Posts in monthly updates
Happy September!

Happy (late) September everyone!

For the month of August, zero (0) chinchillas were surrendered and one (1) chinchilla was adopted. We're having a much better September for adoptions, but that news will have to wait for next post. ;)

Updates! Updates! Updates!

Thanks to y'all, we've grown and grown and grown. You've read all about our laments regarding space issues and know that a larger home is on the agenda. Whimsy has big plans for a larger workshop, warehouse, chinchilla rescue building (not just a room in our home). We're also making plans to grow our own hay and nurture an orchard with which to grow and "branch out" our need for safe, organic fruit and nut woods. Sorry, pun intended.

The lender's requirements for a loan on a new property hasbecome much more rigid, however. The current news is that we would need a loan of between 500-600 thousand dollars with a down payment of at least 20%. (choke) We could take growth one step at a time. Whimsy actually has two orchards under consideration right now. Although we would strongly prefer to have all of our necessary "things" on the same property. So...once again we're seeking ways to expand while we save our pennies.

We have converted attic space for storage and finally broke down and got two storage units to rent. (I told you we need a warehouse). We've begun purchasing certain supplies by the case and pallet load; hardware, accent beads, shipping boxes, herbs, vine products, loofah and pumice. Which reminds me...big shout out to Whimsy's friend Brian for coming through on the promise for makingarrangements for 440lbs of pumice sent from abroad.  Wait 'til y'all see what we have in mind for that! Spoiler alert!

We're also slowly, but surely working on revamping the website, logo, etc. For those of you who follow us on facebook, you've probably see this cute little design. 

We're working on a whole series in this style, including a change to our logo. Hopefully we'll have some of them ready to go in time for Christmas.

That's all the news for now, time to git back to werk. 

Happy August!

Happy August everyone!

For the month of June, zero (0) chinchillas were surrendered and zero (0) chinchillas were adopted. This time of year is typically when we get bunches of requests for boarding. Fortunately, our local chinnie friends understand the very limited space we have here now. We did manage to finally get a clothes washer and dryer. Unfortunately, that means even less room to devote to the chinchillas. We are considering some pretty radical steps to reclaim some room since the option to purchase a larger home is simply out of our financial reach.

When we began our rescue venture many years ago, we erroneously believed that the occasional mass surrenders were temporary. But alas, it's become the expected norm that we hear of large groups of chins needing homes at least a couple times each year...not to mention the dozens of singles and pairs that also become unwanted. The shocking part is how many chinchilla "breeders" go out of business, or lose interest, or experience a health or family emergency and are stuck with mass amounts of animals they need to rehome. So for all you closet breeders out there, there is NO SHORTAGE of chinchillas for pets And other, more respectable, long term breeders have already "perfected" the breed.  

On a more positive note, laws are popping up all over the country regarding shutting down puppy mills. Some pet stores are also cracking down on the purchase of certain other backyard bred animals like rabbits and guinea pigs. Hedgehog breeding requires a USDA license and ferret breeding is under a pretty strict monopoly. I sincerely wish the same goes for chinchilla breeding soon. One can only hope...

Happy July!

For the month of June, zero (0) chinchillas were surrendered and two (2) chinchillas were adopted.  Not to say we haven't had inquiries for surrender...it seems every time we advertise chins for adoption, we get more emails asking about surrender instead! Years of dealing with the same situation has made it so that we are hesitant to post about our adoptables (or surrenders for that matter). And while I'm on the subject...

...there is no other more frustrating excuse than one that claims (cue violin music) the owner "no longer has the time and attention to devote to their pet". This is nothing more than a feel good way for a person to announce they're abandoning their fur friend. Get real people. Do you really think a shelter can provide that for your beloved fur baby? Some of our surrenders are with us for months, if not YEARS before they go to their "forever" home... and then we do see a sizable number of them come back to us within a few years. *sigh*

Without a doubt, we have seen that on the occasions where the person is the most vocal, the most vehement about providing a forever home, are usually the ones who resurrender the fastest! We have seen people absolutely swear with blood, sweat and tears that they would move to a pet friendly place, give up a boyfriend/husband/wife/etc or go without food themselves before they ever considered giving up their pet. But the lame excuse that someone can't pay attention to their animal is just dumbfounding.

We all go through periods of time where we are "busy". That is NO EXCUSE to give up a friendship or responsibilities. Schedules change, suck it up and keep your promise! Don't be one who relies on the sad, tired phrase just to make yourself feel better. Giving up your pet and forcing it to make those kinds of adjustments is much worse than temporary reduced playtime. 

Now, on another note, we know sometimes people give up their chins because, frankly, their pet is just not friendly (or is downright dangerous). Please note that we are not a no-kill shelter. If incoming animals prove to be unadoptable due to behavior issues, they will be culled. Perhaps knowing this will make some reconsider their options. 

Rant over. 

Happy June!

For the month of May, ten (10) chinchillas were surrendered and three (3) chinchillas were adopted. The ten incoming chins were an extra special situation where the former owner had trouble juggling the medical responsibilities to her very large fur family. We learned that the chins were kept in groupings that facilitated breeding. There was a father caged with daughters, a son with a mother, brothers and sisters together, etc. After several email exchanges, the owner decided to give them all up. We were especially thrilled to halt the ongoing saturation of breeding from this individual. We keep females from mixed groups for a minimum of 4 months to make absolute sure they are not pregnant before adoption.

We now have seven females on maternity watch, so if you've ever considered sponsoring a chin, now would be the perfect time.

The new group was surprisingly clean and well fed. Understandably, the housing chosen for them was cramped. Our first order of intake was to move the girls to maternity cages and recombine the boys with boys and girls with girls.  Even though we have them in "holding cages", the spacial difference is drastic. Check out the difference between the cages in which they lived to the ones we have them in during their stay here. 

Happy May!

(5/26/16)

Happy May everyone!

For the month of April, eight (8) chinchillas were surrendered and three (3) chinchillas were adopted. Nothing more to say about the month's events other than please spread the word about our adoptables. We have some difficult little personalities here who desperately need a permanent home. Some chins just do better when they have a person of their own. Which reminds me...

We've gotten inquiries int he past regarding how to best bond with a new chin. So we have some really neat handy ideas for how to get to know your new BFF.

Spending time with your new fur buddy is pretty obvious, but how do you hang with someone who is constantly on the go? Chins are prey animals and as such are not generally "snuggly". In an open area a chinchilla is more likely to show their affection for you by using you...as a jungle gym. We always tell our prospective adopters that if a chin likes you, they'll touch you. If a chin is really comfortable with someone, they'll hop into their lap, up on the shoulders or even perch on a head! Being in an open area is stressful for chins. Again, as prey animals, they constantly watch for anything that has the potential to harm them. Knowing their need for security, you can offer them refuge and become their safe place too.

Grasping hands are constricting, which is why so many chins struggle when held. But the soft, yielding security of an oversized pocket, hoodie or baby carrier works very well. One of our local chinnie friends discovered the joys of slinging their chins. Baby sling, that is. Don't panic.

A sling is actually a fantastic tool. It offers a large space for the chin to move around relatively freely, but still within close contact with their human. It's cute to see them poke their little whiskery face out to survey their surrounds, then dart back in to the safety of their sling. A sling is also much cooler in temperature then just holding and petting the little cloud bunnies with hot, sweaty hands.

A chin who becomes acclimated to handling makes for a much better pet! Someone who spends time with and enjoys their pet is less likely to give them up. So if you're at a place where the newness and excitement of your chinnie has worn off, here is a fantastic way to rekindle your lost interest. Give your chinnie a scritch for me and tell them "you're welcome", from Whimsy.