Joy of an apple..

A thing that my chinchillas will not want from me

I believe there's this one thing
that my little fur balls
will never ever ask from me,
and this is the one thing
that I will love to give them
with all my heart (only for them),
that is..




a bear hug.

Oops, pardon me for all my nonsense, the weather had been cool for this past few weeks. It would so comforting to hug something so warm, soft, puffy, smells(a little) and breathing in the middle of the cool cool night. But the one thing is, my chins don't like to be touch at all, especially Oreo. He will push my hands away with his little paws.. ta ta ta.. if I try to touch him too much, he will 'mock bite' me. Duffy will let me scratch his tummy, sometimes.

Naughty chinchillas

Sometimes, it's sad to see my chinchillas in the cage. Being nocturnal, they are active (hyperactive, really) during the night. I had tried letting them out for a run at around 1, 2 am, oh man, there's not a moment when I could just leave my eyes off them! They just couldn't stop chewing anything that will harm them, the corners of walls mostly and cables! When I shooed them away, they would just dart to another part of the room to chew sometime else.

I had tried to put them in a exercise ball, (the clear plastic type where the chins is being enclosed inside so they can roll about in the room), but I think that they felt trapped and got nervous and start to poo a lot, and worst of all, they didn't move more than a few inches, which defeats the whole purpose. Another thing about the exercise ball is given their luxurious coat of fur and the weather(oh, I live in Singapore, and the fan is on for them almost 24 hours a day), that they may feel hot inside, and get heat stroke. Maybe I will get them a exercise wheel sometime, or maybe not, after all they are not hamsters.

And recently, they have taken to chewing the metal cover of the fan, I thought. But on a closer look, they are actually licking off their fur that got stuck on the grilles(time to wash the fan again) Argh, and I think they actually eat the fur, eeeeh, anyone knows why they do that? I know that they sometimes 'recycle their poo'. I had a shock when I first saw them doing that and thought it was some really bad habits but a friend later explain to me it's normal as there maybe still nutrients and her pet rabbit does that too. Guess its some survival instinct thingy that they'll always have, which it is not a bad thing after all.

Chinchillas' ugly picture part ii

Star of the day: Oreo

They can't talk and they seldom make a sound,
but they're sure great at getting the message across.

Chinchillas' ugly picture

Star of the day: Duffy


Hey, i mean it when I say these photos are ugly!(photographer's fault?)

Where my chinchillas live..

There's a view of my chinchillas' home.


Ok, other than sleep time it's more like a prison to them.

As usual there's a food dish, a bottle of water, the 'mushroom' and the 'fish' house for them to sleep or hide, a block of wood for them to chew on(but, argh.., they still prefer the walls outside), the calcium block(sometimes it's a block of pumice that would disappear within three days maximum). The cage came with two ladders connecting the different levels, which I thought, happily, they would look so cute running up and down the ladders. But they simply ignore the ladders and jump from level to level, or worse, jump off the ladder about half way. I removed the ladders after day one as not only did the ladders seem like an insult to their agility, it also posed a danger to my chinchillas as it would fall off due to their violent jumping(never have anything that's not fixed onto the cage).
I have thought of changing the cage to a slighty bigger one, but hey, what's the difference, since all they want is to be out of the cage and run(and chew)amok in my living room.

Do your chinchilla do this??

yes, I have been trying to catch Duffy at this for several weeks now. It had been months since I saw him 'resting' in such a pattern. This used to be his favourite place(under the TV console)and pose when he got tired?/ moody? during playtime. He would just lie there, sometimes for long period of time, until I can't stand it anymore and 'have to' disturb him. I thought chinchillas don't do that! Pictures of chinchillas always show them in hyperactive, engaging mode. Oreo, my other furry rascal never do that(lay on the side) out of the cage. The only times I saw him lying on the side, with his hind legs cross, looking as dejected as possible, was when playtime was up and he had not have enough fun. Even then, he will not do that for more than a few minutes. They really have very different personalities even though they are brothers(Duffy's the elder one)

When chinchillas 'wag' their tails..

it means they are irritated!

I have always wondered why my chins 'wag' their tails sometimes.(Unlike dogs, their tails moved in horizontal motion, like sweeping the floor). After observing them for a period of time, I can conclude that they 'wag' their tails when they feel irritated(cats do that too).
Once, during playtime, for whatever reason, Oreo wagged his tail and started to chase Duffy allover the room,non-stop, ready to fight. Poor Duffy, he got tired and had to hide. They also wag their tails when I touch them too much(in their opinion) or when they hear some noises that they are sensitive to.

Dreaming of raisins, my chinchillas' favourite treats

Yes, they love raisins! If I hide a raisin in my hand and clench my fist lightly, they will smell it and try to pull my fingers away with their little paws, their pinkie noses sniffing excitedly around my hands, as though their are kissing my hands(ha.. finally I manage to get some affection from my chinchillas!) Try it when you are in need of some affection, especially from pridefully chinchillas.

Treats I give my chinchillas

Apples!I will give them small slices of apple either everyday or every other day. Oreo, my more sensitive chin, will jump about in his cage(oh so very noisy, making sure that I can hear him) every time i open the fridge at night. Then he will stick his nose out, his whiskers twitching away expectantly while I walk pass. I am really amazed by his senses as he's in the living room and can't see the fridge in the kitchen.

The other thing is fresh sweet corn. Without my knowledge, my mum(she loves to feed them 'new' things to see their reaction)gave them some while she was cooking lunch. I didn't expect them to like it as they will leave the dried version in their pet food, untouched(yes, I admit, they are spoiled). But they absolutely love the fresh corn.

But due to fresh food high moisture content(which can cause bloat in chinchilla),I only give them small slices of these 'treats' and at most once a day.

While my Chinchillas sleep..

Duffy, asleep in 'mushroom house'
Orea, half asleep.. probably eyeing the 'mushroom house'..
After sometime.. Orea squeezed in!! Isn't it cozy?

Introducing my little furballs(chinchillas fur)..

Oreo and Duffy!!