Saturday, May 9, 2009

Is it a bad idea to buy a baby chinchilla from PetSmart?

I would get it from a breeder, but I can't find any in my area. Does anyone have a pet store-chinchilla? I hear they can be unfriendly ... is that true?
Answers:
I am a breeder of chinchillas, so i can help you out here. Pet stores sometimes get baby chinchillas from breeders when they dont sell them. When my chinchillas have litters, i sell all the ones i can, then sell the remainder to petco, pet supermarket, ect. chinchillas become unfriendly when they arent handled a lot, some pet stores handle their animals, some dont. Also pet stores WAY over charge. Standard grey chinchillas are normally sold for 85-100$ in the pet store they sell from 150-230$.over priced if you ask me!??! where are you located? if you need ANY more help, contact me at mocha_choca_chins@hotmail.com!... ( i currently have 15 chinchillas in breeding, and adding more!)

By the way, chinchillas CAN be played with, mine hop on my shoulder when i open the cage and would sit on my shoulder all day if they could, they hop from shoulder to shoulder and play hide and go seek with their little tunels, do NOT listen when people tell you they are untrainable and not playful. Believe me, they do ANYTHING for a raisin!!
its bad to buy anything from a petstore. try petfinder.com and use the search on the left.
It's all true, and more. You may have to travel to find a reputable private breeder but it will be well worth the trip. Don't forget, this is a large financial as well as emotional investment.
I would actually prefer to get my chinchilla from a 'large pet store' than a 'breeder' ... and if you are getting a 'baby' then you can 'tame it yourself' fairly easily. The one 'warning' I would give you, though, is that a chinchilla is a 'wild animal' (even those who have been 'bred in captivity' for generations), and you will never be able to 'play with it' as you would a rat, hamster or rabbit. Chinchillas have 'very long sharp teeth' and they need 'extra care' ... so be sure you have a 'good book on Chinchilla care' and READ IT THOROUGHLY before you buy. Petsmart or Petco are both 'excellent' sources of 'small animals' and you should also have the 'option' to 'return it' if you get it home and find you can't really 'keep it' properly ...
It's ok to buy a chinchilla from the petstore. You just may need to work with it a little more to get it use to humans. However, chinchillas are best in pairs. 2 females or 2 males. They do not like to be alone. When I had my first pair, one died and I was getting another one in a week and within that week the other one died of depression. They are also very VERY sensitive to certain things. They can only be fed Timothy hay, regardless of what you hear. My first one died because I listened to a breeder who said to feed alphalfa and he died of bloat.. the vet said it constipates them and they can die. Also they cannot be in very hot areas. In the summer I actually run a fan on them. Just read up a lot before you buy them. They are terrific animals but require a lot of care
you shouldnt buy any animals from pet stores - they are exploiting animals to make a profit...
look in your local newspaper or on bulletin boards or at vet offices.. if you have "odd and unusual livestock" auctions in your area sometimes they have ChinChillias..
( dont know where you are but I attend Innisfail Odd and Unusual Auction 2x a year they always have Chinchillas..) look around for similar in your area...
it isnt bad to buy something from a pet store! if everyone thought that and everyone bought from a breeder than it would be the pet store animals that need help right!! its ok to buy from a pet store, they come in contact and see people alot and they will just need a little extra taming, but make wonderful pets either way!
Please don't buy while shelter animals die!
Petstores get their animals from breeders, as well, and they're usually not well taken care of and have health problems! If you buy from them you're just contributing to the problem.
Look into local shelters and rescues, and keep checking ads/classifieds in local newspapers, etc.
Be patient, there will inevitably be a chin out there who someone is "done with" or is "tired of" or "can't take care of anymore." And you will be ready! : o )
I bought mine from a pet store and it is the nicest little thing ever. Basically in pet stores they do not get alot of one on one attention so at first they are just scared once you give them attention they will warm up to you and be sweet and tame. it dont take much time!! they are great pets

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