Meet the Guest of Honor

This is Nimbus. 

He is a two-year-old chinchilla I adopted from the Georgia Chinchilla Rescue. His past is a questionable one. All I know is that he used to be a stud chinchilla for a breeder then ended up at the rescue. He had very little human interaction growing up and even less during the months leading up to his transition to the rescue. The breeder's mother became ill, and all the chinchillas were neglected. I adopted him in February and have become a member to the very bizarre, fascinating and frustrating world of chinchilla ownership.

Let me set a disclaimer. These blog posts will be full of funny stories, opinions and recommendations about and for owning a chinchilla. I am not a specialist. I am not a veterinarian. I am a just a young adult who owns a chinchilla offering advice, recommendations, opinions and a good tale or two about my personal day-to-day experiences with my beloved Nimbus. Take any product promotion as my own 

favoring of particular products due to failures with others. No companies have asked me or pay me to promote their food, cages, etc. Most of the information I relay about temperature, care and sickness can be found elsewhere on chinchilla rescue and care websites. I particularly trust Forever Feisty Chinchilla Rescue, which has a rigorous adoption and volunteer process in order to own or work with their animals. They also provide very detailed advice and care instructions for this very picky and delicate exotic animal. 

That being said, I hope you enjoy this rather overwhelming adventure with me. Apparently, Nimbus and I, if he remains the healthy, robust chinchilla that he is, have at least a decade more together as owner and pet. Perhaps, it will help your endeavor with your chinchilla(s) or persuade/dissuade you from owning your own. Honestly, with all the stories I've already racked up after Nimbus came into my life, I wonder if it is a good idea for anyone to own a chinchilla. I can tell you that they will teach you responsibility, time management, to make time for the simple things, how to lift a washing machine, how to bribe using raisins, the true meaning of "animal care" and endless amounts of patience. 

So, here we go!