Let's Love Chinchillas & More

  • Home
  • Let's Love Chinchillas & More

Let's Love Chinchillas & More We're all about optimizing Chinchilla care here. We are not a rescue on our own but do operate under a local rescue.

We're fosters for the rescue, as well as the rescue's adoption and foster home coordinators. We do our best to aid the Chinchillas that are moved through they system. We are simply Chinchilla enthusists ( and other animals ) who want to share about animals and help out owners.

Henny has been adopted 💕 His new home has experience, as they already own a couple other chinchillas and his new mama is...
31/08/2024

Henny has been adopted 💕

His new home has experience, as they already own a couple other chinchillas and his new mama is a veterinarian.

He's in good hands and we're so happy for him. 🩷

We still have several other chinchillas available for adoption right now, can we keep this adoption train going?

Go to www.califidparrotandexotic.com to check out all the adoptable chins.

Just pulled up for Henny's meeting and adoption appointment!
31/08/2024

Just pulled up for Henny's meeting and adoption appointment!

Gemma update! 🥹 Our little muffin is doing well. She's gaining weight slowly, staying hydrated, pooping like a machine a...
30/08/2024

Gemma update!

🥹 Our little muffin is doing well. She's gaining weight slowly, staying hydrated, pooping like a machine and resting every chance she can get. She's discovering chew sticks lately and it's becoming a good habit for her. She's still a very gentle, sleepy, slow chinchilla. She likes to be in your arms and to see what's going on around her.

Her fur is starting to get clean, and she's now coming to the front of the cage to greet me. Today was the first day she didn't squeak in discomfort being picked up, but she's still protective of her arm ( x-rays showed it wasn't broken, just arthritis ).

Today was her first snuggle session with me in my hammock. I like to give the chins one on one love whenever I have the time, either in my hammock under our covered patio or in my recliner while I'm relaxing. Somewhere where we can just get cozy.

I think she liked it. I did.

🩷

Henny has been returned to us and is scheduled for a meeting & adoption in the forming. Cross everything you got! 🤞💕
30/08/2024

Henny has been returned to us and is scheduled for a meeting & adoption in the forming. Cross everything you got! 🤞💕

Sharing here as  is the rescue that allows us to help so many chinchillas in need. Cali_FID is an organization that help...
30/08/2024

Sharing here as is the rescue that allows us to help so many chinchillas in need. Cali_FID is an organization that helps all exotics when possible, not just furries. I'm just the chinchilla lady. Guilty as charged.

Pic is of some of your donations and a
first aid kit headed to a foster home 🩷

👇👇👇

💜 It's $5 Friday! 🦜

Did you know that with just $5, you can make a world of difference for our rescue and sanctuary animals? As a non-profit organization, we rely on the generosity of supporters like you to cover essential expenses, from medical treatments and daily care to habitat maintenance and enrichment.

Every dollar donated directly supports the well-being of our animals, ensuring they receive prompt medical care, nutritious food, and enrichment that keeps them happy and healthy. Your $5 means we never have to delay critical care or worry about covering the next bill.

How to Donate:

- 🌐 Online: Visit our website at www.califidparrotandexotic.com

- 📱 Venmo: -Perez-454

- 💵 PayPal: [email protected] /

- ✉️ Mail a Check: Please Message Us.

- 🖥️ Facebook/Instagram: Donate directly through our social media pages!

- 🎁 Full Rescue Amazon Wish List : https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/VH7RKRB9JFWC

Join us today in making a real impact. If everyone chips in just $5, imagine what we can accomplish together!

Donate now and be a hero for the animals who need us most. 💜

Bradley update!He has healed up, BEAUTIFULLY. He still has one scab and bald spot but it's night and day from where we s...
30/08/2024

Bradley update!

He has healed up, BEAUTIFULLY. He still has one scab and bald spot but it's night and day from where we started. He's completely off of medications and supplemental feeding for a week. He's still in medical hold until we see hair growing back in, but he's moved onto foster Leah's care. He was always supposed to be with Leah. 🩷 We'll update when he's available for adoption in a few weeks. rescue

29/08/2024

Play time is a treat, not an obligation.

Our post last night was sparked by reading a few comments about how a 16 year old girl should surrender/rehome her chinchilla because she doesn't give it playtime. Do you know how ridiculous that is? Yes. Abandon your pet because you don't give it play time.

I own 11 Chinchillas, and guess what? We do not have a daily play time. Not even weekly. I interact with them from their cages, and occasionally pull 1 out or take a group to my bed to socialize. My lower cages are open during cage day, and they come and go as they please.

Should I abandon my pets? No. Are my chinchillas anti-social? lol no they're not.

More often than not, you hear someone tell another that "Chinchillas must have 1-2 hours of out-of-the cage play time daily." Which in essence sounds nice, right? Well it's not.

Chinchillas are prey animals who prefer a quiet, small, den-like surrounding. In the early or late hours of the day they will come out to explore - Mostly to scavenge for food or a mate - but not to "play".

When you pull them out of their comfort zone and place them in a big empty room, you will notice that they dart around and look for small spaces to hide, right? In a box, under the cage, behind a toy, etc. That is because in their mind, they need to hide from predators. SOME chinchillas may come out on their own, and others may be totally comfortable with coming out and that is fine. There is always a chance you have and extrovert, but naturally chinchillas are introverts.

Where this mandatory 1-2 hour nonsense came from beats me, but that is exactly what it is. NONSENSE. Pet owners like to tell each other how to do things, someone started saying 1 hour, no 2 hours and others ate it up, so now it is one of the widely spread myths in our community, plus it can be really dangerous!

Many breeders won't suggest a play time, Like, at all. This is to prevent overexerting your chinchilla. They are known to have scary drops in their blood sugar when working to much, and this can lead to becoming very lethargic ( ever see your chin plop on their side after play time? They're exhausted! ) and in some cases, provoke seizures.

Many owners forget that in this 1-2 hour time frame to provide water, or monitor your pet's tempature. Yep, running around in a fur coat can cause a heat stroke... even in a room that is only 72 degrees.

We suggest if you must do a playtime, keep it low impact in a small cool space for no longer than 30 minutes. For chinchillas under 6 months should only have 15 minutes, and any under 4 months should not have any. Young chinchillas need to conserve valuable calories to grow big and strong. If you over exercise them as kits, they will grow to be unhealthy looking adults.

Many chins have gotten injured, sick, or have died during play time over time. Accidents happen. Someone chews a wire, swallows something toxic, gets stepped on, dogs/cats get into the room, it gets too hot, heart attacks, seizures, broken limbs, fights, lost in the walls/ceiling, sat on, accidentally bred, and so on. That was just a glimpse of the sad emails and messages we've received about play-time nightmares.

This is a post to just say, you don't have to. You don't have to have ridiculous play schedules to be a good owner. You don't have to invest in play structures to show you care about your pets. You don't have to stress over appeasing someone who has apparently all the time in the world to do extensive play times.

Just do you,
your chinchilla may appreciate you more if you let them relax in their space.

29/08/2024

This is from the Humane Society about handling.

http://www.hsi.org/assets/pdfs/eng_ht_sm_mammals_reptiles.pdf

Louie update! Little pale bean is using his wall hammock and dust house regularly. Finally witnessed him use his wheel, ...
27/08/2024

Louie update!

Little pale bean is using his wall hammock and dust house regularly. Finally witnessed him use his wheel, too!

I love him so much. He loves his little house from twilight chinchillas and wall hammock 😭🩷 it's so cute.

Henny is pending adoption 🩷✨
27/08/2024

Henny is pending adoption 🩷✨

🩷 Oreo has been adopted! He kissed his new mama as soon as he could. His new family found him on Cali_FID Parrot & Exoti...
27/08/2024

🩷 Oreo has been adopted! He kissed his new mama as soon as he could.

His new family found him on Cali_FID Parrot & Exotics Rescue Sanctuary Petfinder and reached out just knowing he was the chinchilla for them.

🍎 We're always happy to help guide prospective homes, and meet you wherever you are. If you're new, we got you. If you're established, you just saved us so much work!

⭐ This family needed hardly any guidance on care or enclosures because.... They're already the proud owners of another boy! They quickly completed the chinchilla 101 information and quiz then submitted their cage and supplies that needed 0- changes. We confirmed their boy was in fact male and we were able to approve and schedule everything!

🚗 Oreo's new family was so committed to him, that they drove 6 hours one way the night before and got a hotel room 🫨 and they're now on their way back home. Send them safe travels!

Foster Emily sent some pictures of Pretty snoozing and getting offended in her hammock. 💕 Everyone is settling in.
26/08/2024

Foster Emily sent some pictures of Pretty snoozing and getting offended in her hammock. 💕
Everyone is settling in.

**Do we allow fundraising in the group?**  ( Chinchilla Care : Let's Love Chinchillas  ) Yes, but only after admins revi...
26/08/2024

**Do we allow fundraising in the group?**
( Chinchilla Care : Let's Love Chinchillas )

Yes, but only after admins review the situation and confirm that the owner has tried other avenues to secure immediate medical care. Remember, funding platforms can take days or even weeks to verify your request and release funds. Your pet shouldn’t have to suffer during that time.

If you cannot afford veterinary care, there are options like credit lines. However, you can also consider returning the animal to the breeder or surrendering it to a rescue. While this means you may lose your pet, it ensures they get the care they need to survive.

**Why are we bringing this up?**

- Last week, a member posted that their pet had jumped off the back of a lifted truck and injured its back leg.

- Several people advised that it might be broken and urged them to seek emergency veterinary care.

- Days later, the member posted an unauthorized GoFundMe, with altered details, asking for over a thousand dollars—still without seeing a vet.

- We removed the fundraiser and suggested alternatives like CareCredit, ScratchPay, or returning the animal to the breeder. Unfortunately, the member didn’t provide the breeder with the full truth, instead asking the breeder to cover all expenses.

- Since this member is somewhat local and has access to a truck, we offered to accept the animal into our rescue to provide medical care. The member only wanted to do this if they could get the animal back, which is not how rescues operate. We were accused of lacking empathy and other things.

- Over a week later, the animal still hasn’t received medical attention and isn’t using its limb.
- The owner informed another admin that their plan is to scam pet insurance after they get paid next month on the 2nd. They seem unaware that pet insurance won’t cover pre-existing conditions and requires upfront payment, with reimbursement weeks later.

This is not responsible pet ownership. This animal has suffered for over a week with a likely broken limb and will continue to suffer until the owner attempts to scam their vet and insurance.

Don’t be like this.

We are always happy to assist you in emergencies to the best of our ability. However, please remember that we are not veterinary professionals. For anything beyond a minor bump, scrape, or simple fungal issue, we strongly recommend that you consult a veterinarian. Why? Because we don't always have the full picture. We cannot see your pet in person, assess other factors, or account for details you might unintentionally overlook due to lack of experience.

A veterinarian will be able to physically examine your pet and provide the necessary care.

It's crucial to be prepared for accidents. Ask yourself:

- Do you have CareCredit, ScratchPay, a substantial savings, or disposable income available for an injury or infection? If not, take steps to figure that out today.

- Do you know where your nearest exotic vet practice is, what their hours are, and if the vet is unavailable on certain days? If not, now is the time to find out.

Far too many chinchillas die because their owners are unprepared. When emergencies arise, it's often too late to secure funding and find a vet.

Oreo is pending adoption 🥳Oreo came to the rescue beginning of June in pain. He had a broken tail ( confirmed AFTER surr...
24/08/2024

Oreo is pending adoption 🥳

Oreo came to the rescue beginning of June in pain. He had a broken tail ( confirmed AFTER surrender and x-rays were finally done ), chewed up tail, pr*****ed p***s, ripped stitches and skin on his " fo****in " and very hungry because he wasn't eating. His family tried to get him help but they were unable to follow advice, or keep up with his care. They became overwhelmed with the responsibility and surrendered him.

Oreo went up for adoption in Petfinder Aug 7th after being medically cleared and he's due to be picked up by his new home on the 27th! He was available for 20 days ( will be 83 in rescue ) , nothing compared to Juliette's 404 days.

Can we keep this ball rolling? 🐭+🏠=❤️
Let's find more Chinchillas homes!

Thank you everyone who donated for Oreo's medical care. You helped save him, too. His x-rays, his medicine, his toys and chews. We covered his hands on medical care 24/7, hand feedings, lubrication and prolapse maintenance, antibiotics, pain meds, etc. and his foster Amy has been caring for him since he " cleared " medical.

We’ve had to remove comments that were angry or anthropomorphizing the animals. Molly, a chinchilla, was surrendered wit...
24/08/2024

We’ve had to remove comments that were angry or anthropomorphizing the animals. Molly, a chinchilla, was surrendered with a guinea pig. Some were upset they were separated, but we stand by this decision.

Molly, mislabeled as a 1-year-old male, is actually a young female, and she’s in poor condition—malnourished, stressed, with fur chewed off and bite marks on her ears. We suspect there was another chinchilla ( before the shelter ) because Molly cannot physically reach the back of her head and neck to chew that location.The guinea pig is missing fur on its back, a common spot for chinchillas to jump and bite.

Separating them now means we only have to deal with some scabs and missing fur. Waiting means we could be dealing with puncture wounds and surgeries.

Chinchillas and guinea pigs have different needs and ways of communicating. They can’t safely cohabitate. They survived together, but it wasn’t healthy for either. The shelter made the right call by separating them. The guinea pig rescue committed to the guinea pig, and we committed to Molly.

Please be kind and understanding as we work to give these animals the care they need to THRIVE 🩷

Take a moment to just melt with me. After 404 days in the rescue.... Juliette has a home. 🏡Juliette's adoption appointme...
24/08/2024

Take a moment to just melt with me.
After 404 days in the rescue.... Juliette has a home. 🏡

Juliette's adoption appointment went perfectly.
Her new family came in and were so excited to meet her.

It's not every day that the husband is the one head over heels for the little fluff balls. It was the cutest thing to see a big tattooed guy just gush over the little fluffy thing he's taking home to be his new pet. Take note gentlemen, come adopt a little fluffy critter "for your wives and children" we will be happy to help you!

He was excited, and informed me Juju bean gets the whole first floor of the house with him, and that his sons are going to love her. 🩷

His wife and I just stood and watched while he snuggled Juliette and rubbed his beard on her. It was really sweet and I'm really happy she has gone to a home that was just ready to love her.

Let's all wish Juliette and her new family lots of luck.

It's been 404 days since we met, Juliette. Families have come and left you behind. So many fosters have taken care of yo...
24/08/2024

It's been 404 days since we met, Juliette.

Families have come and left you behind.
So many fosters have taken care of you, sweet bean.
Your daughters have all found their homes before you...

And today you have another appointment with a new family.

You don't have to do anything but be you. You've blossomed into a beautiful social little chin. You're fluffy, cute, friendly and will snuggle up to a good movie and scratch.

They would be so lucky, to have you. 🩷

Is this goodbye?

Here's another Gemma update. Yesterday we had so much going on in my office and Gemma did not move. We had other chins i...
24/08/2024

Here's another Gemma update.

Yesterday we had so much going on in my office and Gemma did not move. We had other chins in and out, volunteers were picking up their fosters, and taking the opportunity to meet my herd and say hi to my fosters.

I'm starting to suspect Gemma being deaf. She could just feel really safe and be resting, but she really doesn't move or react until she feels you touch her. I'll post a video later. It's just a suspicion.

We're just giving her lots of space, time, peace, and love.

Amy helped me get an update on Bradley. ✨He's healing up so well, just has a little crown of scabbing left. I think he c...
24/08/2024

Amy helped me get an update on Bradley. ✨

He's healing up so well, just has a little crown of scabbing left. I think he can head over to his foster, Leah, end of the week if she's ready for him. Leah loves the old little dudes.

Bradley is 11 years old. We tried giving him a companion but unfortunately there was too much ruckus going on in another group's bonding session. The chin Bradley was paired with freaked out and attacked him. :( it was really unfortunate but a risk and reality in bonding sessions ( and part of the reason we refuse to do it for the public ).

About Bradley:

He's a sweet gentle soul. Even when he's really mad, like being forced to eat critical care and take medicine, his nibbles are slow and lack confidence 🤣 He moves slowly and he likes to watch. He likes to be held close, the calmness of just sitting together with a blanket, and gentle slow pets.

He does not defend himself. When he was attacked, we didn't even know it was happening until it was too late. It's something we will have to keep in mind when and if we try to give him a friend again.

Shout out to the Bundy family for supporting the rescue! We said that we had run out of chews for the chins and Christin...
24/08/2024

Shout out to the Bundy family for supporting the rescue!
We said that we had run out of chews for the chins and Christine said " watch this ".

We received 4 lava ledges, some hanging chew toys, bamboo and apple chews, some coop cups and SPRINGS 🥲

THANK YOU so much for supporting us!

We're going to start building donation bags for our foster families again so we can give everyone a little something. Can you help us fill them?

😇 Emily has - Pretty

😇 Carol has - Oliva and Violet

😇 Leah has - Zeke, Sushi, Dusty, Danny, Abu, Timon, Pumbaa, Copper, Todd, Benji & Henny

😇 Amy has - Oreo, Pheobe, Roxy, Saige, Luna, Skylar, Joey, Chandler, Ross, Twist, Baggin, Potter & Molly

😇 I have - Louie Chew Chew, Gemma, Juliette, Annie and Bradley

How can you support the rescue?

🩷 Donations can be made directly to www.califidparrotandexotic.com and that'll help with overhead and medical expenses.

🩷 We, the fosters, have a wishlist of supplies for our foster chinchillas. We normally purchase food, bedding, hay, and dust and chews out of pocket so the rescues funds stay on the bills. You can imagine how that adds up!

Our Amazon wish list also doubles as a shopping guide for new owners,
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/5LA3ALFZ8B0X?ref_=wl_share

Named after the cute monkey from Alladin, Abu is a young chinchilla who came to the rescue because his owner had allergi...
24/08/2024

Named after the cute monkey from Alladin, Abu is a young chinchilla who came to the rescue because his owner had allergies to his supplies. He's a very easy to cuddle and love on chinchilla. He would make a good " first" chinchilla for someone.

He has the perfect plump body and bright white belly - such a beautiful boy!

Watch our video of him : https://www.facebook.com/reel/1410958856269671

His adoption fee is $100

If you’d like to adopt, please apply with Cali_FID Rescue at www.califidparrotandexotic.com. A volunteer will respond to your application within 1-7 days to help you prepare for your new pets.

Take a gander at Joey & Chandler. Joey lives WITH Chandler. They're adoptable TOGETHER.They are young adults , Joey is a...
24/08/2024

Take a gander at Joey & Chandler.

Joey lives WITH Chandler. They're adoptable TOGETHER.

They are young adults , Joey is a violet chinchilla with the curliest tail and Chandler is a Standard Grey. Chandler calms Joey right down, and doesn't care that Joey is all over him all the time. He's kinda a " lights are on, but nobody is home " sort of chinchilla if you catch my drift. Joey and Chandler are pretty easy going, and very trusting.
They would definitely make a great " First " chinchillas.

They are adoptable together for a fee of $325, which includes a $25 discount for adopting the pair.

If you’d like to adopt Chandler, and Joey, please apply with Cali_FID Rescue at www.califidparrotandexotic.com. A volunteer will respond to your application within 1-7 days to help you prepare for your new pets.

Ross is adoptable with  ! He is a young adult, single, male, light ebony chinchilla ( no white belly here! )He has the s...
24/08/2024

Ross is adoptable with !
He is a young adult, single, male, light ebony chinchilla ( no white belly here! )
He has the softest fur, it's powder soft. He's pretty easy going, and likes to be nestled in your arm and loved on. He's a sweet and trusting boy.
He would make a great " First " chinchilla.
He could potentially accept a friend! He was with others, but he was picked on and separated for his own safety. They just were not clicking.

If you’d like to adopt , please apply with Cali_FID Rescue at www.califidparrotandexotic.com. A volunteer will respond to your application within 1-7 days to help you prepare for your new pets.

Since Juliette is back for adoption, so Pretty has taken her space with  's newer foster, Emily. 💕We don't do it alone. ...
24/08/2024

Since Juliette is back for adoption, so Pretty has taken her space with 's newer foster, Emily. 💕

We don't do it alone. Jen runs the rescue. I coordinate and foster medicals or overflow. Leah, Amy, Carol and Emily foster the Chinnies and make it possible to save so many little ones 🩷

5 foster homes. 33 foster chinchillas... And lots of our own.

( Did you know suckers could be spelled so many ways? )

Can't keep it a secret or hold it in. Guess who's pending adoption? JULIETTE! After a long year+ in the rescue, she move...
23/08/2024

Can't keep it a secret or hold it in.

Guess who's pending adoption? JULIETTE!

After a long year+ in the rescue, she moved into a new foster home that wanted to give her somewhere peaceful to wait for whatever the future held. Maybe they would foster fail, maybe they wouldn't.

Well, that was the magic touch. As soon as Juliette was about to be off the table a family swooped in and requested her specifically 🥲

we gave the foster priority ( per usual ) and they decided to let her go, so a new foster had somewhere to go. 🩷

Everyone cross everything for Juliette because we've been waiting for this moment for so long. She's SUCH a GOOD one. 🤞

Molly, the LA shelter transfer,  is headed to her foster home soon. She will have peace, quiet, and love for the next co...
23/08/2024

Molly, the LA shelter transfer, is headed to her foster home soon.

She will have peace, quiet, and love for the next couple of months while on maternity hold. She's really skinny, and her fur is in awful shape from barbering.

What's barbering? It's fur chewing. Usually a chinchilla ( or another ) will start chewing fur as a stress response. It could also be a learned behavior from their parents when they obsessively over groom. Sometimes, it can become so obsessive that it goes skin deep or worse. It can also increase the risks of hairballs, too, but both of those issues are very rare and not something every owner with a fur chewer should worry about. Be aware, but don't he freaked out.

✨I risked my life to take these photos of Pretty. ✨She's in a mood today. She's an absolute diva. In her defense life ha...
23/08/2024

✨I risked my life to take these photos of Pretty. ✨
She's in a mood today. She's an absolute diva.

In her defense life has been weird the last few weeks and she still just wants to go home. 🥺 I think she misses her past. She was really loved, and she simmers down into the sweetest little bug once she calms down.

She's unfortunately a perfect example of how traumatizing it can be to lose your home, family, and have to shuffle through the rescue & foster system. We hope she finds a forever home quickly once her maternity hold ends. The maternity hold is just out of caution, we doubt she's actually pregnant.

She will hold a grudge though and you will pay dearly for any mistakes. 😄💦

I wasn't going to rob you of bestie pictures of Joey and Chandler. Here they are together, almost as if you can hear Joe...
23/08/2024

I wasn't going to rob you of bestie pictures of Joey and Chandler. Here they are together, almost as if you can hear Joey say " and this right here is my best friend."

We're located in Modesto, CA with
Apply here : www.califidparrotandexotic.com

We didn't forget Chandler. He's Joey's other half. He lives WITH Joey. They're adoptable TOGETHER. He is a young adult, ...
23/08/2024

We didn't forget Chandler. He's Joey's other half.

He lives WITH Joey. They're adoptable TOGETHER.

He is a young adult, dark standard grey chinchilla.

He's plump, and has a pretty white tummy.

He's pretty easy going, and very trusting. He calms Joey right down, and doesn't care that Joey is all over him all the time. He's kinda a " lights are on, but nobody is home " sort of chinchilla if you catch my drift.

He would definitely make a great " First " chinchilla.

We're located in Modesto, CA with
Apply here : www.califidparrotandexotic.com

Take a gander at Joey! Joey lives WITH Chandler. They're adoptable TOGETHER. He is a young adult, violet chinchilla with...
23/08/2024

Take a gander at Joey!
Joey lives WITH Chandler. They're adoptable TOGETHER.

He is a young adult, violet chinchilla with the curliest tail.
He's plump, and has a pretty white tummy. He lacks the black tipping in his fur like the greys have. His curly tail is actually a major genetic flaw and would disqualify him from a show ( the tail rests on the fur, dulling and flattening it ) but as a pet it's the cutest thing in the world to me 🐷 pig butt!

He's pretty easy going, and very trusting. He's go-go-go but calms down when he has Chandler near by.

He would definitely make a great " First " chinchilla.

We're located in Modesto, CA with
Apply here : www.califidparrotandexotic.com

Address


Website

http://www.chinnieboutique.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Let's Love Chinchillas & More posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Let's Love Chinchillas & More:

Videos

Shortcuts

  • Address
  • Alerts
  • Contact The Business
  • Videos
  • Claim ownership or report listing
  • Want your business to be the top-listed Media Company?

Share