Follow Us on Twitter

This may seem silly, but I've created a Twitter account for Come Chill with the Chinchilla. You can now follow us by searching for Nimbus Menz or @ChillWithNimbus.

I'll tweet links for the new blog posts, photos, tips, random happening throughout the day with Nimbus as well as retweet tweets from other organizations like Oxbow Animal Health, Petfinder, Pet Emergency Guide, Humane Society and PetSmart (Is it Pet Smart, Pets Mart or Pet's Mart?? Does anyone know?).

You can also follow my personal Twitter - although I'm on it intermittently - by searching for Lex Menz or @StarStruckHotel. I tweet the photos used on this blog and the new posts. That makes up the most of my tweets these days, but I try to throw in a personal sentence or two for my aunt, who reads my Twitter. She's not a social media person, so she doesn't have a Twitter and isn't on Facebook. In order to keep up with my day-to-day life, she checks out my Twitter and reads this blog since we can't be on the phone every day.

So, if you'd like, follow us and send us a line. I know it's easier to follow someone on Twitter than Blogger, especially if you don't have a Gmail account. After several tries, I finally added the ChillWithNimbus account onto my Twitter app for my phone. That was hilariously difficult. The end result was changing my password.

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If you're interested in learning a bit more about me, I was raised in a small town outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. Our house was always filled with animals. We've owned several cats, a turtle, a lizard, a snake, a hermit crab, hamsters, dogs, a guinea pig, a miniature goat, and salt and freshwater fish. Aside from our domestic pets, my mother has rescued injured wildlife and raised monarch butterflies to release for the Mexico migration. I might as well have "animal lover" in my DNA as my mom instilled in me such a passion for nature at a young age. While kids my age were watching "Doug" and "Hey Arnold," I was watching "The Crocodile Hunter" along with its various spin-offs and "The Jeff Corwin Experience."

By the time I was 7, I had created my own zoo on paper. Sadly, I never followed my dream of becoming a zookeeper or owning a zoo (at least not yet), but I still tap into my passion for animals every day. There are my beloved pets, of course. There's this blog, which has really created a deeper bond and fascination with Nimbus. Then, there's my local "business" Fins & Fur Pet Sitting. One day, I'll write a memoir about my pet sitting experiences. There's never been a dull job! 

Volunteering at a cat rescue

In tenth grade, I started going by Lex after leaving a private school I attended for nine years. It was at my new high school that I fell in love with journalism - the career choice I'm pursuing now that I've graduated from Western Carolina University. I enjoy the behind-the-scenes view you are allowed to get through immersion in reporting, and I don't feel that print journalism is a dying field, especially not in smaller towns like the one I currently live in.

One of my favorite newspaper issues

With my free time, I enjoy writing what I hope will be published novels one day (as cliche as that sounds), painting pottery, boogie boarding at the Outer Banks, visiting zoos across the United States, reading (some favorites are "The Time Traveler's Wife," "Vulpes the Red Fox," "The Great Gatsby," "Three Weeks with my Brother" ...you can find me on GoodReads), participating in community theatre, volunteering at the animal shelter and watching as many movies as possible! 

The promo poster for the musical "Brigadoon." I played Jane.

That's a small picture of me and my life outside of Nimbus and Sparta. Right now, we live a quiet existence in the Appalachian Mountains beside a bubbling stream. Hopefully, we'll be moving soon to start the next phase of "The First Adult Job."

Hope you enjoy the Twitter feed, and keep checking in here. I appreciate all of your advice about Nimbus's injury. He has boundless energy, and he's actually taking his new medication quite well. I still worry, but he looks like he's on the right track to full recovery. 

The sign for my zoo!

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

Baby's First Day

The moment I saw Nimbus, known as Jack at the time, I absolutely fell in love.

On the 2-hour ride to Georgia, my former boyfriend and I carried out heated argument after heated argument. We weren't doing so great those days, and after adopting Nimbus, our relationship went straight downhill for multiple reasons. We broke up 3 months later. During the drive, I kept flip-flopping back and forth about whether to adopt a chinchilla. My head was filled with worry. What if I killed it right off the bat? What if it just up and died like my guinea pig Nibbles? What if I hated owning a chinchilla? I couldn't just send him back to the rescue. That would be irresponsible and mean to this poor chinchilla being carted back and forth from the rescue to his new home to back to the rescue. 

But all those worries disappeared when I saw this little puffball jumping and banging in this old birdcage. His twitching nose. His bristly tail. Those big eyes. Little rounded ears. I was sold, and when the woman asked me if I wanted to hold him, my heart started racing. It was a miracle I didn't drop him. Fifteen minutes later, he was zipped into my cat carrier and away we went. 

Within the first 10 minutes of owning him, I made the biggest mistake since we've been together.  Back home, we didn't have any chinchilla supplies. Instead, we wanted to make sure that yes, indeed we were adopting a chinchilla and wanted to have him with us when we picked out the cage. Choosing a chinchilla cage can be difficult because you need to look at several factors: 

1. Is the cage material safe if the chinchilla decides to chew it? 

2. Is the cage material chew proof? 

3. Is the bar spacing small enough that he won't get his paws stuck when he's jumping around the cage?

4. Is the cage sturdy enough to handle a bouncy chinchilla?

5. And, of course, is it big enough?

So, to purchase our new friend's supplies and food we went to the local Petsmart. Horrible, horrible idea!!!! It was Saturday. It was crowded. It was a tiny store. It was dog training day. Mass hysteria!!! 

Finding the cage was the most difficult part. The food, the bowls, the toys, I already knew what I needed and what I wanted, but because I wanted to keep my boyfriend involved in the life of Nimbus, the process was dragged out in picking out items. Then, there was the cage. As Nimbus sat in the cat carrier in the bottom of the cart with the bright fluorescent lights, barking dogs and screaming children, my boyfriend battled with the different cages by pulling them out of their boxes to make sure they were the right size. We settled on the Chinchilla Starter, which comes with the cage, a sample of food, a wooden house and some other goodies that I believe we threw out because they weren't actually chinchilla friendly. What I liked were the different levels, all of which were made of safe wood.

After that horrible experience, we took off home, and I watched Nimbus on my lap become more listless and angry. I actually thought he was going to die before we even walked in the house. He refused to sleep and kept walking around with dull eyes and laid back ears. These are not signs of a healthy or a happy chin. By the time we walked in the door, I wondered how much more time we had left with him. I set the carrier in the bathroom, and my boyfriend got to work on building the cage. When it was finished, I said, "It looks kind of small."

And, it did. When we placed Nimbus in the cage, his ears brushed the top of the cage when he sat on the top floor. He couldn't stand on his back feet. I placed his Chinny Buddy (unfortunately, I can't find a link for this) in the cage with him, which he stared at, and closed the door. At this time, the cats were released from their holding cells in separate bedrooms. They sniffed and sniffed at this new animal, and we reinforced the idea that this new creature was part of the family with the squirt bottle every time claws popped out. Then, we waited. 

A very angry Nimbus and his Chinny Buddy

In proper etiquette when bringing home a chinchilla, you should wait 3-4 days before opening the cage and letting him explore. I thought this was a horrible idea since they need daily exercise and playtime. In his cage, there was no way Nimbus could do that. Instead, he sulked and squished himself between the bottom of the wooden second floor and the top of his rounded woven grass bungalow (see right hand bottom corner below). He just sat there. I didn't see him sleep for days. In fact, it wasn't until I did some more research and draped a dark sheet over 3 walls of his enclosure that Nimbus finally felt secure in his surroundings. I highly recommend doing so.

The day before his new cage arrived

By the end of the second or third day, I couldn't take it anymore. He looked on the verge of dying. I couldn't tell what was wrong. It wasn't heat exhaustion. It wasn't intestinal blockage. It had to be plain, ole misery. I took a large square piece of Tupperware and filled it with Blue Cloud chinchilla dust. Holding the dust bath up to the cage door, I unhooked the latch and whispered to Nimbus. After a few minutes, he started to come out of the door. As soon as he realized what was in front of him, he dove into the dust bath and began flipping about.  I've never seen a creature so happy!! In fact, he even gave The Squeak!

The Squeak is the ultimate goal. You want to achieve The Squeak from your chin. It means they are the happiest they can be, and it is usually accompanied by popcorning. You'll know it when you see it, and it comes with a huge sense of accomplishment. It's not the little grunts of foraging and exploring but a high-pitched little squeak. It sounds similar to their sneezes.

After that bath, Nimbus's level of activity and interaction improved, mostly. But, there was still something missing, and it wasn't found until we bought the new cage! 

There's No Excuse for Not Adopting

I didn't know better as a child, but the reptiles and small mammals I owned growing up came from pet stores. During my college years, however, I discovered petfinder.com, an extremely useful website to find "the pet of your dreams." If the local animal shelter doesn't have the type of dog or cat you're looking for, Petfinder will show you where to find that pet who needs your love. Search by location, type of animal, breed, age, gender and characteristics (house-trained, size, child-friendly, special needs, etc.). There's no excuse for not finding the animal you're looking for, even pure breeds are found in animal shelters.

Right now, there are chinchillas all over looking for homes outside of pet stores.

For instance, I went to Petfinder just now and searched for chinchilla, San Francisco, California (a random pick) and young. And, Petfinder found 37 chinchillas.

Raider - 3 years old, located in Culver City, CA at STAR Eco Station rescue. He needs special attention because he's a biter and hasn't been properly handled in the past. He coat is fluffy and white with gray smudges. His adoption fee is $50.

Paprika - young, located in Red Oak, TX at the ChinChildren Chinchilla Rescue. She's the normal gray coloring with a chubby face. Her adoption fee is $75. 

Chilli - born May 1, 2013, located in New Market, MN at the Windmill Animal Rescue. His owners were forced to give him up to allergies. His adoption fee is $100, or he can be sponsored.

Chilli

Poppy and Clover - young, located in Greensboro, NC at the Red Dog Farm Animal Rescue Network. They are a bonded pair and would not do well if separated. The rescue said that they are a perfectly behaved pair of sisters.

I didn't post these few random choices to convince you to buy a chinchilla because of the adorable photos but to show how diverse in color, age and personality in chinchillas available for adoption.

You may ask, "Well what about the poor chinchillas in a pet store? They need homes, too." Yes, you're absolutely right, but buying from a pet store supports the industry of constantly breeding animals in order to make merchandise or products... a.k.a. pet chinchillas for pet stores across the world.Consider this:

1) When I was young, my mother bought me a guinea pig from a chain pet store, which shall remain anonymous. Nibbles the guinea pig died in my arms seven days later because she had been sick the whole time. I believe that pet stores care for their animals to the best of their ability. However, there can't be enough employees to constantly check and play with each animal. Chinchillas require 1-2 hours, at least, of playtime outside of their cages every day. Where would they even play in a pet store?

 2) Pet store chinchillas will not be used to human company because they haven't been played with as stated before. This can lead to biting and grumpiness. A good rescue will work and interact with the animals on a daily basis to ensure their happiness and health.

3) You're going to pay a much higher price than you want. Nimbus's adoption fee was $44. A chinchilla at PetsMart is $139. Ouch! Your new pet is already going to cost a lip-biting amount when first starting out. Why make it worse for yourself by paying a ridiculous price demanded by pet stores and chinchilla breeders instead of adopting one that was abandoned at a rescue?

 4) Once again, you're supporting an industry that uses animals to constantly reproduce, go through pregnancy, go through the process of labor and birth, have their babies taken away, and then they're thrown back in so that they can reproduce some more. That's pretty brutal, in my opinion. One of my friends is a psychology graduate student in Virginia. For the clinical trials, he and his fellow students test their experiments using live rats. Let me wholeheartedly say that I do not agree with testing on animals, although some of my friend's arguments make me weigh the scales in harm vs. help and so on. However, if you don't believe in testing on animals, how can you support a system that treats them like pet assembly lines? Just think about it.

Now, if anyone would like to counter me in my arguments with statistical proof, please do so! I'm not being sarcastic or sardonic. I'm 100% serious. If I'm wrong, I want to stand corrected.


Anyway, I demanded to myself that I was going to adopt my pet chinchilla. Now, I love Petfinder, but because I live in a small town where the nearest urban city is an hour away, (but I wouldn't consider it as big and diverse a city as Charlotte where I grew up), I had location limitations that Petfinder couldn't overcome. One chinchilla I found was over the state line in Tennessee. However, the rescue admitted that this was their first time having chinchillas and asked for an adoption fee equivalent of that to a pet store. I was shocked and discouraged. It was a price I couldn't afford. But, I refused to give up. So, I began searching the rest of the Internet and discovered the Georgia Chinchilla Rescue in McDonough, Georgia on Facebook. A major stroke of luck!! They were only a couple hours away, and the manager of the rescue had a selection of about seven chinchillas. There was Jack, Mary Kate and Ashley, Paris, Nicole, Gracie and Max. As I was searching through the pictures, I kept coming back to Jack. In every one of his themed photos, he struck a cute little pose like he owned that camera. Sitting on his hind legs, little front paws crossed, he was the picture of perfected adorableness.

I contacted the rescue, which was a out-of-her-home organization run by one woman. Sadly, due to time constraints and financial difficulties, she had to stop rescuing chinchillas for the time being back in July. She adopted out the rest of her chinchillas, except for one. I was so nervous contacting her. After weeks of researching and learning the ways of chin ownership, I wanted to impress upon her that even though it was my first chinchilla I would care for it so that it lived a long and happy life. She provided me with a questionaire that inquired about different aspect of chinchilla ownership and how I planned to personally accomplish them. Also, my answers would reflect, in her opinion, which chinchilla would fit my lifestyle the best. Here are some questions... questions you should ask yourself before adopting a chinchilla:

1. What is the size of the cage you will be using?
Answer: We are have our hearts set on purchasing the All Living Things Deluxe Chinchilla Kit from our local PetsMart. It has two platforms and a bottom tray for lots of climbing and room. Its dimensions are 31" L X 17.5" W X 28.5" H with 7/8" bar spacing, which will be covered by wire mesh (except for the top). Here is a link for this product: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752703.

That cage is a no-no, by the way! We never ended up buying that cage! 

4. What type of bedding are you planning on using?
Answer: We love the CareFresh Natural bedding. We used it for our hamster, and the package says it is also a good fit for chinchillas. It is completely safe and does not harm small animals' lungs.

6.  How much research have you done about chinchillas? What do you know about their basic needs and care?.
Answer: Right now, I am waiting for my library books on chinchillas to come to our local branch. However, Stuart and I have done some research, but we wanted to do in-depth research through a book rather than the somewhat untrustworthy Internet. We know that small children do not mix well with chinchillas and that we must handle our new pet very carefully. We also researched their very sensitive dietary needs. They should not receive a lot of treats, especially ones with sugar. They also need wood chews for their constantly growing teeth. Also, we know that chinchillas require a lot of attention because they can get lonely. We wish that we could adopt a pair, but right now, we have room for one. Because of this, we will give it as much attention and love that it deserves.

I couldn't have been more excited when I got her reply: "Everything looks great! . . . I know you're wanting to meet them before you decide, but from what you've told me, I recommend thinking about Jack or Gracie."

Gracie was the calmer one, the rescuer said. She was a slightly older chinchilla, although not considered old by any standard. Her coloring was beige with brown spots on her ears. But, if you know me, I like to do things the hard way, and I had completely fallen head-over-heels for little Jack, the sweetest-looking chinchilla in existence. In fact when the rescuer wrote "Jack is a little more high energy than Gracie" I didn't realize just how much energy she meant!

Little Jack became my beloved Nimbus. I guess I was drowning in the cuteness because I missed that mischevious glint in his eye... and I brought home a little devil!

Nimbus's adoption photo