Titus (our mascot) and Whimsy had the most amazing opportunity earlier this week. Whimsy is a special educator who is taking continuing education classes. This semester Whimsy was assigned to work practicum hours at the local high school with students with severe to moderate cognitive and multiple disabilities.

The students at the high school level have a curriculum that is intensely focused on learning vocational skills. This presented a wonderful chance to share with the students how to make chinchilla toys!

Whimsy was given permission to bring Titus the chinchilla to school and teach the students the new skill of assembling toss toys. The small motor tasks, copying patterns, and teamwork presented the students with a fun new task that not only provided them with more work experience, but helped out our little chin rescue too! AND, the students really enjoyed meeting a real live chinchilla. I wish you could have been there to see all the huge gaping smiles. :)

Oh, and check out our sales page for pictures of the toys!

I'd like to take this moment to share with our visitors just why we so strongly believe in responsible chin ownership. A brother/sister pair came in last week in pretty rough shape. The previous owners were told both were boys, but when one of them started having kits, they realized the mistake. Unfortunately, chinchillas go into heat immediately after giving birth, so without separation, chinchillas continue to breed indefinitely.

This is bad for several reasons. In this case, the mated pair of chins were directly related. This weakens the offspring which makes them more prone to health related issues, not to mention just a reduced quality overall. PLUS, breeding back to back takes quite a toll on the mommy chin. It takes quite a bit of energy to carry kits. Imagine how stressful it is to nurse a litter and be pregnant at the same time! By being put into a constant state of pregnancy, this could very quickly wear down the mommy chin. In this case, her condition (and that of her brother mate and remaining kit showed obvious signs of stress in that all of them were pretty severely fur-chewed.

The following video shows a chinchilla birth gone bad. View with caution.

Please people, be kind to your pets and consider carefully the massive numbers of unwanted animals who already need homes. I hate having to tell people who breed their pet chinchillas that the offspring will most likely end up in my shelter within the next couple of years. *sigh*

We spent a good part of the weekend making more toys and supplies for the chins. Whimsy's original idea of pumice stuffed willow balls is a success! Check out the newest in our line of toss toys!

We've also updated our adoptions page. Come check out who's waiting for a new home.

We're just about full to capacity and really need to get these chins placed into loving homes. We WILL hold for Christmas, with a deposit. Come choose your new friend today (no pressure)! :)

Many single chins have come in over the past couple of months. This week we've been working on trying to pair them up. Chinchillas are interesting critters in that they like to choose their own friends, most of the time we have a pretty good idea who will get along with whom. But there have been some surprises in the past.

We start by running a soft introduction. We place potential friends in a three compartment carrier that keeps each safe from harm. And then we watch. If either chin shows immediate aggression, then we know the pairing is not likely to work. In the best case scenario, the chins will sniff briefly, then ignore each other. The first sniff is the most important. It's like the chins are trying to measure each other up and decide what to do. Eventually, we'll move the compatible chins together in a neutral cage and keep an eye on them until we're sure they will click. Females typically get along easier and males do great...as long as there are no females around. In an ideal situation, each chin loving home would only contain a single gender.

Yesterday we managed to successfully pair Octavia and Tequila, two adult females who came from separate homes. We're very pleased to know these two have each other to snuggle with now. Octavia is especially thankful and the new friend has really seemed to calm her down. Now, who would like to give these lovely girls a home?

We're gearing up for the holidays! Are you ready to spoil your chinnie? Would you like to finally get your own furball? Contrary to some opinions out there, we believe kids and chins go great together! Assuming, of course, your child is kind and gentle enough to handle these delicate critters. Currently we have 13 wonderful singles and pairs ready to go to a new home and several more that will be ready before Christmas. But aside from that...

...check out our holiday packages! We've been working hard to prepare items just for you and your furry friend. Right now we're ready with three different $50 each package deals. These three packages include shipping, but you can save $15 if you pick them up. Shipped items come with a surprise extra! ;)

**Package 1~ The economy bridge and ledge combo!

We've used rounded pine slats instead of our usual wooden dowels for the bridge. It cuts costs tremendously! We're offering that, plus two 12" ledges complete with jumpholes and all the hardware. Keep in mind, this is made especially for Ferret Nation brand cages, so the bridge length is made in approximately 3 foot lengths.

**Package 2~ The 5 piece ledge with backboards combo!

This is a wonderful start for decorating (or redecorating) a chin friendly enclosure. We include 

1 -12" lounging ledge
2- 8" look out ledges
2- 6" leaping ledges

**Package 3~ The chewy play pack!

Includes a chin safe and chewable swing, one large pumice and willow wreath, and a hanging pine wafers toy, in many different colors.

Watch for our pennywise pack, coming soon to the Store!