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.
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February 24th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
I was wondering how do I tell if the Chinchilla I am getting is over heated? Every web site I went to has something different and I don't know which one is true. I trust that I can get the right knowledge from Chinchilla Planet because you really own a chinchilla.
October 23rd, 2006 at 1:25 am
I have 2 chinchillas and we had to move back and forth between two houses with them for the duration of a month. the chins handled the stress well, given that the both of them had lots of outside play time and extra dust baths to reduce stress. Before the bouncing back and forth, they came with us across the country in a carrier with the a/c car unit on. Besides being curious about the new hotel bathrooms, they were allowed to play each night on the road trip. They handled this well.
I found that by always placing the carrier in the same spot, with the same toys and food, they understood that their things were in the same place if not in the same room. They loved exploring the new nooks and corners.
I was initially really worried about traveling with them since everyone will tell you it's not recommended, but after having to move with them, I know they are much more adaptable then people give them credit for.
August 28th, 2006 at 1:48 pm
After the chinchilla bites he goes back to squirming or he tries to jump. I know we are not holding him too tight or he is not over heated because we don't hold him long. We know if he is scared because if he is startled he'll poop about 4 times in the same spot. And one time he bit me because I was holding a treat out and he went for the treat and missed it. I understand completely understand that he needs to get used to me and everyday we hold him, gently stroke him, or comb his fur to let him get used to us. Thank you for writing me back!
August 28th, 2006 at 8:19 am
Different chinchillas are going to behave differently to some degree. For the chinchilla that is biting, it could be because he is scared. What happens after the bite? Does he seem like he is trying to eat or does he jump and squirm as if trying to escape?
If the former, then consider washing your hands as they probably smell edible. If the latter, then it could just be that the chinchilla needs to get used to being held just like your mother suspected.
August 27th, 2006 at 4:12 pm
We just got two chinchillas 8 days ago and my chinchilla (Zazu) doesn't mind being held for some reason. I don't pick him up a lot because sometimes I feel heat coming from him. But my brother's chinchilla sometimes bites us when we pick him up. My mother told me to let him get used to us picking him up. Do you have any other advice? And our chinchillas love music, is this normal? Our chinchilla really don't get scared easily. Is this normal?