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Post by degusnap on Feb 17, 2019 22:42:44 GMT
Okok I know I said I wanted a rat but I did some research and a chinchilla seems best for me. Rats are great but their lifespan isnt. Like 2 years isnt tha that long, also I'm not sure about getting things from a pet store anyway. I know a place that has well bred animals and they have chinchillas. My cage is perfect for them. ( I'm also glad I'll be able to stick around on this website )
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Post by ntg on Feb 17, 2019 23:00:55 GMT
Take it from me, chinchillas are hard work. They're less practical than degus in many respects, require more temperature control and vets that will treat them are even harder to come by and generally more expensive.
If you want small animals you're better off with rats. I don't regret getting my chinchillas but I often say these will probably be my first and last pair.
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Post by winic1 on Feb 18, 2019 0:39:52 GMT
chinchillas aren't as people-oriented and people-friendly as degus are. Much more skittish, much more sensitive to the slightest changes in noise and environment ending up making them much more fearful and less-likely to want to interact with you.
They are a level up from degu care, not easier. I have had degus for over 9 years now, and love the look and idea of chinchillas, but reading and hearing on this site about what they actually involve and are like, I am intimidated by the thought of getting any. And as well as degus, I've also had hamsters, hedgehog, cats, dogs, and currently keep over 50 birds. Yet chinchilla care scares me.
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Post by winic1 on Feb 18, 2019 0:43:28 GMT
It's good that you're considering different types of animals. And you have plenty of time to really look into what they would need for care and keeping, since you need to wait until after Easter to get them. Keep looking and learning about all the different pets out there, so that by the time you are ready to get something, you will know for sure it is THE one for you to have, and you will have already learned everything you can about their care, including finding a good vet for when they need care, so that your new pets will live a long, happy, healthy life.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2019 7:55:55 GMT
I wouldn’t recommend a chinchilla either.
They need as much if not more space than degus, so your cage wouldn’t work for chinchillas at all I’m afraid.
They’re nothing like degus, they’re much more skittish, not anywhere near as people oriented and arent pushy to come out of the cage and interact with you.
They’re also a big commitment, and you’d need to get at least two. One wouldn’t fit in your cage so chinchillas just aren’t going to work for you I’m afraid.
They need complex diets like degus, are much more sensitive than degus, you have to check males penises every few weeks for fur rings (which is not fun).
As they live longer, they’re more likely to get expensive health issues that last much longer than what you’d see in a degu. Therefore they can be extremely costly.
I’d maybe reconsider rats or a hamster.
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Post by moletteuk on Feb 18, 2019 11:31:10 GMT
How old are you Degusnap? The lifelong commitment of 20 years for chinchillas is extremely difficult for a young person to make. You also mentioned holiday care being a difficulty, I think you need to come up with a way round this before you get any pet. The tall cage is not suitable for chinchillas.
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Post by darthchinchi on Feb 18, 2019 18:21:13 GMT
You need to read up on what a chinchilla is before comitting. I got into them when I was 9, got my first when I was 11, he died when I was about 24. I still have one of his daughters. She's 14 now. There's two extremes within chinchilla prreonalities. Those who like you but won't let you touch them, and those who love to cuddle. I've had both. 14 y old girl won't let me touch her, her dad came when I called his name. Chances are you will get someting i between. An animal that won't cuddle but will tolerate handling. I hate the word pet for chinchillas. They are not pets as such. Think of them as the rodents answer to a cat. They know you are their human, but in reality they are the boss, you are just the one providing food, water and a clean cage.
You should at least spend a couple of months looking into what a chinchilla is, before desciding. If you didn't think degus was a good match, I'm not sure you'll be happy with a chinchilla. I'm much more into chinchillas than degus, but that's just because of 21y with the critters. And I wouldn't look into degus if I thought chinchillas wasn't for me anyway. And the age... 10-20 years is a long time. You have to be a special kind of kid or young person to stay with an animal for such a long time. And you should NEVER get them from a shop. NEVER. There's too many things that will be wrong with them. If a breeder hands over animals to a petstores it's not a good breeder, so no matter how you look on it, it can't be good quality animals.
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Post by degusnap on Feb 19, 2019 12:56:42 GMT
Ive done some research, and found a good breeder nearby. The rats honestly seem better. I'm not ready to make a 20 year commitment, so a rat seems by far best for me.
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Post by degusnap on Feb 19, 2019 13:04:28 GMT
Also the age, if I get one now I could be nearly 40 by the time it dies. Some people might like having the same pet for 20 years, but in my opinion thats too long for any kind of pet.
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