If you live in a warm climate, it's important that you have a backup plan to keep your chinchillas cool in case your A/C unit fails. We keep a couple of frozen jugs of water in the freezer during the summer months. So far, doing so has come in very handy.
Remember the blackout that hit the Northeast? On that day we had nighttime temperatures in the 90's. It was also very humid. This is the kind of weather that can kill a chinchilla, and with no power, we had no A/C.
Too keep our chinchillas cool, I moved them into a small cage we have. I did this so that they couldn't run around. I then placed one of the frozen jugs of water on top of a cookie sheet, both of which I placed on top of the cage. I used a cookie sheet to catch the condensation from the bottle so that the chinchillas wouldn't get wet.
Using a thermometer I was able to determine that the temperature in the cage below that frozen jug of water was around 80 degrees. That was a whole 10 degrees lower than the rest of the house.
Although I haven't used these techniques myself, I have read that others have had success with them:
- Keep stone tiles in the freezer and put them in the cage or attach to the sides of the cage when needed
- Put ice cubes in your chinchilla's water bottle.
- Put ice cubes in a dish for your chinchilla to chew and lick.
- Drape damp (cold water), not dripping wet, towels on the cage.
- Freeze empty food tins and place in the cage. Make sure there are no sharp edges.
Entries (RSS)
August 16th, 2006 at 11:47 am
Kacy,
That temperature should be good assuming humidity is kept low. Be aware that sunlight can make a room warmer. Sorry, but we don't know any breeders in that area.
August 16th, 2006 at 10:41 am
I'm hoping to get a chinchilla real soon! Our house his usually at 72-73 degrees. That should be fine, right? Do you know of any breeders in Wisconsin, or any place close to there like Illinois or Michigan?
August 10th, 2006 at 12:19 am
Katie,
There are not really a lot of different breeds of chinchilla. But one that is most common is the dwarf chinchilla that looks like a cute little rabbit! Judging by the description of your friend's chinchilla, I have no idea what hers are! It might just be how their hair grows. All chin are different. She might have a special dwarf chinchilla!
August 9th, 2006 at 11:59 pm
I was wondering if there are different kinds of chinchilla breeds because my friend has 2 chinchillas that are really soft and fluffy but the chinchillas aren't fluffy.
August 7th, 2006 at 7:15 pm
Shelby,
We don't know of any breeders in the southern Texas which certainly doesn't mean there aren't any. You're more likely to get a healthier chinchilla from a breeder than a pet store.