For the month of July, two (2) chinchillas were surrendered and two (2) chinchillas were adopted.  Last month we turned away a whopping 19 requests for surrender! We've found that our adoptions have dropped sharply since our lawyer stepped in to give our contract more "bite". So we're looking in to softening the rules at bit. Watch for upcoming changes in our contract and please, spread the word about adopting recycled pets.

Now, for those of you who already own a chinchilla or several, let us challenge your knowledge. We never take seriously those who claim to be long term chin owners. We have learned the hard way that radically different degrees of knowledge exist within the small subculture of those who own chinchillas (or any other animal for that matter). The internet is full of misinformation. We hope to dispel some myths and give good, sound reasons for our advice.

With that being said, we received an interesting email from someone this week who erroneously believed that vine chew toys were "treats". In a nutshell (no pun intended) a "treat" would be any food item that a chinchilla would not normally find in abundance in their natural habitat.

A chinchilla's natural habitat is high desert. Desert is a biome that simply refers to the degree of precipitation, not degree of heat! A desert biome grows vegetation that is high in fiber with very little moisture. So a chinchilla diet should also be high in fiber, low protein, with practically zero fats and sugars. If your chinnie is getting plump off of high sugar/ high fat treats, you run the risk of killing it with kindness by contributing to fatty liver disease. If you choose to purchase processed treats, at the very least be cognizant of the ingredients list! The closer to single ingredient items you can give, the better. The infamous pet store fare (certain flower-type green disks) generally contains a list of ingredients that clearly is NOT healthy for your pet.

With this in mind, we've made a handy-dandy food pyramid to show you the types and amount of foods your chinchilla should have. We would strongly prefer nothing from the uppermost level of the pyramid. This is the "treat" section. But if you must, remember: the smaller the section of the pyramid equals offering smaller amounts to your chin. 

The largest section at the bottom contains a list of food items that your chin can eat without restriction and is actually naturally healthy for them. Items from the lower portion of the list can excite your chin as a healthy alternative to treats if you hand feed them. It's all in the mindset. We know of one person whose chins get excited about wooden clothespins! So study the list, be smart and enjoy!

For the month of June, ten (10) chinchillas were surrendered and zero (0) chinchillas were adopted. We have a whole lot of folks interested in matchmaking, but the majority of our current chins are either already pair bonded or are too hormonal to house with another chin. What we desperately need are people who want to adopt and spoil. Please spread the word.

On a totally different note I wanted to share with y'all the appreciation we have for those of you who support our rescue through your store purchases. To help you out, here are some helpful tips we've gleaned regarding how to place a mail order to your best advantage.

How to place an order the smart way.

As a single mother of four, it became very important to learn ways to manage and save money. As an educator, I like to share that knowledge. Shipping costs are determined by the size, weight and distance the box has to travel. When we receive mail orders, sometimes a slight modification can save a lot on the cost of shipping. For example, the package deals we offer make the best use of flat rate boxes that contain heavy, dense items that are usually cheap to buy, but expensive to ship. In those boxes we've combined the most popular items packed in a way that would maximize the use of the space therein.

Size.

Items over 12 inches automatically require an oversized box. This means an oversized shipping cost, which may or may not be terrible. If size is coupled with heavy weight or distance, then the shipping cost naturally rises.  If the number of items ordered fills a box that is larger than 12"x12"x12", that is also considered "oversized."

Weight.

Heavy items such as pellets, dust, supplies by the pound, etc. can add a surprising charge to the shipping cost. Again, this is especially true if coupled with size or distance. Sometimes adding on a single bag of pellets to get an order to the minimum cost makes the shipping more expensive than the actual item! We have in the past let our customers know when certain items throw an order off when it comes to making the shipping affordable. Even though our recommendation to omit an item from an order results in a net loss to us, the peace of mind sharing the knowledge is priceless. 

Distance.

Orders coming in within 300 miles of our facility are generally fairly inexpensive to send. Certain major cities are also a less expensive delivery option because the shipping route for the post office is short and direct.

Combined orders.

Small orders placed often is actually more expensive to our customers in the long run. Monthly $30 minimum orders still carry the postal service base rate, plus the adjustments for size, weight, distance and handling. Sounds confusing, eh? Here's an example: one customer orders a bag of pellets, rosehips, hay cubes and cookies one month, then the next month an assortment of chew toys. Instead of paying shipping twice on two very different orders, by combining the basics with the chew toys the cost of shipping could have been the same as just shipping out the first box! The cost of the chew toys added on to the heavy items wouldn't make a substantial difference, but the cost of sending chew toys alone can nearly double the shipping price. Make more sense now?

Information ambushing.

Incoming emails are sorted according to priority or difficulty. Our favorite emails are adoption inquiries, but store orders rank a very close second. When an order is cleverly disguised as a request for basic chinchilla care questions, it's like throwing sand in Whimsy's gears. Likewise, the assurance of sending in an order "soon" after posing a difficult question really comes across as an empty promise. Once again, our website is chock full of information. It may take a little bit of digging, but so many gems of information are found along the way. ;)

Incomplete orders.

Whimsy is not a mind reader. Vague emails requesting "those red, round things" or "some" ledges are frustrating. Our website has pictures and item names, use them. We can get your package on its way much, much faster if we don't have to play email ping-pong asking for clarification. Also, please include the zip code or shipping address. The only address we know by heart is for Grandma and Grandpa.

I hope this information is helpful. With the above tips in mind, happy shopping! And no, we really don't ship live animals in boxes. :P

For the month of May zero (0) chinchillas were surrendered, and seven (7) chinchillas were adopted.  Finally! There is space enough to bring in a clothes washer and dryer again! At least, that was the goal. Earlier this month we received two different mixed family groups of chins (including babies) as transfers from other shelter facilities. *sigh* We're full again.

At this point we are seriously hoping to win the farm with the essay contest. HOWEVER, we learned recently that the tax hit will be huge on it. Talk is flying around of fees of about $160K or more. Well....that certainly is a lot less than a 600K mortgage! But it is far from "free".

Nevertheless, a farm at that rate is still a very good deal. Please keep us in your prayers and positive thoughts as we refine our essay for submission this week.  If submissions are turned in by July 1st, we're allowed an extra 1000 words in our write up. We're using that opportunity to expand our story.

If you want to help, enter the contest! It won't run unless there are close to 5000 entries. And yes! They will allow essay entries on behalf of another person or organization. *hint, hint* The contest ends in October with the winner announced around Thanksgiving time. Wouldn't winning Rock Spring Farm be something to be thankful for?

Please share the facebook link with your friends and family.   https://www.facebook.com/virginiahorsefarm?fref=ts

This week we received not one, but TWO requests for help from chinchilla owners with a cancer diagnosis. In both situations the owners were at a loss regarding what to do with their pets. Over the years I have known exactly one person who has put an emergency care plan in place to see to the needs of their animals. It's easy to assume family will step up to help, but are you sure they are not simply giving lip service?

We have taken in uncountable numbers of rescues of those who have gone ahead over the rainbow bridge.  We have also met some incredible people who have inherited pets this way and have welcomed them into their permanent home. To those of you who are the caretakers, thank you! To those who have never considered what to do in case of an ill-timed hospital visit or hospice care plans, please take this little note as an encouragement to do so. The future of your fur baby is in question.

For the month of March, zero (0!) chinchillas were surrendered and two (2) chinchillas were adopted. We have put a serious damper on intakes until we can reclaim some living space. As mentioned before, priority surrenders are given to those who have adopted our rescue chins and need to re surrender them. However, all of our specifications outlined in in link regarding the surrender process applies. Those who try to withhold the cage to recoup some of the costs are frustrating in the obvious disregard for the animal.

On a more positive note, we've learned of an amazing opportunity that can only be described as a dream come true. A couple living a couple of hours north of us are offering an essay contest to essentially give away their 35 acre farm. The property consists of 10 acres of fields and the remainder consisting of mature wooded areas complete with trails! That would provide ample acreage for our little zoo to grow our own hay and plant orchards to harvest wood for the chinnies!

Would you like to join me in the rest of our dream? The house on the property has 3 levels. The ground floor/ basement would make a fantastic chinchilla shelter where we could keep the cages of boys and girls in separate rooms. Even though chins can smell a female in heat for up to a mile away, having them in different rooms would be much less provoking. Also, having the chins on their own floor would make it much easier to contain the dust and bedding apart from our living space. AND, it would provide us with enough elbow room to set up cages of the "proper" size as holding cages for the rescues. Better still, for those chinchillas who actually come with their cages, the additional space would allow us to keep the chins in their permanent cages and adopt them as "complete with cage". Which would help reduce adoption stress.

The property has an over-sized workshop complete with heat and air conditioning. That would allow the perfect year around spot for Whimsy to do her woodworking in a place other than in the dining room and kitchen.  The 18th century cookhouse would make a fantastic place to process and dry the natural woods we use for our chew toys.

Since the property is relatively close, we could still continue our work with the special needs students who help assemble our toys.  Could you imagine the looks on their faces when they come for the year-end field trip to Whimsy's? 

Although we have our hopes set on winning the contest, it is open for everyone to try. The more people who enter, the higher the likelihood the contest will actually run. They would like to have at least 5000 contest entries. It requires an essay of no more than 1000 words (make sure to see the rubric for guidelines) and a $200 entry fee. The chances of winning are better then the lottery. ;) Get writing folks! Or at least say a little prayer for us.