The Birthday Dust Bath (Video)

Nimbus turned 3 yesterday, and for the first time in 20 days, he was allowed to have a dust bath!!!

Dr. Wall declared that Nimbus is 100% back to health, and I was overjoyed, almost jumping around the vet's office with excitement. I wasn't even bothered by the bill. They showed me the injury, and there was nothing but a round scab on Nimbus's arm, about the size of the tip of a pen! It's exactly what we wanted to see. No more medication, and no more vet visits!!

So with a clean bill of health, Nimbus celebrated his birthday with a huge bowl of dust!! There shall be more pictures and videos to follow. We had a great amount of fun last night!

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One More Day!

Nimbus's birthday is TOMORROW!!!! 

I cannot begin to explain how excited I am. I'm really hoping that everything goes well tomorrow at the vet. I don't know how I'll be able to handle getting more bad news. We've been waiting so long for this moment, and if I can't give Nimbus a dust bath tomorrow after the appointment, I might I will break down and cry! Most likely in the vet's office!

It's been a long, slow process of recovery. And in every single moment, Nimbus has been the bravest little chinchilla in the world. He's suffered through all the vet visits, all the medications and the surgery itself without turning against humanity into a sour, angry critter and never once faltered in his love for play time. If anything, he's friendlier and more tolerant of human interaction! With everything he went through, Nimbus never slowed down. He's an amazing creature.

I'm still deciding what I want to do tomorrow. His vet appointment isn't until - this is going to suck - 2:45 in the afternoon. Yes, a 2:45 appointment for a nocturnal animal. This could be the last straw for Nimbus!

In all honesty, I haven't really prepared for his birthday. I've had my head in the clouds trying to get this whole job situation in control. Sadly, I was unable to travel to Kentucky yesterday due to bad weather... which means I'm in a bad mood. I looked forward to that trip for a week because I really need a break from this town. The interview is rescheduled for the end of next week, so I do have that to look forward to. It's not a closed door, just a postponed one. In the meantime, I sit at home caring for Sansa as she tears up the house wanting to go outside. The post operation paperwork for her spay surgery says she can't go outside until Monday, but I don't know how much more I can take. During the day, I keep her from hurting herself by detaching her from the curtains hanging over the door window, which she climbs like a clawed monkey. Then, in the evenings before bed, I sit on the floor in front of the chinchilla cage to bodily block her from Nimbus when he's put up between play times. Furthermore, I found bloody diarrhea in the litter box this morning. I'm 99% sure it belongs to Sansa, but you never know when something goes wrong like we found out with Nimbus. So, it could be Sparta! I'm on the look-out for the culprit, and I'm praying it doesn't end in a vet visit.

We're certainly going to celebrate tomorrow with that huge dust bath (vet willing), but I wish I could give him something unexpected like a different type of hanging toy. Still, money is tight, and this town is small. There aren't a lot of choices for small pet products. Well, the only way to know is to get in the car and head to town.

To the store!!

* * * * 

I've just returned from the store with birthday paraphernalia in hand. I must have stood in the small pet aisle of our local little pet shop for over half an hour. There just isn't anything there for chinchillas. Well, there is, but it's not chin safe. There were treat mixes full of dry fruit and nuts. There were hanging toys with all sorts of dye and unlabeled woods. I thought about getting the Ball Pen, like a McDonald's play area filled with those colored balls, but they're made of plastic and I wasn't sure if Nimbus would even bother with it. Then, I looked at carriers because of the recent vet visits and we might be moving. According to the packaging, it's suggested that you buy a wire cage that fits inside as well as the carrier (I see what you did there, Super Pet!). Aside from the fact that the pet store didn't have any of the smaller cages, I couldn't afford to buy both anyway. In the end, I found a grass play mat right as I was headed for the door. What luck! It was a very reasonable price, and Nimbus's current play mat is a disastrous health hazard because he pees on it. This one is made for a full-grown rabbit. I plan to cut it into two and place one in the usual spot and the other on a lower level. 

I know he'll love it because he always loves a good play mat, but I was disappointed as I walked out of the store. I love to spoil my pets, and I wish I had the financial resources to do it. I promised myself that when I get a job, Nimbus will get the birthday gift he deserves for being my awesome "bunny squirrel." Also on the list of items to save up for once I get that awesome job is a larger cage. But, that comes much later. 

In the back of my head, I know Nimbus will be overjoyed just to have the dust bath. He doesn't need more things in his cage to know that I love him. For the past couple of days, I've noticed his fur is becoming oily and separating. That dust bath will be the ultimate gift, and I hope to score The Squeak of Happiness. 

Chris and I will also celebrate with a double fudge chocolate cake! I shall try my best to make a little chinchilla face on top, but let's not get our hopes up. Nimbus, meanwhile, will be presented with a raisin on a plate! And, he will think it is the greatest day ever!

Kiss Trick (Video)

 SIX MORE DAYS UNTIL NIMBUS'S BIRTHDAY!

To keep Nimbus engaged and create a stronger bond with him, I've started teaching him a new trick.

He's learning to kiss on command through a reward system of Cheerios. The first night (Jan 30)  we began training, Nimbus picked up it surprisingly fast. He could clearly see that there was a Cheerio in my hand, but he also noticed that he couldn't have that Cheerio until he completed a specific action. Earlier, he'd been sitting quite still on the couch arm, so I walked up and started pecking him on the lips. When Chris handed me Cheerios, I left my face close to Nimbus's and said "Kiss" repeatedly. It didn't take long before Nimbus put 2 and 2 together to win his favorite treat.

Since then, we've practiced it each night. Here's a video of our progression from this morning. We've also started working on "Up."

He doesn't yet understand performing a kiss without an type of reward before him. However, with the repetition of the word "Kiss," I'm hoping he'll store this word in his memory and learn its meaning. Just like he knows what "Nimbus" means.

* * * *

In other news, I'm excited to travel to the western side of Kentucky next week. I've never spent time in Kentucky before, only passed through on other excursions, and am looking forward to checking out the town of Paducah. It seems like a great little spot in the Central time zone. I have a job interview there at a newspaper for their open reporter position. Hopefully, the weather will behave, and I can make it out there safely. It'll be a nice mini vacation as I get to stay the night. However, I hate being away from Nimbus. It'll be his second to last night before his final check-up at the vet. We're counting down the days.

Also, (this may interest some of you), Chris and I are reading up on different animals every day. While I despised homework, I do miss walking into a classroom and learning something new. Whether Chris enjoys it or not, he gets to listen to me read about three different animals a day in alphabetical order. For me, the knowledge is key if I ever change career paths to work with wild animals like the big cats or canines in the future. I also enjoy reading up on mammals, birds, reptiles and so forth to appease my love of nature. If you'd like to keep up with us, here are Wikipedia links to the animals we read about: Aardwolf, African Buffalo, Akita, African Black Crake (bird), Alaskan Malamute, and Albatross. We clearly read more than usual. It's been a relatively slow day.

As always, thank you for reading!!! Nimbus is doing brilliantly well in his recovery, and we're hoping future posts have happy, funny stories instead of medical setbacks and updates. 

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A Turn for the Worst

My grandmother often complains about doctors and how they don't know anything helpful or accurate. She's dead certain that they're quacks, and in a small way, I believe her. I definitely felt this way heading to the emergency vet with Nimbus. Something just didn't sit right with me during the examination and after they handed him back to us. I should have trusted that feeling... Unfortunately, I was right.

Yesterday was supposed to be a happy day of celebration, dusts baths and relief. Nimbus was going to get his stitches out, and life would be restored to normal. No more corralling him on the bed. No more syringes with nasty medicine. No more stress.

Photo from http://scdocorg.files.wordpress.com

We entered our local vet to the great enjoyment of everyone there. Most had never seen a chinchilla nor petted its soft fur. Nimbus was a celebrity! One veterinarian assistant said, "I didn't know what it was until I looked it up on the Internet just now."

When Nimbus's fans settled down, Dr. Wall and two assistants held him down to examine his stitches... Except, there were no stitches!

Every single one had popped out, or Nimbus had taken them out. Not that it would have mattered if he did. By the size of Dr. Wall's frown, I knew REACH had messed up.

The wound was completely exposed. Although Chris and I had seen several stitches on Nimbus's arm two days before, they were gone now. The last one sat on the exam table with a tuft of fluffy gray fur attached to it. I had to turn away, and I began to feel my legs give way at the horrible sight of it. Nothing had healed. Nothing was better. We were right back the start of all.

Dr. Wall explained that REACH had used the wrong type of stitches, ones that require some very tight tying and glue to hold the knots in place. Dr. Wall insinuated that REACH should have known better and didn't understand why those were used. I had shelled out hundreds of dollars to that emergency vet with nothing to show for it except worthless medical assistance. In my opinion, REACH's only help was discovering Nimbus didn't have a sprained or broken leg. Everything else was shredded money.

Photo from chinchillaclub.com

Dr. Wall wanted the wound to remain open instead of putting Nimbus through stitches again. By looking at the cut, he noticed that there was healthy pink tissue regenerating and that the injury should scab over and heal on its own. He prescribed us two weeks of antibiotics - here we go again with that one - and scheduled us an appointment for next Tuesday.

"If the wound starts to open more, you need to bring him back in," he said.

As I carried Nimbus in the cat carrier out to the car, I didn't feel the biting winds and finger-aching cold. I was already numb from such disappointment, stress and worry. I couldn't believe it. I also felt an overwhelming, choking anger boiling up my throat. The wrong stitches??? THE WRONG STITCHES?!?! What does that even mean, "the wrong stitches??" If that's the reputation of those stitches, that they need glue to just hold the knots in place, why on earth were they used on my chinchilla in the first place??!?!?!

Angry and in tears, the ride home was very silent.  I put Nimbus back in his cage, told him to go to sleep and get some rest, then went out into the living room to stare at a wall. My mind tried to process this tragedy, this horrible mistake. Dr. Wall said he'd need 2 more weeks of recovery time with medication through syringe twice a day! No dust bath. No playtime. When he said no playtime, I stood up.

"He has to be able to play," I said. "A chinchilla's health and happiness depend on him being able to run around and explore."

I said this to Chris later, "If anything, Nimbus is going to hurt himself more by trying to get out of the cage and throwing tantrums by flying around and banging against the walls."

Dr. Wall relented, thankfully. However, Nimbus will no longer play in my room or on the bed. Instead, we have created the perfect, safe chin play area we possibly could in the living room. No more running into the kitchen. No more jumping up on the bookshelf. No more sneaking behind the couch, thanks to a lot of cardboard alcohol boxes Chris picked up from the ABC store. Nimbus can hop around on the carpet, chew on his toys, and that's it! Still, he can't have a dust bath. There's no way we can allow Blue Cloud dust to get into that open injury.

Photo from annarboranimalhospital.com

That afternoon, Chris went to pick up the medication. However, the WalMart pharmacy said they didn't have it.

"But, the vet called me this morning and told me it was ready," I told Chris on the phone.

Still, there was no medication. This morning on my way out the door, I called the vet again.

"Yes, my chinchilla Nimbus was prescribed medication by Dr. Wall yesterday. When we went to pick it up, WalMart didn't have it."

"Ok," replied the receptionist. "I'll take care of that. I'll call them right now."

Six hours later, Chris returned to the gigantic chain store to pick up the medication. The pharmacy said they didn't have it. So, I called the vet again. They answered that WalMart had told them it was ready to be picked up. My temper started to flare. On the phone, I sharply told Chris to get aggressive and get that medication.

Poor Chris stood in line and at the counter trying to convince these people they had Nimbus's medication for 30 minutes! Once again, we encountered the chinchilla conumdrum. I think there needs to be a Chinchilla Awareness campaign. The guy helping Chris had no clue what a chinchilla was or why we were giving it a generic form of bactrim. Finally, they located our medication. And, here's why it was missing for two days:

Yeah, that's not how you spell my last name.

What Chris should have said to the pharmacy was, "I know with complete certainty that there is no other medication back there prescribed to the first name of Nimbus. Can you please search for Nimbus?"

It's just been roadblock after roadblock. At this point, I just want Nimbus to get better. Please, please, let him get better. I want my beautiful chinchilla to be happy and healthy again, to be able to roll around in his beloved dust bathtub, to scamper through the house, to use the bedroom door in order to "wall surf." He acts fine, but what if it gets infected? What if he suddenly becomes sicker in the middle of the night? I can't take him back to REACH. I would never. And, there's only so much money left in my bank account. What if that runs out before he gets better? How do you choose between not spending money and your pet's life? My mind can't stop reeling from all the "What ifs?" At this rate, both Nimbus and I will be sick, one from an injury and the other from stress.

Photo from clipartof.com

So What Happened to Nimbus?

There's a poll going on to the right of your screen that asks what you think happened to Nimbus. His accident of a cut under his arm which required stitches is still a completely mystery. There are several different scenarios I can come up with, but each one of them has some sort of loophole that doesn't add up.

The night at REACH Animal Hospital was a crazy blur of events that I'd rather forget. There wasn't time to ask as many questions as I'd have liked about what was going on. Instead, it was lot of paperwork being shoved my way requesting permission for the next procedure and verifying that I understood how much the cost would go up if I did sign. So, I sent an email to Dr. Gibson on Sunday asking specific questions.

1. What did the cut look like exactly?
2. Were there other scrapes around it, like what a cat's paw would leave behind?
3. Why didn't we see any blood at home or on the way to REACH?
4. Was the cut deep or just on the surface?
5. How many stitches did it take?

Today, I got a response.

"I'm so glad to hear that Nimbus is doing well. The laceration could have been from a cat claw, a sharp piece of metal, or something similar. Chinchillas have very fragile skin. There is no way to know what caused it. There was exposed muscle under the cut but the cut was just through the skin. Most cuts don't bleed a lot unless a large blood vessel is cut as well."

Well, now I know the extent of the injury, but I'm back at square one. I can't just bubble wrap the entire house, so what do I do? I must closely examine the situation.

Scenario A: Sansa the cat made a grab at him. As much as I may want to put the blame on Sansa, I don't think she's the culprit. To blame Sansa is the easy way out. It relieves any guilt I will feel when I do give her up to a new home. However, I can't imagine how she would have made such a cut. From that night, I remember that Nimbus was out playing. When he was put up for a break, Sansa was let out of Chris's bedroom. She made an attempt at swiping at Nimbus, so she was promptly locked up again. I can't remember if she actually touched the cage, but if she had, she would have hit Nimbus's left side. His cut is on the upper part of his right arm. The cut starts on one side of his bicep then travels underneath the arm where the scapula connects to the humerus in humans (I don't know if chinchilla bones go by the same name). So, basically, his armpit. Now, how could Sansa have possibly stuck her claws into the cage, raked Nimbus's skin under his upper arm (which is typically buried deep into his thick chest fur) and on his right side?? When Nimbus sits on his lava ledge, he exposes his left side to the front cage wall. If he showed his right side, his face would be right up against the right cage wall. And unless Nimbus was pressed firmly against the cage wall, Sansa would not be able to get her claws close enough to lock under his arm like that. So, there's that.

Sansa in the snow yesterday.

Scenario B: He cut himself on his cage.This is the only plausible explanation I can come up with. So, his cage is made of metal... all metal. Looking at the actual cage itself, Nimbus would have cut himself on one of two things: the latches that hold the door closed or the rings that keep the cage together. At first glance, nothing seemed to be out of place. But, when Chris and I looked again a few days later, we saw some rings that weren't put on properly. Thanks for that, my darling ex... Anyway, to put on these little metal rings, you need a special tool that is shipped with the cage from Martin's Cages. Securing the rings is - excuse my language - an absolute bitch of a job! And if you're sick and tired of doing it... then you tend to slack off and just get it around the bars enough to where the walls will stay together. Should the rings not be fully tightened, the sharp edges are left exposed, pointing inside and outside the cage. I hope that makes some sense. (We just returned from the stitches-removing vet visit, and it did not end well... I'm a bit frazzled at the moment.) So, if one of the rings were exposed and Nimbus reached up with his arms against the cage wall, as he does regularly to get my attention, it is possible that when he brought his arm down that he caught a ring underneath his right arm and cut himself. But, we just saw the wound today clearly at the vet. It is right up under his armpit. To go that far back into his arm would mean that Nimbus plastered himself against a cage wall and dragged himself down back to the floor instead of pulling back and collecting his paws together like normal. Another loophole to this idea is that the rings hold together the walls and floors. How would a chinchilla stick his body that close to the corner of a cage to injure his arm? Same thing with the door latches, but they curve downward. If he were to cut himself on the door latch, the injury would have been on the top of his arm. I just... Argh, this is frustrating!

The door latches on Nimbus's cage, which is currently in its recovery set-up

Scenario C: The sharp edge of a toy. What if Nimbus jumped up to the third level of his cage (technically the fourth floor) and caught his arm on the corner of his Chinchiller? Sometimes, the Chinchiller hangs off the edge the top floor just a little. Could he have cut his underarm on the corner of the granite slab as he jumped up to sit on it? Chris is now examining the Chinchiller. No, it's too dull as we discovered. Chris raked the corner of the Chinchiller across his arm. Oh dear gosh, I pray he never does that again! I feel woozy now. While the Chinchiller may be a possibility, it's still unlikely. Looking at his other toys, none of them have sharp edges because that'd be dangerous. He has his hanging chew toy, two wooden logs, a Chinnie Buddy, hay play mat aaannnddd, yeah, that's it. He also has a beloved plush rabbit puppet, but of course, that's soft and cuddly. I've got nothing, absolutely nothing!

Nimbus sitting on his Chinchiller. A bad photo, I apologize.

Scenario D: He did it to himself. I'm not even sure what I mean by that. Is it possible for him to accidentally cut himself with his teeth? Surely, Nimbus would realize how much pressure to apply while grooming himself. So, I'm throwing out Scenario D completely.

Scenario E: He cut his arm on an object in his play area. I have scowered every corner of the living room and kitchen. I found nothing. I found nothing!! At first, I suspected the keys on the "Random Objects Table." But, the cut would have been jagged and needed a significant amount of pressure to cause such a wound as Dr. Gibson described. It couldn't have been the bookshelf, the DVD tower, any of the cat toys, the couch, the dining table, his dust bathtub, the dining chairs, the television, the cat food bin, and we pick up all of our belongings off the floor. Now, if he somehow escaped into the bathroom, well then, it couldn't be the toilet paper package, the paper towel package, the litter box or the toilet. I'm running out of objects in the house. My second gut feeling belonged to the cat tree, which Nimbus can run under and will occasionally jump on the first level. He comes in contact with five of the actual scratching posts. The rope circling the posts are held together by staples and glue. I've had to replace one post because of deterioration and exposure of the staples (see lighter scratching post in photo below). The other posts are safe. I ran my hands over all the posts that Nimbus is around. I felt no staples, no sharp edges, nothing that could hurt him.

Sparta's cat scratching tower

There must be something that I'm missing, some scenario that's staring me right in the face. I pray it's not his cage, the one place he spends the most time. And, I certainly hope it wasn't one of us, though how we scratched him doesn't draw any likelihood in my mind. Which leaves only one question, the one question I've been asking myself constantly and posting in this blog repeatedly: How do I keep Nimbus safe from harm when I can't find the source?

Taken by Chris

Heading to the Vet (Video)

Notice how happy and excited we are on the way to the vet. It's Day 10, and Nimbus was going to get his stitches out. As I try to put him in the carrier, you can hear his angry, defensive noise. However, the trip back from the vet was not so happy. Actually, it was very silent and involved a lot of tears.

Nimbus is still alive and quite alert. However, we hit a huge snag in his recovery. We're looking at another 2 weeks. I'll explain in a second post. Meanwhile, here's us heading to the animal hospital 15 minutes up the road. If you can't view the video, try this link that will take you directly to it on YouTube.

Recovery Playtime (Video)

Wow!! I'd just like to say a huge thank you to all the readers! 1,021 hits as I'm typing this!! That's huge for such a young blog, and I thank you!!! I hope you all have found these posts useful or have at least fallen in love with Nimbus as much as I have. He's a great little guy, and he's provided me with lots of love, entertainment and funny stories.

Here's a video of his recovery playtime sessions. He's supposed to stay on the bed. Notice I said "suppose to." As seen in this video, that's clearly not what happens. However, it's fairly easy to get him back onto the bed or into his cage. He seems to know not to let himself get too winded. You can just see that his front right leg is shaved. Also, this morning was the last time taking the pain killer/anti-inflammatory medication. The other meds will end tomorrow, but he actually seems to enjoy taking them now. I think they're supposed to taste like cherry or something fruity. Even after the syringe is empty, Nimbus will still suck at it for a minute. It's actually quite adorable.

So, here he is running around on the bed right after taking his medication. He's clearly sick of having only a full-sized bed to play on. Only 4 more days!!!!

P.S. Sorry about the shaky video. It's so hard to keep up with him! I took it on my iPad mini.

 

Recovery Update

Nimbus is doing well these days. Tomorrow, he will take the last of his pain killers/anti-inflammatory medication. The antibacterial will end on Monday evening. Last night, we noticed his purple stitches were more prominently showing, and Chris suggested that as the wound closed that they were being pushed out. But, I'm worried that he's messing with them. We can't watch him 24/7, but what if he does pull them out? We'll be back to where we started. It's just a headache.

He gets his stitches taken out on Thursday at 8:45 a.m. So, we have just under a week left to go. I've been slowly adding features back into his cage. Yesterday morning, I screwed in his pink lava ledge, which he's been very appreciative of. I also moved his metal hay holder, which dangles from the ceiling on a chain, to its normal location beside the lava ledge. He loves sitting up there, munching on hay. I also placed his Chinchiller back on the top floor next to his cuddle ledge. Gradually, his life is returning to normal. Personally, I believe the faster the better, but I don't want him to become overwhelmed.

For not taking a full body dust bath, his fur is surprisingly fluffy and clean. I'm sure he's grooming himself more without that dust bath. Furthermore, I know I complained earlier about losing our bond because I was sick and had to stay away from him. I shouldn't have complained. This injury has brought us closer together, but if that's what it took for him to bond, then I'd rather have never bonded at all. At least then he would have stayed safe and healthy.

Nimbus recovering.  His lava ledge and hay feeder are on the right.

The World of Chin Toys - The Best and Safest

Hey, everyone! I'm sorry I'm so late with this post. I clearly was not expecting Nimbus to be injured... how can anyone expect that? It's still such a shock to me. I can't figure out what happened, and I grow more frustrated every minute.

Nimbus is doing much better and takes his medicine easier. I think he now expects it, which breaks my heart. I hate holding him down for Chris to shove those hard syringes past his teeth. Luckily, he drinks it down instead of trying to spit it back at Chris. He spends the day sleeping in various spots in his cage and listening to his playlist. Some songs include "Coyotes" by Don Edwards, "Message for the Queen" from 300, "I Remember" by Stephen Sondheim, "Maybe Today" by Carbon Leaf and "Ribs" by Lorde.

I promised you all a post about safe toys for a chinchilla after leaving you hanging with poisonous toys. So here we are at last. I'll try to separate toys from cage accessories, but some go hand-in-hand.

The Oxbow Timothy products are wonderful toys to entertain and chew for chinchillas. Nimbus's first house was a Timothy bungalow. Now, it serves as a toy since he chewed himself a "sun roof." He enjoys sliding into the bungalow then popping his head out of the opening to survey his surroundings. He's like a chinchilla submarine. Try the lounger, the carrot, the play mat, the tunnel and other cool toys that your chin can nibble away at... instead of, you know, your copy of The Hobbit or your suede shoes. Many are considered toss toys and can be used in and outside the cage.

Nimbus's bungalow

Ware Willow Barbell Chew Toys are inexpensive and fun. Two balls of willow are woven together and attached by a willow stick. They come in different sizes to use for chinchillas, hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits.

Any type of nesting toy like a chubby nest or lounger should be safe and also offer another chewing product to maintain healthy teeth. Just double check what type of hay is used. Timothy hay is the only hay that should be used in a chinchilla's staple diet. Other hays, like alfalfa, are to be used as treats, not everyday food. If you choose a toy made out a hay other than Timothy, you need to use to sparingly.

One of my favorite toys is the woven play mat by Super Pet. At only $5, the play mat provides your pet with three things. The first is that it's made of Timothy hay for more chewing. Secondly, little wooden stars and hearts are sewn into the mat for a different type of chewing. Finally, it's a great place to sleep. Nimbus loves rolling on his side and taking a nap on his mat. If your chin soils it, the mat is easy to cut. Nimbus's is missing a corner because he used it to pee on it too much. Now, it's safe for him to use again. He's on his second mat because he loves them so much.

Photo from petsmart.com/product

Hanging toys are great for entertainment, keeping those ever growing teeth in check and decorating your cage. Nimbus's favorite hangs down by a wooden hook and boasts one pumice stone and four wooden circles. I dangle it beside the top floor of his cage, so he can bat it around and exercise in order to chew it. The pumice stone is his favorite, which is great because he refuses to eat a regular pumice stone. That boxy rock just sits in his cage. Very annoying! Chinchilla City has some very interesting hanging toys, including the "chinshroom," which is half of a coconut shell and a vine stem, The Carnival, Pumice Wreath and Loop the Loop. TJ's Chinchilla Supplies also has fun, decorative variations. Chins want to do more than chew on a willow stick or nibble on a pumice stone. With hanging toys, they are presented with a challenge, which usually includes different types of chewing material.

The Alien from TJ's Chinchilla Supplies

If you'd like to help out chinchilla adoption agencies and rescues, you can always check your favorite site to see if they have a store. As you all know, I love Forever Feisty Chinchilla Rescue. I just love them! I trust their information, and they have a wonderful little store. For $16, you can get a Purple Pail of Goodies. In this pail you'll find, treats, chewing sticks of different woods, a wreath, a key chain for you, Timothy hay and a pumice stone. They carry lava ledges, Timothy twists, some toss toys, hanging toys like the Cactus Twist, baskets and a large willow cube.

Chinny Buddies!!!! It's fun to say, and they're just adorable! I said in a previous post that Nimbus doesn't enjoy his... well, more for me! I love it! It's just too cute. Pick one of five colors to either match your furry friend or give the cage a splash of of something new. They're the same size as a chinchilla (there are also mini Chinny Buddies), and each one is handmade out of fleece. If you can't purchase a bonding pair, this little playmate can provide company during the day when you're not around. However, Nimbus choose a different kind of companion, but that's a story for another day.

Nimbus and his Chinny Buddy

Then there are playhouses!! Let's bust out the fun outside the cage with mazes, ramps, boxes, cubes, tubes and oh so many places to hide. Twilight Chinchillas has some very innovative playhouses to get that lazy chin moving, chewing and exploring. Hide Cheerios in the tubes or purchase additional ramps from other stores to create your own unique chinchilla castle!!

I hope these products give you ideas and options of fun toys your chinchilla will enjoy. Just because they can't be colorful with a bunch of dyes and plastic doesn't mean you have to settle for colorless, plain wooden woven balls or chew sticks. There is an entire world of chin safe toys and activities to keep both of you entertained and help with bonding. Happy trails and enjoy!!

The World of Chin Toys - The Poisons and Death Traps

PLAY TIME! I love picking out toys for my pets. Sadly, my pets are never as excited about the toys as I am (except when it comes to Sparta and his cat nip), but I feel like I'm buying presents for myself. Own up! You love that you get to play with them, too, while spending time with your animals. The other day I came home with a flyer toy for Sparta and Sansa, which has interchangeable ends like the feathers, the streamers and the fuzzy tail. I hope I explained that toy right. I feel like I've only created a vague image. However, it is a fascinating toy as Sansa will do back flips in the air trying to catch the feathers or fuzzy tail. It also helps distract her from Nimbus's cage at night.

For chinchillas, toys have specific regulations for safety reasons. Chinchillas have such sensitive digestive systems that many toys found in Petsmart or other pet stores which have chinchilla images on them are actually very dangerous for them. Chew blocks with dyes and specific treats will more likely hurt them than create fun play time. I'm going to take a random, unnamed super pet store and go through some of their products. This means I cannot post links, but I will post links to safe, entertaining toys from chinchilla specific stores in a future post.

Not to Buy:

No, no, no! Photo from wag.com

1. Run-around balls - According to Forever Feisty Chinchilla Rescue, these are death traps. Not only are they made of plastic, which if eaten by a chinchilla is a health hazard, but they are suffocating. "I call it the 'Torture Ball', but many in the chinchilla community call it the 'Death Ball'. Get the picture? These balls do not allow air flow (despite the slits), and your chin can easily overheat. They are very unsafe for your chin. Your chin also poops and pees in them, which means that is getting tossed around as he is moving around. The chin also has no control when in one of these and can bang into furniture or fall down stairs. For those of you who have one of these and think your chin likes it, well -- he doesn't, he is trying to escape from it. Throw it away and find a better and safer way for your chin to get exercise." I didn't mean to quote this whole paragraph, but it's beautifully written and 100% true. 
2. All Living Things Rainbow Chews - This goes back to the fact that dyes are dangerous. They are advertised as "non-toxic," but they also boast fruit flavors. Where do the fruit flavors come from? Also, chinchillas don't eat fruit (although some suggest that a seedless apple piece on a rare basis is a cute treat idea). 
3. Super Pet Silent Spinner - I tried to use one of these with my hamster, and she absolutely despised it. With one side of the product blocked off with a wall, the side can rub on the side of the animal. Feisty Chinchilla points out that some buyers reviewed the product poorly due to "the wheels coming off the bearing. These are very poor quality overall and a safety risk to your chin and a waste of your money. Other unsafe running wheels are: Comfort Wheel by Super Pet and Run-A Rounds Exercise Wheel, which should never be given to your chin." 
4. Specific types of wood - Natural chews are, of course, made from different types of wood. Those types which can hurt a chin include "almond, apricot, beech, black locust, black lotus, blackwood, box elder, buckthorn, cashew, cedar, cherry, chestnut, china berry, Chinese snake tree, chokeberry, citrus woods - orange, lemon, grapefruit, etc., cypress, ebony, elderberry, eucalyptus, fir, ginkgo, hemlock, holly, honey, locust, hydrangea, juniper, kumquat, laurel, mahogany, mango, manufactured/glued woods like plywood or fiberboard, maple, mesquite, myrtle," according to TJ's Chinchilla Supplies. 
5. Cardboard from household products - Watching your chin nibble and roll around with a toilet paper tube may be adorable, but it's dangerous for two reasons. First, the cardboard is harmful to their digestive systems. Also, their heads may get caught in the small tubes. How would you get them out? By trying to slide a scissor blade between the chinchilla head and toilet paper roll? Or, take a knife and try not to cut too deep?
6. Plastic - Igloo homes, colored tubes and the fun constructive activity toys usually made for hamsters and gerbils are pure poison to a chin tummy. That goes for household items, too. Move the broom. Put the remote control on high counter. Ours sit on top of the DVD organizer where he can't reach... well, most of the time. Nimbus once climbed up the DVD organizer by pressing his feet against the DVDs and the wall to shimmy his way to the top. Never underestimate the power of chins! Hide your tennis shoes. Keep electrical cords out of reach with special covers or hidden spots. Our couch blocks the new ethernet cord, and the television cords are bundled together behind the TV. We can easily see if Nimbus pops between the TV and react quickly to get him out. Don't purchase a plastic water bottle. Move your cell phone. Yes, they'll go after everything.
7. Certain metals/fabrics - Brass, copper and zinc are not to be brought into a chinchilla's play area. Finally, cotton and leather are dangerous as well. So, pick up your sexy thigh-high leather boots. Plus, you don't want chisel teethmarks on the edges of your favorite party shoes. Believe me! I've made that mistake. My favorite work shoes look like I took a dull spoon and dug into the toe.

A happy, natural chinchilla environment. Photo from test.seocasestudy.org

A Near Loss

Yesterday, right before I wrote my post about introducing Sansa and Nimbus outside of the cage, a horrible incident took place.

Nimbus was playing in the hallway next to the washing machine and dryer.  My roommate Chris suddenly decided that he needed something from his room, the same room where Sansa is locked up while Nimbus is playing. Sitting on the couch, I heard a loud "Shit!" then saw a blur of brown fur followed by a human run across the living room, into the kitchen and down the hallway. Normally, I wouldn't get up on such an occasion but look on, knowing that Chris could handle the situation. But something was different this time, and I flew off the couch right as I heard a loud, angry hiss from the cat then Chris, with the beast in hand, shouldered past me. I immediately scrambled to find Nimbus.

Chris feeding Nimbus a cheerio

"Where is he?" I shouted. 

"He's under the washer," answered Chris. 

Bending down, I could barely make out Nimbus's form in the dark because he was so far in the back. I started making soft shushing noises, trying to convince him that everything was ok. But, he was having none of it. Instead, he began releasing a harsh barking noise, which means "I'm scared, and if you come near me, I'm going to bite." I was furious and stood to face an embarrassed-looking Chris.

"CHRIS! WHAT THE HELL WAS SO IMPORTANT??" I shrieked, referring to the object he retrieved from his room.

He mumbled something, and I told him the lift the washing machine. Still barking, there was no way to convince Nimbus the danger was gone. I pulled Nimbus out and wrapped him in the only thing I could find: a Santa Claus hat from Christmas. Safe in my arms and nuzzled in the hat, I nearly began to weep at what could have been a very different scenario. If Chris had been a few seconds late or if Nimbus hadn't seen Sansa coming, I'd be cuddling my dead or dying chinchilla. 

After stroking him, giving him a treat to calm and distract him and locking him up in his cage, I turned on Chris. 

"What was so important that it couldn't wait until Nimbus was put up?" I screamed. 

"I had to get my charger."

"Really? And you didn't know that Sansa was right there in front of the door the whole time? I knew that. She's had her paws sticking out from under the door since you put her up!!"

"I didn't know. I'm so sorry, Lex. I didn't mean to." 

"Why didn't you just put up Nimbus if you had to go in there? What if she had gotten a hold of him? It would only take a few seconds!"

There's a moment when someone makes a mistake, a honest and innocent mistake, that could have ended with horrible, irreversible consequences. And because it wasn't you who made the mistake, you take it out on the person who did. No, Chris wasn't being as careful and observant as he should have been, but he's managed to keep Sansa back on other occasions when he's needed to get into his room. On the other hand, I constantly rag on him about going in his room while Nimbus is out playing in case a situation happened like the one we experienced last night. Upset and furious, I really let Chris have it. I refused to let him touch me and remained stressed out the rest of the night. I remember feeling Nimbus's soft fur as I held him close to calm him down. For once, he didn't struggle or try to get out of my hands. He stayed close to my chest and let me console him after the traumatic event. 

It really put things in perspective. I'm very guilty of getting so frustrating with this little animal that I've wondered if I've made a mistake in adopting him. I imagine how much free time I would have not having to clean his cage. I try to remember what life was like before all of my belongings had chew marks on them and what a dropping-free floor looks like. But last night was that wake up moment, the minute you realize just how special your different pets are. May I never have to experience a wake up call like that again because I was taking Nimbus for granted or wanting my chinchilla-free life back. I couldn't be able to handle losing my Nimbus, especially so quickly after he came into my life. It's really making me look harder at the whole Sansa situation, and I believe I have convinced Chris to keep her if (but hopefully when) I move for a job. Otherwise, me alone in a new town with 3 pets will end in a disaster of stress and frustration for everyone. And, it'll be Sansa who will take the blame.

Nimbus and his safe kitty friend Sparta

Nimbus vs. Sansa Part 1

Previously, I talked about the friendship between Nimbus and my cat Sparta. They have an interesting but safe relationship with each other that involves easy play and just coexisting with each other. And then, we have Sansa.

Sansa, also known as Princess Sansa from Game of Thrones, is a stray that walked up to the door the week of Thanksgiving. After my graduation on December 14, Sansa started spending the night in the house as the temperature just plummeted outside. I have a huge heart for animals, if that's not clear, and I couldn't stand the thought of this older kitten sitting outside in the cold all night. I just can't take it. So, she began coming in at nights and returning outside in the mornings. She's just the sweetest kitty in the world, and while I'm trying to find her a permanent home, we've become quite attached to her.

Some intense kitty yoga by Sansa

Even Sparta, who doesn't enjoy the company of other cats, has fallen in love with her. They tussle on the floor, sleep next to each other in the sun, and he'll even bathe her face on occasion. They're just the cutest couple, and I'm worried that if she sticks around much longer that Sparta will be the one suffering from the confusion of "But, where's Sansa?" when we find her a home.

There are two big problems with Sansa, however. 1) She eats everything, which means we can't leave Sparta's food out for him because she'll gobble it up. Not only can I not afford all the extra food that she'd suck down, but it also means Sparta has to fight for his food. 2) She is desperate to eat Nimbus!!!

So far, we've tried several methods in order to keep Sansa away from or ignore Nimbus hopping about in his cage. They are never allowed to interact with each other when Nimbus is playing outside his enclosure, except in the video below.

1. Spraying water with the squirt bottle: This is my preferred disciplinary method for the cats. They, of course, hate the water and soon learn that if you don't want to get wet, don't repeat the bad behavior. However, Sansa can be as stubborn as Nimbus sometimes. This works 5 out of 10 times.
2. Cage covers: It's important to place a dark sheet around your chinchilla cage in order to give your pet a sense of security. When Sansa's around, we occasionally add an extra blanket to block her view. Still, she knows he's in there and will sneak under or around the blanket and sheet. This works 3 out of 10 times.
3. Play time: To distract Sansa, we have begun pulling out toys, especially "flyer" toys, to change her attention to something she actually can "hunt" and "attack." Depending on how active Nimbus is, this works 7 out of 10 times.
4. Less access: Now, Nimbus's cage doesn't stay in the living room all day. Instead, his cage is moved into my bedroom with the door shut where he can sleep in complete darkness, not deal with Sansa and have more peace and quiet. His cage returns to its normal spot in the living at about 6:30-7 p.m. 
5. Can they be friends, too: I'm hoping that if Sansa sees Nimbus less as food and more of a pet that plays around the house, she'll lose her appetite. Sansa, though, is just under a year old and has an unbelievable amount of energy! It's like living with a Bengal. We can play with her and play with her, and I've never seen her at the point of exhaustion. She could go for hours. Hers is not the type of personality that Sparta possesses, which means she's going to see Nimbus more as a toy. If Sansa is going to remain part of the family as I refuse to put her in a shelter, she has to learn that Nimbus is not something to bat around. 

So, now, we're slowly introducing Sansa to Nimbus outside of the cage. Here is our first attempt working with them. As you can see, I am holding Sansa not only in a harness but also with a Thundershirt. A Thundershirt is a pretty awesome product that helps with stress, fear of thunderstorms, seizures and several other types of behaviors for both cats and dogs. The heavy cloth wraps twice around the body and once around the neck, which makes a secure hugging feeling and limits movement. Do not try if with your own pets! Unless you are willing to take the chance of having an animal get injured or you know how to properly restrain a cat, you need to think about other methods for happy coexistence in the household. If anyone has any other suggestion, please, please message me!! I'd love to hear from you and get some new ideas. Honestly, it's becoming a problem and if it comes down to keeping Sansa vs. Nimbus's safety, I'm going to choose Nimbus. He was here first, this is his house, and it is easier to rehouse a cat than a chinchilla. So here goes our first attempt:

The Cullowhee Crud

This weekend, I've been absolutely heartbroken because I can't play with my Nimbus.

Two days ago, I developed a horrible cough to where my lungs are hurting in a matter of minutes when I wake up (that's if I'm getting any sleep at all) from coughing and hacking so hard. In our college town, we have something known as The Cullowhee Crud. Any sneezing, coughing, hacking, sniffling, nose blowing, head spinning, nasty feeling sickness is referred to as The Cullowhee Crud, which includes (but is not limited to) a hardcore common cold, bronchitis and the regular flu. There's also an illness known as the Catamount Flu, which is a completely different scenario. It refers to the middle of the college semester when everyone is sick of their classes and is exhausted of their professors. Usually, it hits two weeks before Spring Break. I discovered that my version of The Cullowhee Crud is an upper respiratory infection. I feel horrible, unable to catch my breath during coughing fits, swimming in throes of nausea and sleeping about 1-2 hours a night as I battle my coughing. Thankfully, the doctor I saw today gave me several suggestions to help me heal, which couldn't come at a better time. I have a Skype job interview on Monday and another interview on Thursday, one that involves 2 and a half hours of driving one way. But, all of this means, I'm not allowed near Nimbus until I'm better.

My poor roommate/on-and-off-again boyfriend is now forced to take over chinchilla duties - something I'm not happy about. But, not because Chris can't take care of Nimbus. I'm scared that Nimbus and I will take huge steps backward because our bond will lessen. Chris will become his provider by feeding him, interacting with him and cleaning up after him. I, meanwhile, have to sit on the sidelines and watch from a distance because I don't want my cold transmitting to Nimbus's little lungs. You should never breathe directly on your chinchilla because they find human breath "offensive." I'm not kidding! But when you have a cold or the flu, this can be extremely dangerous because chinchillas can catch a respiratory infection from you.

Chris at Crane Beach, MA. He's a brilliant photographer and computer science major.

For Nimbus's safety, I am no longer handling the food he eats, the bowls he eats it from or providing direct contact. It means I can't pick him up and hold him like he's used to. This really upsets me because I don't want Nimbus to replace me as his primary owner with Chris, who is now doing the majority of the interacting.

Now, Chris would rather play with the cats than with Nimbus. I think he finds Nimbus very frustrating because he can be very stubborn and has destroyed some of Chris's belongings like his cell phone case and a few chargers. Although Chris should know better than to leave such objects within Nimbus's reach (nudge, nudge), he's still learning just how many places Nimbus can get to and how important it is to pick up around the house. I've lived with Nimbus since last February, and Chris moved in last October. He's a 21-year-old guy and isn't used to constantly picking up his stuff, particularly in a timely manner. I don't have to go after and pick up the house, but his room is an utter disaster!! It's gotten better, but still... it's a mess, and sometimes he leaves chewable items around in the living room. It's even more frustrating now because I can barely leave the couch, and Chris is responsible for getting up every time Nimbus gets in trouble like gnawing on a hidden cat toy or sneaking his way behind the couch. It only takes a few times before caring for Nimbus during play time is exhausting! In fact, Chris usually puts Nimbus away when I feel the chinchilla deserves more play time, and I think it's because he's frustrated about how much he has to correct Nimbus's behavior. I know it's frustrating. I've been there. From April to October, I lived with Nimbus on my own, and it was my job to watch after him alone. Yes, it's extremely frustrating. You would think that he'd learn which objects are off limits, because they're the same ones each time, particularly the books on the bookshelf, sliding under the oven, getting behind the couch. But, he is stubborn!! Goats are stubborn. Mules are stubborn. But, Nimbus takes the cake, and on a bad night, that's when the you-definitely-shouldn't-do-this yelling comes out.

Chris and myself at the WNC Nature Center, Asheville

At the moment, there is a very distinct difference between how Nimbus reacts to me compared to Chris. While we're not on the bonding level that I'd like, Nimbus knows that I'm mommy and knowing that I'm the mom is important because it establishes a stronger relationship. I don't believe that animals can handle two masters. In the wild, there is the alpha, and one alpha. You have the male lion over his pride. You have the alpha male and sometimes alpha female in a wolf pack, but the alpha female usually takes the top spot because she's the one who is strengthening the pack with offspring. I want to be the alpha in Nimbus's life. Right now, it seems more like he's the alpha, but we're working on that. Chris is the outsider. Nimbus does not put up with Chris's discipline in the slightest. He will sit there and egg Chris on in order to keep getting what he wants. I, on the other hand, usually get a quicker response from Nimbus. While perfect harmony would be complete if Nimbus responded to both of our commands, I don't see it happening, and a horrible situation will arise if Nimbus starts seeing Chris as the bigger influence in his life because if I move or Chris leaves, Nimbus and I will have to start all over again with discipline and cementing our bond.

When Chris glanced over and skimmed this post as I was writing it, his response was "I don't get frustrated with Nimbus!"

"You don't see how you interact with him," I answered.

"Well, it is really frustrating to get up and down all the time."

And, he's right, and because Chris isn't familiar with my chinchilla research and with Nimbus's behavior (although he's been reading every post on this blog which I think is helping), he finds it more difficult to be around him. And since Nimbus sees me as mommy and Chris as just some guy in the house, it only makes matters worse.

Photography by Chris, taken in Rhode Island

When my former boyfriend - the one I adopted Nimbus with - was still living here, he and Nimbus had the same relationship. He wasn't thrilled with getting a new pet, and so I took over Nimbus's care and loving. My gut feeling is that he felt Nimbus was just an annoying fur ball that chewed everything in sight and left droppings all over the house. Thus, there was never a bond, and I became the only chin parent in the house. So, what happens if I have to stop being the parent and someone else takes over?

Hopefully, I won't be laid up too long so that Nimbus doesn't forget who I am. He stills sees me every day, but it doesn't make up for the loss of physical play time of holding, stroking, riding my shoulder, chin rubs, etc. When I do become healthy again, I plan to do that five minutes of holding time a day, a suggested bonding activity for chins and new owners. In the meantime, I have to focus on myself and rest and hope that Chris doesn't get too frustrated with Nimbus. I highly doubt it would reach this point, but if something does happen and Chris pulls a wrong move, particularly with discipline, Nimbus could lose his trust of any humans for quite some time. Starting all over.... I don't even know what to say.

Nimbus's BFF is a Cat

Sparta is my beloved kitty of 7 years. My mother found him under a car at a gas station on a rainy night and brought him home. He was too cute and too sweet and too loving to be given away or taken to a rescue, so he became part of the family (he's named after The Mean Kitty). During my sophomore year of college, I took him as my own cat, and we've been inseparable ever since. He's the most important living being on the planet to me.

Sparta in his favorite location: my lap

Since my sophomore year, life hasn't been easy for Sparta. He's moved from Mount Holly to Cullowhee to Raleigh to Greensboro to Raleigh (without me) to Cullowhee to Sylva since August 2010. It's caused him some separation anxiety and stress concerns, as one could imagine. He's never quite sure if rearranging the house is packing for good and if bringing out the suitcase is moving or traveling. We've now lived in the same house for nearly two years, and he's developed a routine and easy lifestyle. However, I've applied to some jobs in New York - one that would require me to start by the end of this month - and I'm hoping he doesn't revert back to old habits of worrying whether I'm going to come home at night or if I've left for a long while. I also hope I can find a house where he'll be comfortable. Over the years, I've learned Sparta's requirements for a home:

1. Large windows so he can watch the birds and be aware of any other cat or dog threatening his kingdom
2. A large open space to run from one side of the house to other in either a burst of energy or while playing catch with his toys
3. At least one window that faces the sun so he can bask in the morning sunbeams (like he's doing right now)
4. A screened-in porch (I've never lived in a home with a screened-in porch, but it's a feature I've always wanted, and I know he'll love. He wants to be an outdoor cat, but he's not very street smart! He wouldn't last an hour on his own.)

Sparta watching his favorite movie "The Mousehole Cat"

Sparta has also seen a lot of pets come and go. In the Greensboro home, he lived with a chocolate Lab and a cat named Mac. He didn't mind the Lab, but he and Mac didn't get along. He went to live with my former boyfriend without me for two months. He and I were both miserable without each other. He also lived with Nutmeg the hamster and Binx the cat, who came into my life last November and left it in July. Binx and Sparta never got along, but they eventually tolerated each other enough to where it was a safe environment for both. However, it could be very stressful at times.

When Nimbus came into the picture, I wondered what Sparta's reaction would be. At first, he was quite curious, as any cat would be. But then, he didn't really show much interest in Nimbus. He's always been quite a calm cat and has never hunted for his food. Sparta's go-to meal is human food, a long and hard habit to break him out of. Right now, he's allowed five different types of human food: a small amount of tuna when I have it for lunch, a few laps of milk from my cereal (because it's not healthy for anymore than that for kitties), small pieces of steak and slices of chicken or turkey. To me, it's important for Sparta to get real meat like steak, chicken and turkey. Cats' teeth are made for meat, not the crunchy, hard kernels we give them in cat food. Neither is canned food constantly the best option either because the slick meat and gravy can become caught in their teeth causing plaque to build up and gingivitis. Before he was trained, Sparta would make off with whole chicken legs, popcorn, potato chips, anything on your plate. He was a little devil, but thankfully, his tastes never really were inclined toward moving critters.

Sparta and Nimbus

To allow Nimbus playtime, both the cats were corralled into separate bedrooms for Nimbus's safety. I was never fond of the practice, though, because it meant that the longer Nimbus played, the longer the cats had to sit in their bedrooms. Already, Sparta sat in his bedroom on Tuesdays and Thursdays while I was at school. Binx sat in his bedroom on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. They still didn't get along well enough for me to trust them together alone. To come home and have to lock them up yet again for Nimbus's sake always made me cringe and feel guilty. Since Sparta was so calm, I decided to try letting them interact with one another outside of the cage.

At first, Sparta wore his harness with his leash to become accustomed to the chinchilla's robust bursts of streaking down the hallway, his bouncy steps and his close encounters by tickling Sparta's face with his long whiskers. Sparta, of course, would lunge when Nimbus scampered away from him, but it didn't take long for them to grow used to each other. His reaction was more "What on earth is that thing??" rather than "Let's cook it for dinner!" In fact, I shouldn't have been worried about Sparta hurting Nimbus. It was actually the other way around!!

Nimbus and Sparta plotting how to conquer the world!

Chinchillas can be quite fierce and nasty when they are protecting their territory. Since Nimbus had never encountered Sparta during playtime, he felt that the living room was his and no one else's. Not even mine! That first interaction was led by Nimbus, who went after Sparta, testing him with nips to the tail and bluffs by dashing up to Sparta in order to scare him. It was quite hilarious, and Sparta received the message clearly: Nimbus is the boss!

Normally, I would never recommend introducing your cat and small mammal together. Sparta certainly never had access to Nutmeg the hamster unless she was in her exercise ball. In this special case, I felt Sparta was calm and even "chicken" enough to allow tolerance to form with this little puffball of power. And, it did very well. Instead, Sparta would rather play with catnip or his toys. On occasion, Sparta will have too much energy and need to be locked up again. Not because he's trying to hurt Nimbus by biting or scratching but because he's chasing the chinchilla. Every few weeks, I'll give a glance at them together and see Sparta, paw hovering over Nimbus' head, ready to bop him between the ears! It's a hilarious little game, but one we don't allow to go any further. Sometimes, they will play a gentle game of tag. Sparta will run after Nimbus, then Nimbus will run after Sparta. It's quite entertaining.

For me, it couldn't have been more of a relief, and I've found videos of other chinchilla owners who have tried the same experiment.This first video is of two chinchillas and what appears to be a Maine Coon.

This video shows a Siamese with his chinchilla buddy. I completely agree with the statement made by the owner in the description: "PLEASE NOTE THIS IS ALWAYS SUPERVISED AND DO NOT ATTEMPT UNLESS YOU ARE COMPLETELY CONFIDENT THAT YOUR CAT WILL NOT ATTACK."

If you are thinking about introducing your cat to your furry friend, I suggest taking into consideration your cat's temperament. While a chinchilla can be harmful to the cat because of its sharp teeth, the cat's behavior needs to be considered more so because of the claws, the teeth and the size. You should also begin with a controlled environment like using a harness to restrain the cat to gauge his or her reaction.

In my next post, I'll tell you what happens when a cat and chinchilla don't get along.

My perfect Sparta, who does not live up to his name!

Bath Time!

This is Nimbus's favorite time of day.

Watch the video HERE! Blogger is currently being difficult with video uploads.

It shouldn't be a daily activity for your chinchilla, but it is an enjoyable experience for both of you. Although, I will say that filming this video of Nimbus has left me with an itchy nose and tight lungs. I typically try to stay away when Nimbus is taking his bath because of the dust, but this video moment was too cute to pass up. According to Pawnation, "Too much time in the dust bath can dry out your chinchilla's skin, which manifests with scratching and dry patches, and can possibly irritate her nose or eyes. Meanwhile, not bathing enough is stressful to your pet; it can leave her more vulnerable to illness as clumping fur saps the creature's body heat, and dirt and oil in the coat create fertile ground for skin disease. Dirty fur can lead to a chinchilla chewing on her own fur; if she ingests too much, intestinal blockage may result." The website recommends a bath "1 to 3 times a week." I offer Nimbus a bath about 3 times a week, especially after a short span of illness, which I'll talk about soon. You can also reuse the dust for a 3-4 baths.

Nothing will make your chinchilla's coat shine like a bath in brand new dust! It will become fluffier, softer and take out the oil better than the animal himself can do in his own grooming.

I've used a couple different types of dust, and I typically don't see much of a difference between the different brands. Currently, I'm using Poof! Blue Cloud dust made by the company Oxbow Animal Health. Blue Cloud, according to other chin owners, is a preferred type of dust, and I personally love the Oxbow Animal Health company. I use them for Nimbus's food and treats as well as my hamster's food when she was alive. According to their website, "The sustainable collection process for Poof! Blue Cloud dust involves no strip mining, explosives or tunneling. A layer of the dust is left at the harvest location, promoting revegetation of natural plant life. Recycle Blue Cloud dust as a soil additive in your garden."

Do NOT, however, use chinchilla sand. It's not the same as chinchilla dust and is harmful for their fur and lungs. In the wild, chinchillas bathe in volcanic ash in their natural environment. Ground pumice in chinchilla dust recreates what chins would use in the wild. Sand, however, is coarse and does not pull out the oil in the skin like the dust. However, there are some chin owners who say that sand is ok. According to Chinchillas4Life, a rescue whose "aim is to find loving 'forever' homes for our healthy chins" and "provide sanctuary for those that are too poorly or old to be rehomed," "the sand you use must be proper Chinchilla sand such as Sepioliate (no other types of sand)." However, Oxbow does not sell bath sand, and I really do trust their company. They've never let me down with their products, either in safety/appropriateness for the animals or their quality.

Image from Amazon.com