brandy

Do you let the chinchilla's out of their cages a lot?
Do you raise them and sell them or do you just have them as pets?
How did you know initially that the cat would get along with them.
That would have been a cool video.

 

[minkydog]

Awww, how cute! I wish I coulda seen that. I didn't know chinchillas bark See, the things you learn on the DIS

 

[we3disneygo]

 

[mudnuri]

Do you let the chinchilla's out of their cages a lot?
Do you raise them and sell them or do you just have them as pets?
How did you know initially that the cat would get along with them.
That would have been a cool video.

They are in cages that are about 5 feet tall, and open to view. The cat, is too fat to do anything other than hang out with them in all honestly!....she's not a good mouser, and since the chins are no where near the size of a mouse, I wasn't worried at all.

They usually are out of their cage, one at a time running free, or one or two in their balls where they can't run free. The cat never paid any attention to them in their balls before. Thats how we introduced them to the cat.

I try to let them out daily, even if it's just for 10-15 minutes, they prefer to explore When they bathe, I take them out and let them bathe on the dinning room floor in their jar instead of putting the jar in their cage. So that happens 2x a week or so.

The other 2, the mom and new baby (baby is 6 weeks old) I didnt let out yet, because the baby would have been too confused...she will come to me, but only me...

I dont sell them...they are pets. I'm sure I could make "a killing" off them because of my lines and colors, but I prefer to know they are here with me, being cared for the way they are suppose to be instead of someone buying them from the petstore and not having a clue what to do. The petstore people dont have a clue either...

Off to let em out for a quick trip around the room lol

Brandy

 

[dumby]

This is probably going to sound dumb but what exactly is a chinchilla?

 

[PrincessMom2002]

Brandy-

HOW CUTE they sound!!! I love cats and chinchillas!

 

[tinkerrn]

They sound precious!!! I think chins are sooo cute. Please post some pics of them.

 

[Sherri]

They are in cages that are about 5 feet tall, and open to view. The cat, is too fat to do anything other than hang out with them in all honestly!....she's not a good mouser, and since the chins are no where near the size of a mouse, I wasn't worried at all.

They usually are out of their cage, one at a time running free, or one or two in their balls where they can't run free. The cat never paid any attention to them in their balls before. Thats how we introduced them to the cat.

I try to let them out daily, even if it's just for 10-15 minutes, they prefer to explore When they bathe, I take them out and let them bathe on the dinning room floor in their jar instead of putting the jar in their cage. So that happens 2x a week or so.

The other 2, the mom and new baby (baby is 6 weeks old) I didnt let out yet, because the baby would have been too confused...she will come to me, but only me...

I dont sell them...they are pets. I'm sure I could make "a killing" off them because of my lines and colors, but I prefer to know they are here with me, being cared for the way they are suppose to be instead of someone buying them from the petstore and not having a clue what to do. The petstore people dont have a clue either...

Off to let em out for a quick trip around the room lol

Brandy

They sound like they have the best life with you. I'm SO glad you said that you don't breed and sell them. Please show us pictures, and of the cat too.

 

[Martha7]

That sounds like it would have made for a great video! We have one male chin, but he's not a great pet. He won't let any of us near him, except to give him treats. He has always resisted any attempts to hold him. I tell everyone that he's the rodent world's version of Naomi Campbell- beautiful, but with a bad attitude! I'm sure if he had a cell phone nearby, he'd throw it at us on occasion! He's in a really nice large cage and we take good care of him. I just wish we had known that he wouldn't be that social.

 

[mudnuri]

That sounds like it would have made for a great video! We have one male chin, but he's not a great pet. He won't let any of us near him, except to give him treats. He has always resisted any attempts to hold him. I tell everyone that he's the rodent world's version of Naomi Campbell- beautiful, but with a bad attitude! I'm sure if he had a cell phone nearby, he'd throw it at us on occasion! He's in a really nice large cage and we take good care of him. I just wish we had known that he wouldn't be that social.

well, they're not really the type of animal to be alone to be honest. Another issue is if you did not raise him from a baby- you really dont know how he was handled from birth.

One thing you might want to try, which is what I have done from the beginning with mine, is to give them their raisins, or banana chips with the door to the cage open. Instead of holding them through the cage, I actually put my hand in the cage, start out holding the fruit, then move to resting it in your palm....them up your inner arm etc... it will take awhile, and if he is alone it will take longer. 6 of mine, will come to anyone with a snack, or some timothy hay...the baby, will still only come to me. She will sit in my lap, here at the computer, and come to me when I let her out, but I only let her out when it's just me home...they're strange animals like that

my 4 big chins, were from a friend of mine, who had 7 total. She gave me the 4 'grownups'. I have Boo, and Boo Baby- who are mother and daughter. These are my 2 females, and Mittens and Scooter, who are my 2 male. These 4 came from her. She had all of them from when they were babies, and we're handled daily. Boo and Scooter- the oldest 2 are now 18 months old. Boo Baby and Mittens- they're about a year old. Then we started having babies from our 4...and now have Squeeker- thats Mittens and Boo Baby's baby....and now Flipper, the 6 week old, he/she is from Boo and Scooter. LOL It's confusing, but if you saw their coloring you'd know whose baby was whose LOL.. Squeeker was born on the 4th of July... My 4 grownups, started to become neglected by her, which is why I have them. Her job and life got in the way and she wasn't able to handle them as much as they needed. The 3 she still has, are showing signs of this. They are not as outgoing as they were, and certainly not as outgoing as mine are. The other difference, mine are now accustomed to kids, where her 3 are not.

This is probably going to sound dumb but what exactly is a chinchilla?

Best way to describe them, is a squirrel thats the size of a rabbit, with a rabbit face....but the squirrel tail. LOL...I guess they are the size of a mini lop size rabbit.

Generally people that have them, get them from a pet store...here, they sell for upwards of $300.00 I have 2 colors/lines that would sell for more than that, but I just can't do it.

Once our move is complete, and after the holidays, I will be buying another big cage, and seperating the males from the females. I think flipper the new baby is female (too early yet to tell for sure) which will mean I have 3 males and 3 females.

I'll have to borrow her camera to get some pictures up...I think I have one on my phone of the new baby, let me see if I do and I'll get it posted....

Brady

 

[flaps]

What fun!