Don'cha just love spring?

This is the time of year when fresh newness and regeneration happens. This is the time of year when we hear about orphaned and injured wildlife. Bunnies, squirrels, baby birds are all adorable, but taking care of them requires special consideration.

The folks who work as trained, certified wildlife rehabilitation experts have what it takes to care for these unfortunate little ones...not to mention the certain legal qualifications. 

If you find an orphaned or injured wild animal, don't make the mistake of assuming care for it yourself. Some soft-hearted people have actually killed the little ones with kindness by trying to feed these critters similar, but deadly wrong foods.

If you live in the Hampton Roads area, check out http://www.wildliferesponse.org/ and call 757-543-7000 for help.

Spring is in the air!

It's time to harvest wood for the chinnies and their toys. Lately we've been working on cutting and preparing apple, crabapple and pear woods to make new toys. I'm sure our neighbors wonder why we come home with our van full of branches!

It takes quite a bit of work to cut the pieces to size, boil, then bake the wood, but it's also a nice time to sit around, talk and laugh. We often find this chore a nice bonding time, kinda like knitting circles or bean snapping back when families used to do that sort of thing.

We're especially excited with the new "coins" we were able to make out of the larger branches. Look at what we've done!

Happy Monday, everyone!

I'm very pleased to announce that many caring individuals have stepped in with offers of help for the latest group of chinchillas that have come in. Some have adopted, some have donated cages, others have provided monetary cash donations towards extra feed. A warm and hearty thank you, especially to those who have followed through with their promises.

We've had a fun time helping new chins and new owners meet. For the month of January, fifteen (15) more chinchillas went off to new homes. That's a match of our high record in December!

So far this month, eight (8) chinchillas have gone to new homes. Our numbers are back to the pre-mass count, but we still have approximately 20 chins who need homes. During the recent wave of adoptions, some from the mass surrender were chosen, and some of our previous chins found new homes. In the meantime, other surrenders still continue to come in. Needless to say, we have lots to choose from.

Well, Happy (late) New Year everyone!  

I thought the ramped up holiday season activity would slow down after the New Year, but I was wrong. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. ;)

We've had a lot of folks make the most of our holiday package deals in the store. And return customers know the bargains they can get here as opposed to pet store prices. We've even gotten an inquiry from the UK from someone interested in our suspension bridge and ledge combo! (Does this mean we’re world famous?)

And, we're still continuing to receive calls and emails from individuals interested in learning about chin ownership and inquiring about adopting. So far this month, four (4) chins have been adopted, and six (6) more on hold!The overall numbers here have remained relatively consistent though. Just this weekend, six (6) chinnies were surrendered from two different homes.

Now, I would like to take this moment to dispel any preconceived ideas one may have about rescue work. Rarely have we ever encountered animals that truly need "rescuing". Most of the time, unforeseen life circumstances are the reason people end up rehoming their pets. We completely understand, and that's why we're here. We are the liaisons for pets and their owners looking for someone who can provide what is currently impossible. To me, Whimsy's Menagerie & Chinchilla Rescue runs more like an adoption center. Hmmm.....maybe we should change our name.....

It feels so empty in here!

We had a record adoption month for December. Fifteen (15) chinchillas went to new homes! My own small herd appreciates being able to spread out a bit now that we have so much extra cage space. We've even been able to open ramps to allow some of the bonded rescue pairs spread out as well. Which reminds me....

We were pleasantly surprised that only two critters came to us this month. Chi-Chi, a single male is under evaluation. So far we're rather pleased that he's so friendly! He's also showing some nice interest in his neighbors. We have hope that he can be bonded to another gentle male.

We also received a call from someone who said they found a "baby chinchilla" on their porch....Let's just say....it wasn't a baby chin.