For the month of October, ten (10) chinchillas were surrendered and eleven (11) chinchillas were adopted. It was a giddy month when, until the last week, we had only taken in 3 fur babies. With all the empty cages, we actually got to allow the chins here to spread out as we opened up the jump holes on the triple stacks. 

Like busy little ants, we've had quite a time prepping for the winter. With hurricane Sandy and winter cold setting in, we've had our hands, stove top and oven constantly running with the fragrant varieties of woods we prepare for the chinchillas' gnawing pleasure. 

Our store selection has grown immensely over the past couple of months. If you've been following us on Facebook, you may have seen the teases and jibes Whimsy sends to alert our fans that another "something new" is coming. Lately the focus has been on chinchilla nutrition. Because the digestive system--from mouth to, *cough* tail--is the bane of the domestic chinchilla, foraging products are a necessity. Feed pellets are nutritionally complete, but are considered a "soft" food. In the wild, chinchillas will scavenge for grasses, leaves, bark, roots, herbs, flowers and other high fiber foods. This not only gives their teeth the workout it needs to ward off malocclusion, but keeps their tummies and intestines moving, which prevents stasis. 

Our little cloud bunnies have a natural tendency to seek out a wide range of food items. Have you ever noticed that they will eat ANYTHING? Furniture, electrical wires, shoes and homework papers are all at risk for an exploratory nibble. So, we've come up with some exciting new food items that are intended to stimulate and meet that natural foraging penchant. Check out some of our latest creations, available in the Store, just in time for Christmas!

The "Chinchilada" is a man-sized whole loofah overstuffed with the same herbal hay mixture that's in our Piñata toys. We've taken the stuffing to a more economical level with this creative combo, bound with seagrass. Every bit of this delicious food/toy is edible and makes an interesting weekly addition. 

We finally have our organic grapevine rings back in stock...with a twist.  This year's wreaths are much, MUCH larger than last year's. And as an added bonus, we've sprinkled them with a generous portion of apple fiber (think: powdered sugar donuts) to help absorb moisture and to encourage your chins to eat every twiggy curl.

Finally, we have come up with a foraging mix that you can offer in a separate food dish by the handful. "Confetti Cuisine" is a high fiber, apple-infused potpourri of loofah bites, chopped hay, rose buds and petals, calming chamomile flowers, peppermint, dehydrated carrot and the ever-popular crispy, dried leaves. Until this new release, I've had to beat people back with my imaginary e-stick to keep hold of enough leaves for this new product. (Thanks, Matty and Matt. :S ) But like Cinderella, the plain leaves have been transformed into a luscious new dish that looks and smells absolutely amazing!

Why yes, yes I do decorate my house with chinchilla supplies. :)

Please keep in mind, all of our products are natural with no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or other funky adulterating ingredients. (*cough* Beware those who color/flavor their chew toys with powdered drink mix or gelatine. Seriously????) We only offer what we are confident is good and safe for our fur babies, and share the new creations with you.

Enjoy! 

As much as they may look like them, chinchillas are NOT bunnies. Although they are rodents, the natural arid habitat of the chinchilla calls for a diet that is totally different from your veggie-munching look-a-like. The chinchilla's diet should be very bland and very dry, high in fiber, low in protein, with virtually no fats or sugars.

Contrary to what many chinchilla books and even some ill-informed vets advise, their digestive systems cannot handle the moisture-rich content of fresh vegetables. And fresh fruits are a definite no-no. (Good Lord I have a lot of hyphenated words in this post)!  

We received an emergency phone call recently from someone whose chinchilla was lethargic and unresponsive. When the owner said her chin wouldn't even eat her carrots anymore, that set off the alarm! I asked her if her chinchilla's belly was especially swollen and she was surprised that I knew.  

Chinchillas can't pass gas, so if they eat fresh foods, the gas build-up can literally blow them up from the inside out. This condition is called bloat, and is life threatening. It can happen with the addition of the wrong foods, gorging on too many treats, or a sudden switch in diet. 

Please people, do the research before you adopt. 

Malocclusion. The word that strikes dread into the hearts of chinchilla owners. It is the bane of the domestic chinchilla's life and is a hotly debated topic on forums worldwide. 

Malocclusion is a dental diagnosis that encompasses just about any tooth and jaw ailment, whether it be misalignment, uneven wearing, overgrown surface areas, elongated roots, or tooth and jaw related abscesses.

Clinically "normal":

This one (below) has "issues". Notice the lack of straight line between upper and lower teeth at the grinding surfaces with elongated roots growing into the eye and nasal cavities and into the lower jaw bone. 

In the wild, chinchillas have unlimited access to a variety of chewing and eating options. This allows the chin to naturally choose the kinds and types of tooth wearing activities they happen to need. Teeth grow an average of 2-3 inches per year, so it is essential that they have plenty of opportunity to keep that growth in check. Hay and grasses offer the kinds of fiber needed to work the molars and cheek teeth. Wood, sticks and volcanic stones (chew toys) offer a workout for the incisors. 

With this in mind, we've designed and made available lots of options in our store to help you help your chin keep his or her teeth and gums strong and healthy.  While feed pellets are generally considered a "soft" food, we're excited to announce our newest item; Show Hutch Deluxe, an extruded (extra hard) feed pellet. And don't forget the chew toys, hay and rose hips!

We have more new toys!

As some of you already know, we've started offering rosehip-stuffed willow balls as both toss toys and, what we've been calling, our new Orb-bits Lite. These have been especially popular with the chinnies who absolutely adore the treat filled globes.

Rose hips are essential to a chinchilla's diet in that they add highly palpable, easy to digest vitamin C, which helps strengthen the connective tissue in their gums. Because chinchilla's teeth are free floating, having strong tissue to support them is most important to help ward off malocclusion. Our toys are carefully designed to accommodate your gnawing pet's unique needs and preferences. 

We also offer loose rose hips by the pound for the little beggars. ;) 

We often get inquiries about what sort of treats are safe to give pet chinchillas. Whimsy has been known to visibly cringe when told what some people give their critters. Snacks from pet stores are notoriously unhealthy, even though they contain "natural" foods such as sweetened dried fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and flowers. Just because a pet store item has a picture of a chinchilla on it, doesn't necessarily mean it's safe to give your pet chinchilla.

So if these foods are not safe, just what is? 

Well...think about a chinchilla's natural habitat. They originally come from the very cold, arid (dry desert-like) biosphere of the Andes Mountains in South America.

This habitat produces foods that are high in fiber, moderate in protein, very low in fat, with almost nonexistent sugars. A wild chinchilla's diet is very dry and bland. With that in mind, a health-conscious owner will try to mimic those conditions as closely as possible. The best chinchilla treats are those with little to no processing, added sugars, or fats.  

Plain Cheerios, unfrosted shredded wheat cereal, steamed crimped oats, rolled barley, old fashioned oats, dried rose hips,  select wood sticks and twigs and pumice stones are some widely accepted good choices for treats and snacks. 

And for those who have been asking, we finally have our supply of whole rose hips back in stock. Check out our new(er) store layout for those and other chin-safe treats and toys.