We're beginning to gear up for the summertime here at Whimsy's Menagerie & Chinchilla Rescue. Now is the time when people move, go on vacation, and we generally have lots of inquiries into surrendering, boarding, and adopting chinchillas. We currently have approximately thirty (30) chinchillas who are available (or will soon be) for adoption with at least four (4) of them on hold. For the month of May, six (6) chinchillas were surrendered and seven (7) were adopted.

I'm sorry to say that one of the very sick chinchillas that came from North Carolina didn't make it. His nasal infection cleared up, his hair ring was taken care of, but he had malocclusion that was too far advanced to continue. At least he passed in comfort. RIP Ziggy. You were a sweetheart. 

Doing rescue work is full of challenges and excitement. We have the pleasure of helping both chinchillas and people with a need that is customized . Because we specialize in only chinchillas, we can provide very specific care for these exotic pets. Funding the work we do here comes from adoption fees, donations, and sales of cages, accessories and supplies. Which reminds me!

We have a new chinchilla toy! We've taken the ever-popular pumice stuffed willow ball, super sized it, and made a cool new chew. This rather galactic-looking hanging toy is the first of our line with a jingle bell. When I first heard that one of the surrenders "loves his bell" I was a bit confused and skeptical. But when I actually saw the little guy ringing and pawing his tinkling toy I was amused. We've since heard of at least two other chins with the same passion for bells. Is yours one of those? Would you like to try out our new toy and support our cause at the same time? Yes, this is a shameless sales pitch. But we wouldn't do it if we didn't care. ;) 

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!

Don'cha just love spring?

This is the time of year when fresh newness and regeneration happens. This is the time of year when we hear about orphaned and injured wildlife. Bunnies, squirrels, baby birds are all adorable, but taking care of them requires special consideration.

The folks who work as trained, certified wildlife rehabilitation experts have what it takes to care for these unfortunate little ones...not to mention the certain legal qualifications. 

If you find an orphaned or injured wild animal, don't make the mistake of assuming care for it yourself. Some soft-hearted people have actually killed the little ones with kindness by trying to feed these critters similar, but deadly wrong foods.

If you live in the Hampton Roads area, check out http://www.wildliferesponse.org/ and call 757-543-7000 for help.

Spring is in the air!

It's time to harvest wood for the chinnies and their toys. Lately we've been working on cutting and preparing apple, crabapple and pear woods to make new toys. I'm sure our neighbors wonder why we come home with our van full of branches!

It takes quite a bit of work to cut the pieces to size, boil, then bake the wood, but it's also a nice time to sit around, talk and laugh. We often find this chore a nice bonding time, kinda like knitting circles or bean snapping back when families used to do that sort of thing.

We're especially excited with the new "coins" we were able to make out of the larger branches. Look at what we've done!

Happy Monday, everyone!

I'm very pleased to announce that many caring individuals have stepped in with offers of help for the latest group of chinchillas that have come in. Some have adopted, some have donated cages, others have provided monetary cash donations towards extra feed. A warm and hearty thank you, especially to those who have followed through with their promises.

We've had a fun time helping new chins and new owners meet. For the month of January, fifteen (15) more chinchillas went off to new homes. That's a match of our high record in December!

So far this month, eight (8) chinchillas have gone to new homes. Our numbers are back to the pre-mass count, but we still have approximately 20 chins who need homes. During the recent wave of adoptions, some from the mass surrender were chosen, and some of our previous chins found new homes. In the meantime, other surrenders still continue to come in. Needless to say, we have lots to choose from.