Chin Rescue, Info & Supplies

I have posted these forms online for people to review. When you come to adopt you will fill them out with me, no need to print anything now. These are posted here to use a reference and so you can get an idea of what I expect a prospective home to know about chinnies.

Is a chinchilla the right pet for you?

The following 20 questions are going to help both you and me determine if a chinchilla will be a good fit as a pet for you. If you don’t know the answers it’s okay as long as you are willing to learn. Feel free to fill this out at home and do some online research to find the answers or we can do it together when you come to meet your new friend. Many of the answers can be found on my site as well as www.chins-n-quills.com ; Lucky’s Wonder of Chinchillas http://anntwo.proboards105.com/index.cgi  and www.chinsandgliders.com.

1. What is the average life span of a chinchilla?
2. Are chinchillas nocturnal?
3. Are chinchillas a cuddle type pet (like a dog or cat)?
4. What do chinchillas eat?
5. Do chinchillas take baths?
6. What products should you avoid having in a chinchillas cage?
7. What type of bedding is acceptable?
8. Do chinchillas need out of cage time?
9. What is an acceptable cage size for one chinchilla?
10. How often will you need to clean your chinchillas cage?
11. How often will you need to clean the area surrounding the cage?
12. What products are best to use to clean your cage?
13. What kind of “treats” are “acceptable” to give and how often?
14. Is there an exotics vet near your home that is educated in chinchilla care?
15. Are you aware of the cost of an exotics vet and/or emergency vet?
16. Chinchillas need safe wood products to chew to grind down their teeth and avoid potentially deadly health problems. Will you be able to provide these for your chinchilla on a regular basis?
17. Are you aware that for most of your chinchillas products you will need to go through an online vendor or a person that can cater to the special needs of chinchillas rather than a typical pet store?
18. Do you have allergies to hay/grass and/or dust?
19. Are you aware that by owning a chinchilla you will come into direct contact with the above items on daily basis?
20. Will you be committed to your animal for the entirety of it’s life and provide the best possible care for it with the understanding that this care can, at times, be costly and require extreme attention to detail and a lot of time on your part?

After reviewing these questions you should have a better understand of the basic care needs of a chinchilla. All of the above questions can be large factors in determining if a chinchilla is the right pet for you. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask. The goal is to make sure that both you and the chinchilla will live a happy and healthy life and be as stress-free as possible.

Adoption Form

Thank you for choosing to give a forever home to your new chinchilla(s). Please fill out the following form.

All fields are required.

Your name (first, last):

Street Address:

City, State, Zip Code:

Phone number:

Email address:

How many adults currently reside in your home?

How many children? Ages?

Do you have any other pets? If so please list:

Have you ever surrendered any animal to a shelter/rescue in the past? If so please explain:

Do you understand that chinchillas are exotic animals with a life span of 10-20 years and that they require special care?

Do you have an exotic vet lined up to care for your chinchilla in case of emergency and for routine check ups?

Do you have the financial means to pay for your chinchillas daily care as well as emergency vet care if needed?(avg $30-50/month – vet costs avg $60/visit and up)

Do you have allergies to grasses/hay, dust or other animals?

If so, do you currently take medication to help with these allergies?

Are you willing to wear protective gloves and/or masks or take medications while caring for your chinchilla should you develop allergies or if your current allergies worsen?

What is the average temperature of your home?

Do you have air conditioning?

(Air condition is a requirement for owning a chinchilla- they are sensitive animals and must not be exposed to temperatures above 70 degrees or high humidity)

Where will you locate your chinchillas cage?

Please describe the cage (size, contents, materials):

Where will you be purchasing your chinchillas care products (food, hay, toys, etc)?

Please read carefully:

By signing this form you are agreeing to become the new home for a very special chinchilla. You are agreeing to give your new pet all of the care that is needed to ensure that its life will be with out un-necessary suffering. This means providing quality food, a clean and safe environment, and all veterinary care that is needed. You are also agreeing that you will not breed this animal under any circumstances. Should we discover that you have bred the animal we may have rights to take the chinchilla back from you. By signing below you are also agreeing that should you no longer be able to care for your new pet you will surrender it back to us- you may not sell or trade this animal.