air con

Chinchillas and Babysitters

As a chinchilla owner, sometimes the world beckons you away from the life of a stay-at-home chin-slave guardian. When the sweet oceanside breeze or faded sirens of some delightful foreign city tug at your heartstrings, you begin to remember what life was like before owning a chinchilla.

mitty love pillow chinchilla

All the feeding, cleaning, dusting, weighing, and constant bonding efforts can get overwhelming at times – not to mention the cage building, cage purchasing, DIY cage accents and hanging toys, cookie making, perpetual safeguarding against plastic, hefty air conditioning/dehumidifier bills, and constant provision of chin-safe chews, occasional chin-proofed playtimes, and continual supply of soft entertainment. And if you think that’s a handful, it’s just the start! For very loving chin-owners, chinchilla ownership is a way of life and chinchilla care and parenthood is just as much a part of your daily routine as work, friends, or school! They’re family! Honestly, caring for a chinchilla properly is time, energy, and money-consuming, but that smug smile on their fat, furry faces is worth every ounce of trouble! For new or potential owners, just go ahead and skip to our post all about chinchilla care basics to gather a light gist of what your fluffy workflow will be like.

Ko Tutu

So, back to that wanderlust dreamscape: island sunrise, countryside mountaintop, or city retreat. Maybe you’re thinking of leaving for a weekend, or flying off for a few weeks – after all, you’re a hardworking chin-parent, you deserve it! What’s the best course of action when you can’t take your babies with you? Let’s chat about chin-sitters! Inevitably, at some point in your chin’s very long and happy life with you, you will likely have to leave your beloveds in the care of a third party. This post is all about how to select and direct the perfect chinchilla sitter, and make sure your fluffs are well-cared for in your bittersweet absence.

lulu chinchilla hat

Step 1: Find your potential sitter. I’m lucky: I have an incredible family that lives close and are well-versed with my chinchilla obsession – they’ve endured endless lectures from me on chinchilla health and safety. Ideally, a family member or very close friend would be the best choice – someone who lives nearby, so you always have a reachable emergency contact. It’s best to find a sitter well in advance, as it’s all about availability and suitability.

Koko and Ellen

Step 2: Provide all necessary information to your sitter. I make a very thorough document touching on all major points, as well as directing them to this blog to find additional information. Of course, they can contact me at anytime through any social media platform, phone, or email in order to obtain additional information. Adding in the number of your exotic vet is always a great move, too. I always try to drive home the idea that this incredibly important document will be their chinchilla bible for the duration of their stay. Instructions should typically be much more conservative than the way you care for your chins, taking into account the differentiation in familiarity and knowledge of your particular chinnies.

Chin Care

Step 3: Test your potential sitter. After allowing sitters to review information, I’ll invite them over each day for several days in order to test their ability to handle, feed, dust, and care for the chins. I typically skip imposing the daily weighing routine while I’m away, as it is more involved than the other care elements and requires a deeper understanding of each chinchilla in order to successfully weigh them. I’ll always ask a few questions as I watch them work, including a few “what if” situations for good measure.

I was asked recently about why my playtime rules are so conservative. To elaborate, I’m all about playing it safe with my babies – especially given new circumstances, people, or events. Too many things can go wrong if your sitter isn’t completely trained for playtime, so I err on the side of caution. Every chinchilla is unique, and some are crazier than others (cough, Muff!); each new variable equates to a slew of new, potentially harmful results. Playtime is, in general, optional based on the opinion of each chinchilla owner. Additionally, playtime is not crucial in any means to a chin’s general health, so skipping a few sessions couldn’t possibly hurt them. On the other hand, overheating, fur slip, stress, or injury could. The most nightmarish situation I could think up would be a chinchilla injury occurring while I’m not home with no concrete proof of how, why, or when. I’d personally wait until I was home to conduct any playtimes, but everyone is different! Who knows, you could know a true chinchilla guru – but that would still be a risk you’d have to be willing to take as a responsible pet owner.

Muff Windowsill

Step 4: Buy a webcam! This is a great piece of technology that every chinchilla owner should buy, as it captures what your chin-sitter may neglect. I position the cam between the cages and angle the cages so I can see everything: water bottles, hay feeders, pellet bowls, and so on. Additionally, I’ll always position my thermometer close enough to the webcam in order to monitor their environment from afar. I have a webcam that’s easy to check via phone and even allows me to coo or sing to them from another zip code!

Fifi Super Cute

Step 5: Check in with your sitter every day. Text, call, or email! A short catch-up on your chin’s day is always in order. Of course, you can also inquire about how your sitter is doing! 😛

Step 6: Pay your sitter (with friendship, or money). Payment for quality service is always a gesture of goodwill. 🙂 Unless we’re talking family – in that case, put it on the communal tab.

muff light chinchilla cutie

Step 7: Keep in contact and repeat as needed! As the sourcing part of this process can be quite intense, it’s best to maintain great relations with your chin-sitter and keep in touch, as you never know when your travel bug will catch up with you again.

lulu chinchilla city

There you have it; the 7 steps to take when selecting and utilizing a chinchilla babysitter. Of course, use your sitters as sparingly as possible: chin-sitting is time and energy consuming, and only you know your chins best! 🙂 As with all exotic pets with specific needs, chinchillas require very willing and knowledgeable sitters, but most pet lovers can be trained with adequate time and accurate information over time. Happy travels, chin-lovers – and make sure your lovely fluffs are safe at home for when you return!

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Chinchilla Essentials for Warm Months!

On the other side of winter, at last! The flowers are bursting into full bloom, the wind spins with a warmer embrace, and the sun basks our relieved faces. Yes, this is the start of the warmer season: spring, into summer, and eventually, autumn. This time of year spurs great activity, fun times, and for chinchilla owners, the annual realization that your electricity bill is about to jump! Yes, air conditioning is the only way to ensure your chinchillas will be enjoying a safe and healthy environment, and it’s a cost that simply cannot be discounted.

Muff Windowsill

Excerpt from Chinchilla Basics 101: “Temperature: chinchillas can overheat at temperatures over 75°F, as they do not have sweat glands. Chinchillas have 50-100 hairs per follicle, as compared to a human’s 1 to 1 ratio. They are built for high altitude, cold environments with very low humidity. Owners are responsible for recreating that environment – it’s suggested to keep your chin’s living space between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (still comfortable for owners, safe for chinchillas). Red ears are a sure sign of overheating: if your chinchilla is too hot, be sure to place him/her in a cool environment with a cool slab of granite and closely monitor his or her water and food consumption. Be sure to always have a 24-hour exotic vet’s contact information on hand, in case of emergency.“

Mitty Slab Granite

For those living in a temperate environment, here are a few basic pointers that can help with your chinchilla care regime during spring, summer, and hot autumn months. For those living in warm environments year-round, these tips can serve to help you maintain your chinchilla’s health.

Air Conditioner: The most basic of all the warmer weather needs for your chinchilla: the air conditioner! Yes, the costly coolness machine. I’ve encountered far too many chinchilla owners on social media that are simply unaware of how imperative this element is. No, fans will not work: moving warm air around will not decrease the air temperature. Fans only work on animals that can sweat, slicking away sweat from skin – chinchillas do not have sweat glands, and will experience absolutely no benefit from a fan’s moving air. If you are still living with your parents, it’s necessary that you communicate how dangerous it is to neglect this element of a chinchilla’s care, and offer your handy dandy chore services to make up for their A/C costs. If you are unable to give your chinchillas one of their most fundamental needs, then perhaps it is time to reevaluate your chinchilla’s living situation.
Keep Your Chinchillas Away from Direct Sunlight: Chinchillas should not be exposed to direct sunlight without supervision, and should not experience direct sunlight for an extended period of time (I will allow my chinchillas to be photographed by the window for no more than 5-10 minutes on a partly cloudy day). Chins are prone to overheating, and a sunny day could lead to deadly consequences. It’s best to keep your chinchilla in a cool area with air conditioning, ventilation, and low humidity.
Thermometer: A must for all chin owners! This is a simple and inexpensive tool that can help alert you of rising temperatures. Sure, 75°F may feel perfect for us humans, but it’s important to try to keep your chinchilla’s living space as cool and dry as possible. One eye on the thermometer for several months will give you a great sense of what the temperature is in your chin’s room, and prompt you to make any needed adjustments as quickly as possible.
Blackout Curtains: These types of curtains are great! In the winter, they keep heat in – but in the summer, the keep heat out. Of course, blackout curtains alone will not be enough for your chinchilla. This type of curtain will serve to help keep your energy costs down, acting in a synergistic way with your existing air conditioning unit.
Dehumidifier: If you’re living in an area with chronic humidity, a dehumidifier goes hand-in-hand with a great air conditioner. Removing the humidity from the air will make your chinchilla’s living situation much more safe. Heat and humidity work together in a negative way, compounding both elements into an extremely uncomfortable situation. Heat alone can be harmful and humidity alone can be harmful, but heat and humidity together can create an unbearable situation for your chinchilla.
Cool Stone Slabs: Granite or marble cooling slabs direct from the fridge serve to chill out your chinchilla briefly. These will only be effective at lower temps, and only for a certain amount of time. Chins will transfer their heat into the slabs, and render them ineffective after the heat transfer has evened out. At higher temperatures, these slabs won’t stay cool for long, and the environment will serve to bring an equilibrium to the cool tiles.
Ice Pack with Fleece Cover: In a more dire heat situation, an ice pack (or several pieces of ice in a plastic bag) with a secure fleece cover will provide a longer lasting coolness to your chinchilla without the fear of them biting into the plastic. This cooling method will only last as long as the ice does, and buy some time for owners to be able to bring the overall temperature down by the time the ice melts.
Maintain a Dusting Routine: Dusting has many long-term benefits for chinchillas: by dusting to achieve clean fur, they also stay dry and prevent a buildup of dirt and grime that could serve to aid in overheating. Dusting more frequently during summer months or months of higher humidity is a common practice and a simple way of doing a little bit every day to ensure your chin’s overall health and happiness.
Minimize Activity: Putting a hiatus on out-of-cage activity or removing your chin’s wheel will help prevent overheating. The hope is that your powerful, functioning air conditioner will allow them to continue their usual activities through the warmer months, but in situations of power outages or extenuating circumstances, this is a helpful step to keeping your chins safe.
Air Conditioner: Twice on the list, because air conditioning is the point of this post. You gotta keep your chinchillas cool, and the bottom line is: A/C. All the tips between Air Conditioner and Air Conditioner on this list are only little helpful pointers that will help aid the effectiveness of your A/C or provide a respite for your chinchilla while you’re fixing your broken air conditioner or out purchasing a new one. 🙂 Happy Air Conditioning, chinchilla lovers!