Fully weaned (at least 10 - 12 weeks old)

Lively, active and alert 

Good, blocky size 

Even, thick fur 

Bright, clear eyes with surrounding fur clean and dry 

Dry, clean nose 

Clean ears (not flaky or crusty) 

Healthy teeth ( yellow-orange coloured and growing parallel)

Oval-shaped, solid droppings (not sticky) 

Clean anus 

Uses all limbs well 

Sociable and easy to handle

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WHERE DO I LOOK?

My advice is - try to avoid petshops and pet superstores!  In my experience, employees in these stores are rarely chin experts and chinchillas in such stores are often displayed in most unsuitable cages and receive little or no exercise. In addition, these shops can rarely provide a "history" of a particular chin - where it came from, any health problems of the parents etc. Sometimes males and females are housed together, and buyers then find they have brought home an already-pregnant chin - more than they bargained for! Don't encourage these stores by giving them your business, unless you are completely confident that the breeder who supplies to the store, and the store itself, has a responsible attitude towards the animals. Also, be absolutely sure of the sex of the chin you buy - mistakes are often made in pet shops!

Ideally, contact a breeder directly, visiting the premises if you can.  If you're generally impressed by the breeder's knowledge, expertise and the conditions under which he/she breeds, you can safely choose your new chinchilla.

I was fortunate.  In my search for advice and supplies, I was generally unhappy about the quality of advice offered in all of my local pet shops.  Having found no local breeder, I happened upon a small pet shop several miles away which stocked chins regularly from a dealer down south.  The breeder was in the shop delivering two chinchillas at the time.  These chinchillas were transferred to a huge enclosure at the back of the shop, fully equipped with toys, chews, food and so on.  It was spotlessly clean and tidy.  I "chinned" (excuse the pun!) the breeder for over half an hour and it was quite clear he was an expert who LOVED chins.  He advised on equipment and supplies; in fact, he answered every question expertly, and offered a contact number should I need further advice, or had any problems.

I came home that day with REBA, and every time I have called for advice, the breeder has been delighted to help.

Finally, please consider adopting an unwanted pet. There are so many in rescue centres all over the country. Many breeders also offer a rescue service (you'll find many breeders on internet forums).  As a novice, you may not wish to bring home an animal with a "neglect" problem or an unknown history, and perhaps this is best left to the experienced chinchilla-handler. (A responsible rescue centre will attempt to match up a particular chin's needs to the level of experience a prospective adopter has to offer.)  But do look into adopting as a possibility, as there are many happy healthy little chinchillas in these centres who would love you to take them home! 

NB Be aware that chins with an unknown history may have an underlying health problem that may not be apparent at the time of adoption. For example, malocclusion is generally considered to be hereditary, though symptoms do not usually appear until a chin is at least two years old. You may unwittingly adopt or rescue a young chin bred from a line carrying the problem (of which the rescue centre may not be aware, and cannot predict). Should your adopted chin subsequently display the symptoms of malocclusion, expect regular trips to the vet, at considerable expense in the long-term. 

So make sure, before you take on a rescue/re-home, that you are financially prepared for any future veterinary bills (this, of course, is something that you must always be prepared for, even with a chin from a known and healthy line, though the risk is perhaps not so great) 

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WHICH SEX?

Both males and females are lovely!  I have no particular preference, though some claim that males bond to humans better.  Personally, I think it all comes down to personality really: each chin has its own unique little character, like humans.

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HOW MANY?

There's nothing nicer than watching chins interact, so if you can afford two chins, go for it!  Having said that, many chins live alone very happily, so long as they have lots of attention, and plenty of toys to keep them stimulated.  Older chins who have lived most of their lives as a single chin can find it difficult to adapt to sharing a cage.  My single five-year-old has lived alone since I got her as a baby, and she refuses to make friends with my new girls!  She obviously prefers her own space, and is very happy in it too!

If you do decide to opt for two chins, there are several considerations:

  Chins can breed at only a few weeks old, though they are not physically ready until they are at least 8 months old.  Therefore, if you opt for a breeding pair under 8 months old, you will have to cage them separately until then, introducing them gradually when they are old enough.

  If you plan to breed, DON'T buy a related male and female.  Interbreeding is not good for the breed in general, and complications can occur during such pregnancies, as well as for the kits.

  If you DON'T wish to breed, you will have to house males and females separately until the males are old enough to be neutered - (typically six months old or more).  Neutering always carries a risk (anaesthetic) especially for small mammals, but many chins have been successfully neutered.  If this is the road you are contemplating, ensure you can find a vet experienced in chin-neutering BEFORE you go ahead with your plans for a mixed-sex pair.

  Although I know of no breeders personally who have had any problem with certain colour combinations, Roger Whear, in his book "How to Care for Your Chinchilla" does state that, in his experience, white, black velvet and brown velvet females have a tendency to fight quite frequently, "quite aggressively, in fact". Something you might want to take into consideration if contemplating these colour combinations.

  Males can live very happily together.  Be aware, though, that male pairs can occasionally become aggressive to one another when in the vicinity of female chins, particularly if any females are in season.  Something to think about if you already have, or are planning to have, other cages containing girls.

  Girls in the main live very happily together too.  Two sisters are perfect, as they have known each other from birth, and you won't have to worry about introducing them.  I have two sisters who live together with a third girl who was introduced to them when they were all weeks old.  A very happy and settled little trio!

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BREEDING

This is a huge subject, and one which I don't propose to go into in any great detail, as I do not breed myself.  There is much first-hand advice to be had on the internet - go to my "Cool Links" page for some links to sites which deal with breeding and babies.

In general, though, chins breed quite readily, typically producing one, two or three kits, and sometimes more.  Gestation takes about 111 days, and the mother goes into season again immediately after giving birth, so it is important that the father is removed from the cage at this time to prevent another immediate mating (called a "breed-back") - this is NOT desirable for the recovering mother.

When babies are 10/11 weeks old they have to be separated, the male babies to one cage, and the females to another. All this separation is to avoid Dad breeding with girl babies, boy babies with sisters etc.  Inter-breeding, as I have said before, is not a good idea, both for the breed in general, as well as for the chinny family concerned. 

Please also have a look at the following article - "Responsible Ownership" - an invaluable source of information regarding breeding, neutering and ethical pet ownership.

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SHOULD I BREED CHINS?

The decision to breed is one which I feel should not be taken lightly. It is surely a wonderful thing to bear witness to a chinny birth, and to watch those tiny babies grow. But it is not always plain sailing, and there are many questions you must ask yourself before embarking on this route.

What are you going to do with all those babies?  Will you keep them all, adding cages as they are all separated?  Or will you rehome them? And how will you go about re-homing?  To whom will you be willing to part with your little treasures?  Experienced owners, or just anyone who calls?  How will you ensure that they will be looked after?  Will you "vet" prospective owners?  Will you be strong enough to part with the babies?  Will you allow your breeding pair to breed indefinitely, or are you prepared to separate or neuter after a certain point? Can you cope with babies who need hand-rearing or nursing, or even worse, infant mortality? (Unfortunately, not all babies survive through to adulthood)

Another very important thing to think about is the ethical side of breeding. My own belief is that it is not ethically wise to breed from animals who have a poor (or unknown) family medical history. Many health problems in chins are believed to be hereditary (e.g. malocclusion), therefore I feel that we, as chin-lovers, have a responsibility not to breed from any chin whose medical history reveals a possible problem, or from a chin with an unknown lineage, without seriously considering the implications. This is not to say that chins with an unknown lineage cannot go on to produce lovely healthy kits, nor that chins with a good lineage cannot produce kits who develop a health problem in later life - this is merely my own personal position on the matter in general, if I were ever to decide to breed chins. 

Similarly, irresponsible breeding often results in many unwanted pets, hence the need for so many rescue centres. Do we want to perpetuate the problem?  

These are all very important considerations.  You must be very confident with your answers to all of them before you go ahead with any plans to breed.  As unsure as I am about my own personal responses to many of these considerations, I have decided I am NOT ready to breed.  Much as I love the idea of breeding (it must be a truly wonderful experience), the reality is fraught with dilemmas for me!

 

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(Last Modified 29/11/2006 )