We finally did it!

We are constantly looking for ways to improve our numerous toy and cage accessory designs. Our suspension bridges are one thing that has gone through several revamps throughout the years, but I think we’ve finally hit on a winner.

~*~ Bridges with Bling! ~*~ ™

Our newest version of these fun cage accessories now come with mixed gemstone spacer beads. That’s right, gemstones! Previously, the wooden beads made tempting chews for chins, which destroyed the function and safety of our beautiful design. Now, with rock hard gemstones (the same relative hardness as chew-proof glass water bottles) we have a stunning new and improved version that we expect to last! 

Our extra wide, 8” bridges come in ready made lengths of approximately 3 feet long, but you can custom order any length (or color as available) to perfectly match your cage setup. See our Store page for more details.

Thank you to Cheryl Graham from Che’ Chinchillas (http://www.chechinchillas.com/) for the brainstorming sessions and awesome name for our new product.

For the month of July, fourteen (14) chinchillas were surrendered and eleven (11) were adopted. Four (4) kits were also born this month from two different rescue mommies who were on maternity watch. Green stripe, one of the chins mentioned in an earlier post, proved pregnant as suspected.

We’re beginning to feel the strain of a positive inflow, but will not compromise our standards. We are committed to the welfare of the chins in our care AND our promise to the former owners to find good and loving homes for the chinchillas they surrender. Whimsy’s personal motto is that anyone seeking to adopt from us should be able to provide a better home than we can. While we provide excellent, individualized care and attention, an adopter who wants to devote all of their attention to building and developing a relationship with their new pet(s) is in an even better position to provide it.

This past weekend was our trip to Pennsylvania to the Keystone Grange 2 Fair. It was our first experience with setting up a “booth” and we were rather pleased with the results. While it was much too hot to bring any live animals, we did bring along a computer that played a neat slideshow of some of our chinnies. *Waves* to those of you from Pennsylvania who took a business card and are reading this right now.

We received a very curious and uplifting email this week from the people at Pet Care Veterinary Hospital. We were invited to come to their seminar and set up a booth to sell our toys! They would also like to showcase our toys in the clinic itself. 

We also received an email from the co-chairperson in charge of making arrangements for a state fair in Pennsylvania. They have also invited us to come set up a booth to show off our chew toys and cage accessories. In both cases we were referred by people with rave reviews.  We are honored, with giddy delight. :)

And speaking of toys... we have a new wreath design, now available in our store! This one is made of unadulterated pumice, pecan wood coins and loofah stars. Not only do the chinchillas love this combination, it's also good for bunnies, rats, hamsters, and other gnawing/nibbling pets. Parrots love our toys too!

Baby chinchillas are adorable. 

But there are several reasons why we don't advocate seeking specifically to adopt baby chins. First, the nature/nurture debate is most obviously on the side of genetics when it comes to chins. We've seen way too many examples of chins who simply grow up mean, no matter how much loving kindness they receive. Like people, some chinchillas are just plain jerks. 

With adult chinchillas, the personality characteristics are already developed and apparent. An adult chin who is naturally friendly and inquisitive can only get better with attention and proper handling. Chinchillas with behavior problems are more likely to turn their owners off rather than endear them...which can lead to neglect.

Our goal, therefore, is to help introduce chins with compatible new owners. We encourage folks to visit and interact with the available singles and groups and not be romanticized by the idea of owning a special color or cute little baby. Only by interacting can one truly get a feel for another living creature. Who knows? You just may be the person some of our "problem chins" have been waiting for.

I was chatting with the local guinea pig and rabbit rescue lady recently where she was lamenting the summer as "dumping season" for rescue animals. Summer is generally when people lose interest of their Christmas pets, go on vacation, and unload the animals beforehand. Because our incoming and outgoing numbers are fairly consistent, I found this statement curious, until the actual numbers for June hit like a ton of bricks. For the month of June, we received seventeen (17) new surrenders and found homes for nine (9) chinchillas. 

At this time we have a plethora of chinchillas available for adoption. We will be working on updating the adoptions page with some of the new additions.

We WILL be open for the 4th of July weekend.

We will NOT be open the following weekend.

We are open by appointment during the days and some evenings.  Please schedule early. Weekend time slots fill quickly!