It's very sad, I have 2 chinchillas, one is the mother and her "baby" (who's now about 3 1/2!)

They are very close but sadly the monther, who has always been prone to epilepsy has started having very bad fits and the vets have advised we put her down.

The mother is very social with us so we felt that if she was left alone she'd probably get adequate stimulation. Unfortuntely the daughter is less social with people (though is very much so with chins) and we are worried that without her mother for company she's not going to get adequate social interaction from us and as she's quite young we don't want her having a miserable life.

Our lives are getting busier and busier so we don't want to invest in another young chin to keep her company but want to make sure she's happy.

As such we're looking for someone with other females (or neutered males) we could potentially try and home her with.

We don't want her used for breeding so want her to go to a family home. She's big and boisterous but not agressive in any way, cheeky is probably a better way of describing her. She doesn't like being handled but doesn't bite, but happily bounds around and will sit on your head and come and nibble your shoes etc. She loves too eat so we nicknamed her fatty, even though she's not overweight, she just hoovers up raisins and then looks around as if she's suprised it's disappeared! She likes to cuddle up with her mum

We're not asking for any money, just the guarantee of a good home, so of course we'd want to make sure that she'd get on with the other chins etc. first.

Please let me know if you'd be interested as well as a bit of background about your own chins :-)

Thank you xx

shame your so far away shes beautiful

i have 14 chins here (all rescues) so im sure there would be some one she would get on with

im so sorry to hear about her mum are you taking the vets advice or will you be trying to manage her fits, one of my girls (who is also fully blind) is diabetic, and if we dont watch her diet very carefully she can have a fit which is very scary

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Thank Lil Miss :-)

Yes I think it's about time we did, she's always had very minor fits since she was young (just zoning out briefly or having a couple of wobbly seconds) but she had a huge one 2 weeks ago and another 2 big ones since, we've tried an altered diet etc. but she's always eaten properly, but we think it's brought on if she exercises, but we dont know why as until 2 weeks ago she's been fine.

Her last fit she fell from the top of the cage, and though wasnt injured she was obviously shaken and I dont want to go through months of trying out ways of seeing if we can reduce them and her suffer in the meantime. The vet said they could try lots of tests to see what's wrong but were worried the longer it continued depending on what it is she coudl possibly be causing increased brain damage. She wasnt certain it was a diet issue and felt it coudl be anythig from cancer to brain tumour etc.

If it is being exercised I'm also not prepared to lock her up for the rest of her life when she's used to coming out and running around. If we've ever been too busy and not let them out for only a couple of days she's got quite depressed and launches like a rocket once the cage is opened.

She's at least 9 I think, I believe she was 2 when i got her but she may have been slightly older.

If Fatty wasnt so antisocial towards people I woudlnt be so concerned but she's alwasy been one to keep herself to herself (unless there's food being offered)

Can I ask where you're based btw?

poor little girl its not an easy choice is it but you have to do what you feel is right for her and her wellbeing

im in sheffield (south yorks) so quite a way away

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I'm in South Oxfordshire too - so if you did find someone who could take her could help out transport wise maybe, I make trips fairly often to bournemouth/banbury/aldershot/southampton if that helps?

She is gorgeous, hope you can find her a lovely home x

Hello :-)

It's ok, I travel a lot too and as i'm not on a set schedule I can probably time a trip to ensure chin transport is incorporated

Thanks for the offer though! :-)

... so thinking about it, if I was up Sheffield way, would you be interested L Miss?

I might be up your way in the next 3 months i think :-)

if you can get her here then im sure i can find a friend for her, my little daisy is currently friendless, she had a nasty abscess when she arrived which needed treating, and i havent decided who to pop her with now shes healed, so depending on little "fatty's" personality they may go together, if not, well i have plenty of others to bond to

it would probably have to be an afternoon on a weekday though?

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Well I'm going to be up your way late next month, so could do a friday afternoon?

Let's see if anyone comes forward who is a bit closer in the meantime and if not chat again in a couple of weeks?

We had to put her mum down last night as she had another bad fit around midnight :-( and I can tell that Fatty hasnt even tried sleeping yet today and is looking a bit shell shocked so I think we're making the right decision all round :-(




Btw reading that it sounds like WE put her down ... luckily our vets has 24 service and suggested we drive in straight away!!!

that sounds fine to me

oh poor little fatty they do pine so much, you could try offering her a teddy to cuddle up to and groom, it might help her a little bit

i am so sorry you have had to make the tough decision about her mum

sleep tight mummy nilla, bounce free over rainbow bridge little one

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