Aibu wanting Chinchillas

[Staasaurus]

Try to talk me out of getting them...

OP, just seen your "chillas are cuter than rats".
Please just don't own a pet. EVER. You sound, at best, a 'hun' (try NetMums) and, at worst, moronic.

I'm betting your ds would find the Chinchilla interesting for one week tops- and that's only because is something new.
The dreams he will have of Chinchilla being his little pal etc are exactly that- dreams.
In reality he will have very little interaction with it as they're not the cuddly pets he imagines.

The lady we got our rescue cat from had cages full of them, unwanted pets all.

They leave poo everywhere, and they throw it, you can't have a drink when they are out of their cage unless you don't mind chinchilla poo in your drink.

On of mine had a leather fetish, you would hear a donk donk and he's have found a watch and was taking it home.

Mine got in to the kitchen, went behind the cooker and chewed through the cables.

They chew the corners of walls, your skirting boards, my friend's skate board.

You have to really look after them in summer because they are susceptible to heat.

Their poo gets everywhere, I know I have already said that but you open your purse to pay for something and there is poo in there, the cable TV guys comes round to fix your cable and the problem is chinchilla poo - three years after they have passed away.

I loved having them and I got them from a rescue, and I did a lot of research but really you need to have a 'chinny room'

And it needs it have aircon.

If you look at posts on here you will see I'm often up very early in the morning so they did get hours out of the cage to run about and destroy my home.

I loved watching them do a wall of death run around but they are a huge commitment, they can live 20 years.

Another vote for rats or mice. I had the latter but know a few people with rats.

My mice were handled from new so were quite well behaved (even the vet was impressed) they are very entertaining, when you clean them out if you rearrange their cage they get excited about it.

I used to put some food in a cardboard egg box and they would tunnel in, when you opened the lid you would have a mouse in each 'egg space'.

A rabbit would be a far better choice. They will at least come to you for forehead scratches, and can be partly toilet trained. You need to have them indoors to make it worth it, though.

Please don't. Animals should not be bred just for the entertainment of humans. So many small rodent type animals are kept in unsuitable conditions with barely adequate care.

If an animal needs to live in a cage to accommodate your desire for a 'pet' then do it a favour give it a swerve.
Get something that has been domesticated by us for millennia and is happy to share your living space. They will be at the pet rescue centre.

Can recommend dwarf hamsters. Shorter life span, less fuss, not to mention smaller. Ours is the most loving little thing.
Oh and kids bore very easily of pets, meaning the life span is just right.

@sashh

They leave poo everywhere, and they throw it, you can't have a drink when they are out of their cage unless you don't mind chinchilla poo in your drink.

On of mine had a leather fetish, you would hear a donk donk and he's have found a watch and was taking it home.

Mine got in to the kitchen, went behind the cooker and chewed through the cables.

They chew the corners of walls, your skirting boards, my friend's skate board.

You have to really look after them in summer because they are susceptible to heat.

Their poo gets everywhere, I know I have already said that but you open your purse to pay for something and there is poo in there, the cable TV guys comes round to fix your cable and the problem is chinchilla poo - three years after they have passed away.

I loved having them and I got them from a rescue, and I did a lot of research but really you need to have a 'chinny room'

And it needs it have aircon.

If you look at posts on here you will see I'm often up very early in the morning so they did get hours out of the cage to run about and destroy my home.

I loved watching them do a wall of death run around but they are a huge commitment, they can live 20 years.

Another vote for rats or mice. I had the latter but know a few people with rats.

My mice were handled from new so were quite well behaved (even the vet was impressed) they are very entertaining, when you clean them out if you rearrange their cage they get excited about it.

I used to put some food in a cardboard egg box and they would tunnel in, when you opened the lid you would have a mouse in each 'egg space'.

This reminds me of my friends who works often steal her lit cigarettes. It would also come up behind you and give you a smack on the head. But yeah, poo everywhere

Rats are very demanding if you looks after them properly, they need time out of their cage every evening and lots of attention.
I adore mine though.

And yeah , I was a dick head to get one . I was quite young at the time though and lucky that I knew people who had more time and space for them (and a quieter home) so was able to rehome her somewhere much more suitable for her

Get a guinea pig. They are friendly, can roam the garden eating your plants.

Haven’t RTFT but we had two, one died recently aged 15 and one a few years ago.

I loved them both but wouldn’t have them again. Yes they are very cute and inquisitive. They’re also destructive and leave a constant trail of poo behind them. They don’t like to be cuddled and have a strong bite if you don’t pay heed to the warning signs. The one who we lost a few years ago had chronic dental issues which cost thousands over the years. The other one was healthy all of her life and died suddenly. Not for the faint hearted and definitely wouldn’t recommend as a children’s pet.

Please actually take on board what everyone is saying - you've had some really informative advice and your response has been "but they're cute".
Be a responsible adult and get something that's actually suited as a pet, which chinchillas are not. You cannot handle them, they absolutely hate it. The set up is beyond complicated. They need a tonne of space, they will never have enough room in a cage no matter how big the cage is.
Just don't.

@SelkieQualia

"A rabbit would be a far better choice"

It's cruel to have one rabbit. Rabbits aren't really pets. We started keeping them in hutches as an easy meat supply. Rabbit is a global food source. There's only a small list of rodents that we can keep without them living in misery, or at least neglected for their real needs. You know how isolation and not going outside kept us alive at the start of Covid, but unhappy? That's how life is for animals that we keep in cages.

Reading these comments I think we got very lucky with our Chin. We took him in after an acquaintance of DP moved abroad and couldn’t take him and he was the best pet we ever had (sorry DDog).

He had the run of the house and we spent an awful lot of time and money making sure he was engaged and healthy but he was a dream to handle and used to go back into his (always open) cage to do his business. He used to sit on my shoulder and watch telly with me.

There are no easy pets imo. Whatever you get it’s a lot of effort, money and time spent keeping them clean, healthy and happy. Their needs must be prioritised over your wants and some people can’t do that and shouldn’t be pet owners.

I know someone who had a rescue chinchilla, it was hilarious, especially after a few drinks, when she described how this creature would make whoo whoo noises as it masturbated. Don't know how long she had it for but it chewed a lot of things as well.

We looked after one for a month. It was very boring. It doesn't wag it's tail, it doesn't sit in your lap, it doesn't do tricks and doesn't even lay eggs. The cage was huge too and made one end of our living room unusable. It was ok for a month but I wouldn't have one permanently.

They’re very cute, but…no. Shouldn’t be in captivity.
Get a cat, much easier, furry, you can get unusual pedigrees.

Seems like OP has done no research at all. Wtf? But, but .....cute.

Quite, this a a living thing which will need proper care to have a fulfilled and healthy life. Chinchillas are not a toys and it's maddening when people take on pets because they are cute but have no sense of obligation to find out everything they can about what the animal needs before they decide if they can provide a suitable home for it.

@TroysMammy

I know someone who had a rescue chinchilla, it was hilarious, especially after a few drinks, when she described how this creature would make whoo whoo noises as it masturbated. Don't know how long she had it for but it chewed a lot of things as well.

OMG I had forgotten this.

If you have a male, they may get their willy out and er... well ... you sometimes ... have to help them remove a ring of fur.

Ewww, they wank.
No, just no

[quote Ponoka7]@SelkieQualia

"A rabbit would be a far better choice"

It's cruel to have one rabbit. Rabbits aren't really pets. We started keeping them in hutches as an easy meat supply. Rabbit is a global food source. There's only a small list of rodents that we can keep without them living in misery, or at least neglected for their real needs. You know how isolation and not going outside kept us alive at the start of Covid, but unhappy? That's how life is for animals that we keep in cages.[/quote]
Rabbits can be happy pets, but need a lot of thought and care. They are highly social animals, but you can't just bung two together - they will fight. I had solo one who lived loose in a (rabbit proofed) house, with litter boxes and a multi layered hutch to lock him in when I needed to keep him safe. He did not get along with other rabbits.

Still way easier than a chinchilla.

Don't get one for goodness sake. You sound totally unprepared and uninformed. Incredibly unfair on the animal.

Having owned caged animals as a teen and giving them the best pet life I could, I would honestly say if you want a pet then get a cat or a dog. If you don't have time for them, then you won't have time to give another animal the time they really need.