Chinchilla Chillin?

[NYxCalm]

what the hizzles ladies and gents? heh j/k

just wondering if any of you guys have chinchillas as pets or know of someone who does. how are they like? do they bite? is it high maintenance? better than a hamster? "cuter" than a dog?

reason i ask?

just today, i met a chinchilla in a petstore, and it just hopped around like pikachu. its not scared away like a hamster, but its sorta curious like a rabbit, only it doesn't bite... rather nibble. they don't smell either! their poop is solid pellets, not like domakun dung, and they can be peepee trained. well... here's some pics if you're curious

http://www.chins.fsnet.co.uk/pages/gallery.htm

:confused: hybrid lookin huh...

[NightRayne]

glad you asked i used to have two as pets and a friend of mine has one as a pet right now they are sooo cute pretty easy to take care of similar to hamsters or gerbils in their eating habits and theyre nocturnal so for those of you that don't know they are awake during the night and sleep during the day and its a perfect pet for my friend cause he's an insomniac

[rav96]

Insomnia not a funny subject...

sooooo many people call them selves Insomniacs but only a few people have the Real Deal, my mate suffered from it for 2years he was ready to even kill himself just to get some sleep...
now thats issues...

[DARK OSAMU]

I used to be an insomniac. Now that I have a job and can get out of the house it doesn't get to me. But I have had it since I was about 16. If I don't get out and do something I won't sleep hardly at all. I don't know if this is true insomnia but it's as close to it as I want to be.


On subject here. I used to have a TON of hampsters and if a Chinchilla is anything like one it would be an AWESOME pet! NYx you wouldn't go wrong with a hampster or one of it's relatives. When I got my first hampster it turned out it was PREGNANT!!! I ended up with SEVEN for the price of one! I had a huge tank and a playground on top for them. They gave me HOURS of entertainment! Man thinking about them makes me want to go buy some more. I haven't had a hampster in years!

[rav96]

How longs the average lifespan of a Chinchilla or hamster (a coupla years to hazard a guess)

ive always wnated a Dog (well a WOLF actually- beautifull majestic creatures) but parents didnt let me. now i live in student accomadation where pets are not allowed... but i'm sure i can sneek in a chinchilla but i dont want a pet which will die after a millisecond after i get attached to it.

(i know that sound kinda wrong but emotional scarring isnt my Bag... but it normally finds me anyway) EMO ANGST FILLED DIARIES!!!

[DARK OSAMU]

Hampsters generally live 7 years. 8 or 9 is one OLD hampster.

[rav96]

oh thats OK then...

the longer the lifepan the more mental scarring when it dies = the more lyrics i have for tunagge

i need a companion been single forever...
and i think a pet is the answer or a SWEET JAPANESE WOMAN WHO WILL DO ANYTHING FOR ME (eg Ai Yori Aoshi stylee...)

hehehe

[NYxCalm]

dang... my thread got hijacked again... *sigh*

any chinchilla owners out there with some advice/first hand accounts?

i need some intel... por favor... addiyato! {butchered nihongo}

[DARK OSAMU]

Check this out NYx!!!

http://www.etc-etc.com/chinhusb.htm

I looked up Chinchillas on Yahoo and found this neat little site.

[NYxCalm]

thanks dark, but i was looking for hands on accounts/experiences. you know how sugar coated things can be at times with alterior motives hidden and all...

just curious if they bite hard... like puncturing skin hard!

blood, guts, whoa!

[Ka-Talliya]

My dad owned a pet store for a number of years and he carried Chinchillas. I used to clean the cages for those buggers as well as the ferrets. I've never been bit, but if you've ever taken a look at their teeth, I would suppose they could puncture skin.
Unlike the smelly ferret, Chinchillas are extremely clean desert creatures. They bathe in dust rather than water, as there natural habitat is rather devoid of water.

And, Rav96, stick to fuzzy pets, they are easier to care for, and not nearly as emtionally scarring!!

[rav96]

True i'm actually thinkin of getting a chinchilla now that i know they can live 10yrs plus!

yay emotional attachement

[NYxCalm]

hey Ka-Talliya,

thanks for the hands on scoop! i actually bought one yesterday, a baby chin- and its quite a headache thus far. been chasing it around and around- the thing likes to hide in all sorts of places. anywhos, it'll be a while before they can be trained to do tricks, let alone let their owner handle them. it hasn't bitten me yet... hehe

[DARK OSAMU]

Wow!!! They can be trained to do tricks?!?!?!?!?

[NYxCalm]

yea, it can do tricks! somersaults, play dead, or spray pee on people you don't like.