Happy May everyone!

I just have to share the good news! For the month of April,  fifteen (15) chinchillas were adopted. That meets our current high number of fuzzbutts who found new homes in a single month. Check out the Adoptions page for pictures of the happy new and improved families.

It's been such a neat experience meeting new people and "talkin' chins." But one of the disturbing popular lines of questions revolve around the use of the giant plastic exercise ball, or as we call it... THE DEATH BALL [insert horror scream here].

I'd like to use this teachable moment to explain why you should take that plastic sphere and pulverize it. 

Take one high density furred chinchilla, and one mini greenhouse. Put them together for some fast action fun and-- voila!-- one overheated and possibly dead pet. 

Chinchillas don't regulate their body temperature well, especially when imprisoned in this chamber. (Really folks, they're not "having a lot of fun" in that ball. They're trying to get OUT.) Overheating can cause seizures, which can lead to irreparable brain damage or a surprisingly fast demise.

Don't take the chance. BAN THE DEATH BALL!

Bucky has a new friend!

Every now and then we get in a surrender who just steals our hearts. Bucky is one of those.  Bucky came to us more than a year ago from an owner who was heartbroken over her decision to let him go. But she knew that Bucky was unhappy where he was. He had started to chew his fur, and his owner felt the daycare center she had in her home was not conducive to a chin's happiness.

Our primary goal was to find him a gentle, same-gender friend to alleviate his stress. His first friend, Buffalo Bill (another fur chewer) and he got along well for many months...but Bill couldn't stand the temptation of being in the same room with females in heat. So he turned on Bucky. Buffalo Bill was adopted out as a single chin back during the Christmas season. Bucky had to resign himself to snuggling with his stuffed puppy until we could find him a suitable new friend.

Like people, chinchillas are social creatures and are much happier with a friend. (We strongly recommend that chins have a same-gender buddy unless they prove too aggressive to do so.)

Recently, a group of 8 chinchillas were surrendered as breeding pairs.  While we hate breaking up bonded pairs, we equally despise indiscriminate breeding!

Amid the group was an older male with a severe seizure disorder. His condition and gentle disposition made him a prime candidate to introduce to our Bucky.

Bucky and Methuselah have been together for a good , solid month now and are doing very well! We often find them snuggling and grooming each other, acting like lifelong friends. What a happy ending. :)