Farandaville - good news and sad news about our chinchillas

Been meaning to post this for three weeks - but no time.

Dusty and Chili became parents (again) on August 27th. Three babies, but "Mittens" died in about 36 hours. Mittens was either born with no front paws, or (this can happen) they were gnawed off when Dusty was trying to open the sac.

Despite heroic efforts Mittens - that was Joe's name - didn't make it.You can just make out three babies in here - one just the tail protruding from under Dusty.

Mittens could not/would not feed, so we took her out on the thousand to one chance we (Brigid and Joe) could feed her.

But, no luck.

Here are some shots of the other two - we think a boy and a girl. The girl has pink eye, which has led to two trips to a specialized vet. We have to put in eyedrops three times a day (barrel of laughs, that).

At one week.

And at three weeks, under the front of Mom. Not up to my usual picture standards (so you'll have to drop by to see them!).

But now the sad news. Our first chinchilla, Gloria, died this evening. For the last couple of years she'd had problems - ingrown and too long teeth. Evidently a common chinchilla problem. She had trouble eating and was really pretty thin. BUT, most of the time she was very active. Even up to yesterday she was running on her wheel and playing in her cage. Then Brigid this morning said "Gloria hasn't eaten any of her food." When I saw her she was eating, but then early this evening Joe found her lying on her side in the cage. We took her out and put her on the table, in an upright position - she'd been weazing on her side.

After awhile we put her in a padded bowl back in her cage. She tried to climb out of the bowl once - we found her sprawled all over, pretty sad to see, really - and a little later she stopped breathing. A good way for a chinchilla to leave I suppose, very peaceful.

Gloria was the most affectionate of the chinchillas (and guinea pigs) we've had. Perhaps because she was an only chinchilla for two years, before we got Dusty.

Gloria arrived on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) in 2006, so we had her almost six years (hard to believe).

Here she is on January 20th, 2007 with her favorite human, Joe.

While we all like the rodents in the house, it's Brigid and Joe who really dote over them. We're now left with Dusty, her two babies, Chili (the Dad) and Trinity, our guinea pig. Will have to post some updated pix in the near future.

 

 

Comments

[jeanne-Marie]

Gloria was a great pet! With a great home!
xojm

[Judith Anderson]

RIP, Gloria. You will be missed by your many Croton admirers and on the internet. Not bad, old girl, not bad.

[maria]

Yes.....