Post by Tagna on Aug 2, 2010 9:52:31 GMT -5
Where to get your new chinchilla?
You’ve done the research and have decided that you are ready to get your chinchilla but now you are faced with a lot of different options on where to get your new pet. Every person is different, so no one will judge you on where you found your chinchilla. In my opinion, every chinchilla deserves a home no matter where they came from. The best thing to remember is to make the choice that makes you feel most comfortable.
For the most part these are the most common ways to get a chinchilla:
Breeders
Pet Stores
Shelters/Rescues
Online (Craigslist and Kijiji/ebay classified)
Backyard breeders
Breeders:
If you want to know your chinchilla’s health history, know who the parents are, know exactly when it was born and have an ongoing relationship with the person you bought the chinchilla from, a breeder is the way to go. A good breeder will ask you many questions before letting you purchase a chinchilla and you should do the same. Just because someone calls themselves a breeder you still should ask questions about their chinchillas.
Some general questions to ask a breeder:
Can I see the parents?
How often are they bred?
Do you handle your kits daily?
Do you have a guarantee?
If so, what is your guarantee?
What type of feed do you use?
When you go visit the breeder there are also some things you can look for to ensure you are dealing with a good breeder. Check out the chinchillas, do they look in good health? Look dusted? The chinchillas cages should be clean and there shouldn't be a smell other than shavings and hay. As well, check that the temperature is controlled. Some breeders won't let you see their chin barn or rooms to ensure nothing happens to their herd and if so, you can ask about those things.
Not only do good breeders offer tons of follow up care and will usually always be available for questions, they are much cheaper than pet stores. Most breeders will also take back a chinchilla should something happen and you can no longer keep it. You should ask about that before buying a chinchilla and ask the policy on such things.
Also, look online for any clues about a breeder. Google their name, go on forums and see what others are saying about them. You can always ask others too if they have bought chinchillas from that breeder.
Pet Stores:
We’ve all stopped to look in at the chinchillas in pet stores. There we can gasp at all the wrong things in their tanks and cages. Cringe when we see people bothering them and have that instinct to get them out of there. There are some things to consider before purchasing a chin from a pet store.
You won’t know where it came from and any family history that may include health concerns is one of the biggest issues. As well, you will pay a lot more at a pet store for a chinchilla rather than going to a breeder for a pet. Your chinchilla also may be stressed more because of not being handled correctly and being bothered by countless amounts of people.
There is also the thought that if you don’t buy that chinchilla, they won’t get in more and eventually the will stop selling chinchillas in pet stores. It is unfortunate, but someone will buy that chinchilla because baby chinchillas are cute and pet stores are where people do the most impulse buys. A lot of pet stores don’t educate the buyers and will not offer any follow up help, they are a business after all and there to make money. Until there are laws that prevent animals sold at pet stores, they will have baby chinchillas for sale.
If you do decide you do want to get a chinchilla in a pet store double check if it’s a male or female. Most times, they are sexed wrong and if you are counting on a male or female you had better check for yourself.
Shelters/Rescues:
I mentioned impulse buying from pet stores, and a lot of times that ends with the person no longer wanting their chinchilla because they really didn’t know what they were getting into. Some are taken to local shelters, others to chinchilla rescues. You can use petfinder.com to access chinchillas at shelters or rescues. Most shelters do have their own sites and you can check there for chinchillas.
Sometimes these chinchilla aren’t in the best shape physically or mentally. Most shelters really don’t have a lot of chinchilla knowledge on hand and they may not get exactly what they need. Chinchilla rescues, a good rescue, will get the chinchilla back into good health before adopting it out. Both usually have an adoption fee that helps support their organization. Some rescues will have very specific guidelines for adopting out chinchillas. This helps ensure that the chinchilla will be going to their final home. Some people see it as being picky, but they really do have the chinchilla’s best interest at heart. Some of these chinchillas have been through a lot and it’s only right too want to ensure they get the best.
With chinchillas from rescues and shelters you may not know their ages and you most likely won’t know their history. Some may have been neglected, abused, and not taken care of. Others may be in great shape and the previous owners may have just had to rehome.
You may need to have a lot of patience with some of these chins as some will not trust people at all. There are lots of chinchillas in shelters and rescues and any of them would love to have a forever home.
Online Ads (Craigslist, Kijiji/ Ebay Classified, etc):
With the internet so widely used for just about everything there are many sites that people sell many items including chinchillas. There are many different situations on these sites. People that are rehoming, backyard breeders, breeders, rescues and accidental babies from missexed chinchillas.
For the most part I’ve found online ads are people that need to sell their chinchilla for a variety of reasons. Some are desperate and just need to find a home quick, others want to recoup the money they spent on their chinchilla. Like shelters, some of these chinchillas aren’t in the best shape. Some may come with a variety of health issues, mental issues and trust issues. I’ve seen a lot of pathetic looking chinchillas on online ad sites. You may not find out where the chinchillas came from or how old it really is. It’s just up to you if getting that chinchilla out of a situation is more important than knowing all the details.
I find a lot of times these chinchillas can come with a variety of unsafe toys and cages. I’ve thrown out more extras that came with the chinchillas than stuff I’ve kept.
Sometimes people look to recoup all the money they have spent on their chinchillas. Since pet stores sell for a lot sometimes these people have very high expectations. You can always offer what you think is fair.
Backyard Breeders:
For a lot of backyard breeders they started breeding with little education about chinchillas and a way to make money. Most don’t care about breeding to better the species and will throw any male with any female just to get babies.
These “breeders” are only interested in the sale. They aren't there for you when anything wrong happens. I’ve got little respect for breeders like this that are just in it to make a buck.
You’ve done the research and have decided that you are ready to get your chinchilla but now you are faced with a lot of different options on where to get your new pet. Every person is different, so no one will judge you on where you found your chinchilla. In my opinion, every chinchilla deserves a home no matter where they came from. The best thing to remember is to make the choice that makes you feel most comfortable.
For the most part these are the most common ways to get a chinchilla:
Breeders
Pet Stores
Shelters/Rescues
Online (Craigslist and Kijiji/ebay classified)
Backyard breeders
Breeders:
If you want to know your chinchilla’s health history, know who the parents are, know exactly when it was born and have an ongoing relationship with the person you bought the chinchilla from, a breeder is the way to go. A good breeder will ask you many questions before letting you purchase a chinchilla and you should do the same. Just because someone calls themselves a breeder you still should ask questions about their chinchillas.
Some general questions to ask a breeder:
Can I see the parents?
How often are they bred?
Do you handle your kits daily?
Do you have a guarantee?
If so, what is your guarantee?
What type of feed do you use?
When you go visit the breeder there are also some things you can look for to ensure you are dealing with a good breeder. Check out the chinchillas, do they look in good health? Look dusted? The chinchillas cages should be clean and there shouldn't be a smell other than shavings and hay. As well, check that the temperature is controlled. Some breeders won't let you see their chin barn or rooms to ensure nothing happens to their herd and if so, you can ask about those things.
Not only do good breeders offer tons of follow up care and will usually always be available for questions, they are much cheaper than pet stores. Most breeders will also take back a chinchilla should something happen and you can no longer keep it. You should ask about that before buying a chinchilla and ask the policy on such things.
Also, look online for any clues about a breeder. Google their name, go on forums and see what others are saying about them. You can always ask others too if they have bought chinchillas from that breeder.
Pet Stores:
We’ve all stopped to look in at the chinchillas in pet stores. There we can gasp at all the wrong things in their tanks and cages. Cringe when we see people bothering them and have that instinct to get them out of there. There are some things to consider before purchasing a chin from a pet store.
You won’t know where it came from and any family history that may include health concerns is one of the biggest issues. As well, you will pay a lot more at a pet store for a chinchilla rather than going to a breeder for a pet. Your chinchilla also may be stressed more because of not being handled correctly and being bothered by countless amounts of people.
There is also the thought that if you don’t buy that chinchilla, they won’t get in more and eventually the will stop selling chinchillas in pet stores. It is unfortunate, but someone will buy that chinchilla because baby chinchillas are cute and pet stores are where people do the most impulse buys. A lot of pet stores don’t educate the buyers and will not offer any follow up help, they are a business after all and there to make money. Until there are laws that prevent animals sold at pet stores, they will have baby chinchillas for sale.
If you do decide you do want to get a chinchilla in a pet store double check if it’s a male or female. Most times, they are sexed wrong and if you are counting on a male or female you had better check for yourself.
Shelters/Rescues:
I mentioned impulse buying from pet stores, and a lot of times that ends with the person no longer wanting their chinchilla because they really didn’t know what they were getting into. Some are taken to local shelters, others to chinchilla rescues. You can use petfinder.com to access chinchillas at shelters or rescues. Most shelters do have their own sites and you can check there for chinchillas.
Sometimes these chinchilla aren’t in the best shape physically or mentally. Most shelters really don’t have a lot of chinchilla knowledge on hand and they may not get exactly what they need. Chinchilla rescues, a good rescue, will get the chinchilla back into good health before adopting it out. Both usually have an adoption fee that helps support their organization. Some rescues will have very specific guidelines for adopting out chinchillas. This helps ensure that the chinchilla will be going to their final home. Some people see it as being picky, but they really do have the chinchilla’s best interest at heart. Some of these chinchillas have been through a lot and it’s only right too want to ensure they get the best.
With chinchillas from rescues and shelters you may not know their ages and you most likely won’t know their history. Some may have been neglected, abused, and not taken care of. Others may be in great shape and the previous owners may have just had to rehome.
You may need to have a lot of patience with some of these chins as some will not trust people at all. There are lots of chinchillas in shelters and rescues and any of them would love to have a forever home.
Online Ads (Craigslist, Kijiji/ Ebay Classified, etc):
With the internet so widely used for just about everything there are many sites that people sell many items including chinchillas. There are many different situations on these sites. People that are rehoming, backyard breeders, breeders, rescues and accidental babies from missexed chinchillas.
For the most part I’ve found online ads are people that need to sell their chinchilla for a variety of reasons. Some are desperate and just need to find a home quick, others want to recoup the money they spent on their chinchilla. Like shelters, some of these chinchillas aren’t in the best shape. Some may come with a variety of health issues, mental issues and trust issues. I’ve seen a lot of pathetic looking chinchillas on online ad sites. You may not find out where the chinchillas came from or how old it really is. It’s just up to you if getting that chinchilla out of a situation is more important than knowing all the details.
I find a lot of times these chinchillas can come with a variety of unsafe toys and cages. I’ve thrown out more extras that came with the chinchillas than stuff I’ve kept.
Sometimes people look to recoup all the money they have spent on their chinchillas. Since pet stores sell for a lot sometimes these people have very high expectations. You can always offer what you think is fair.
Backyard Breeders:
For a lot of backyard breeders they started breeding with little education about chinchillas and a way to make money. Most don’t care about breeding to better the species and will throw any male with any female just to get babies.
These “breeders” are only interested in the sale. They aren't there for you when anything wrong happens. I’ve got little respect for breeders like this that are just in it to make a buck.