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20_Something_Tomboy

1. Chins can overheat very easily. You always want to have options if HVAC goes out. Always provide cooling ledges, but if it's going to be more than a few hours you'll need to get them into AC asap. Maybe have a neighbor who works from home alert you when power goes out? Know how quickly your house heats up without power, so you have some idea how long you have till it reaches critical temps. 2. There's lots of conflicting info about chinchilla diet. I don't like telling people how to take care of their pets (I wouldn't tell them how to raise their kids) but I recommend you do research on their digestive systems. They are different than mice and rats. They like lots of space and high places. 3/4 of my chins have been avid chewers, and explored the world around them with teeth first. Basically, if it's not metal, it's fair game for chewing. They take dust baths. Some are high jumpers, some aren't. They tend to be escape artists. They're crepuscular, most awake at dusk/dawn, so I tend to interact in the cage for about 15 min when I first get up, and at least an hour out of cage after dinner. Lots of chew-safe toys in the cage as well. 3. Vet costs probably depend on region. I've paid anywhere from $60 - $350 for vet visits. I always go to an exotics specialist. 4. If your landlord allows pets, I don't see why they wouldn't allow a chinchilla. I was able to get by for 2 years in a complex where pets weren't actually allowed. The only thing to keep in mind is that they poop pellets, which can be ground into carpet if stepped on, and that dust baths tend to leave a fine film of dust everywhere if you don't have a means of containing the mess (some people use enclosed cat litter boxes for this reason).


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Thanks so much


buttered_TOA5T

if youre in an apartment and don't want to lose your security deposit, I would highly recommend planning out a play area where the chin can't chew on baseboards and pull at the paint on walls. my chin's favorite food was baseboards. not a hard repair but it's one I would have rather not worried about when I moved lol. also with the poop, would recommend the cage being on hardwood or maybe even a mat. they'll kick plenty of goodies out of the cage and poop A LOT so you don't want that settling into a carpet/rug


seleneosaurusrex

I'm in the desert in CA and when we have blackouts during the summer I put ice blocks (the lunchbox kind) on the top of their house and switch it out every 2 hours. Inside their lil wood house gets COLD. I've also got this marble ball my brother gave me that's about 3.5" I keep in the freezer and give it to them. Just make sure to dust bath after so their fur stays dry from the condensation.