u/rosengold

This is Milo.

Yes he's real.

Idk how to stop him, but he keeps getting cuter.

Sophie was actually supposed to be one of my new mascots with Grumpy but then I just, never settled on just one chin and use whomever wants to be handled that day LMAO.

We needed a Chipper for scale on this fleece print. 😂🩷

I'm serious, don't wake up Posie.

This community update needs to be talked about.

I can't be certain where the photos being used in the articles are from, but wherever they're from, they're really heartbreaking.

A well-known chinchilla breeder is currently being sued by the state for alleged animal welfare violations. R&R Chinchillas is located in Ohio and owned by Ritterspach.

They were one of the biggest and most well-known chinchilla breeders in the country. I'm sure many of my own "show" animals, as well as many pet chinchillas purchased from chain stores across the nation, either originated from them directly or descended from animals they originally bred.

I can't say whether or not the allegations and charges are true because I have never stepped foot on their property. Friends who did visit in the early 2020s shared no alarming issues in conversation. Other friends who purchased animals directly from him received beautiful, healthy animals. I believe Sophie, Chip, and Berry are all originally from Ritterspach.

As chinchilla owners, we also know that prolonged neglect often becomes visible in a chinchilla's fur, body condition, and overall appearance. It's very hard to hide neglect and abuse with these animals. You can't even mishandle them without a handful of fur on the floor.

So naturally, I have to ask what changed?

In fact, when I first heard about this situation, I was surprised. I genuinely believed this breeder had retired a few years ago. My understanding was that his herd had been purchased by someone else, or at least that was what I had believed at the time.

He was around 80 years old and had not been active in the chinchilla community for quite some time. His health was poor, and he had remarried around that time as well.

And that is part of why this situation raises a much bigger question for me, and I'll get to that.

I want to be very clear moving forward that I am not against breeders.

Breeders are part of the chinchilla community. Good breeders have spent decades developing lines, preserving pedigrees, improving health and temperament, mentoring new owners, and contributing to the animals many of us have today.

I wouldn't be here as a resource for you without the breeders who were once there for me.

But I also think we need to have an honest conversation about something that can become a serious animal welfare concern. I have seen situations like this unfold over and over again, often reaching a crisis point where outside organizations have to step in and the future of the animals becomes uncertain.

What happens when a breeder ages?

What happens when someone who once had the energy, physical ability, financial resources, community support, and drive to care for a large herd no longer has those things?

What happens when they slowly fall out of the spotlight and become less connected to the community they were once deeply involved in?

The animals don't retire when we do.

And stepping away isn't always as simple as deciding, “I'm done breeding. " The animals continue to need food, water, clean housing, medical care, and daily attention.

How do you smoothly transition out of a breeding operation that may have taken decades to build?

Where do dozens or hundreds of animals go?

Who has the space, knowledge, and resources to take them all?

What happens to animals that are no longer valuable for breeding or showing but won't be adopted?

And most importantly... do breeders have a realistic, humane exit plan before they reach the point where they can no longer manage the animals in their care?

How do we stop this from happening again?

Have you had that conversation about planning, support, and what happens when you or a friend need to transition out of breeding?

I have.

I may not breed, but my husband knows that if I were to become gravely ill tomorrow, he needs to call Jen. Jen will summon my foster network, and that foster network and Jess will contact the original breeders of my animals.

My chinchillas will return to the safety of their original breeders or go to families I know will care for them.

That is a plan. It's something.

These charges are severe, and regardless of what ultimately comes from them, this situation raises questions our community should be willing to have.

Animal welfare is extremely important in every aspect of animal involvement in our lives.

At home with your pets.

In rescue organizations.

In production farms that provide food for our families.

And in breeding facilities where your next pet may come from.

Animal welfare is not optional. But it may look different depending on where that animal is and what circumstances it is in.

When you read the words animal welfare, do you really know what that means?

Animal welfare is more than simply keeping an animal alive, because we all know animals can survive in the most inhumane circumstances.

Sometimes, minimum standards focus on whether an animal has an enclosure, food, water, and basic sanitation but animal welfare is a much bigger picture.

Are they properly nourished and hydrated?

Are they healthy? Are injuries and illnesses being recognized and treated?

Is their environment safe and appropriate for their species? Are temperature, sanitation, space, housing, and other conditions being properly managed?

Do they have opportunities to engage in normal, species-appropriate behaviors?

Animal welfare exists because an animal can technically be alive, fed, and sheltered while still experiencing pain, fear, illness, chronic stress, discomfort, or deprivation.

But good welfare also does not always look exactly the same in every situation. The context matters.

In rescue, an animal may temporarily be housed in a smaller enclosure while being quarantined, medically treated, evaluated, transported, or waiting for a home.

In a medical situation, a cage may intentionally be bare and simple. There may be no shelves, hammocks, hides, or enrichment. It's not because those things aren't beneficial, but because the immediate priority may be preventing further injury, monitoring the animal, keeping wounds clean, or making sure the animal can safely eat, drink, and move around.

A breeding setup may look different from a pet home because the housing has to account for pregnancy, kits, nursing, and the safety of both the mother and babies. What is safest for a mother raising newborn kits may not look like the luxurious enclosure we would create for a single pet.

And pet homes often have the most flexibility for luxury: large cages, multiple levels, hammocks, hides, toys, enrichment, and everything we can add to make our animals' lives more comfortable and interesting.

Different does not automatically mean bad. A foster cage, medical enclosure, or breeding cage can all provide adequate animal welfare and a large, beautifully decorated pet cage can still have poor welfare if the animal inside it is sick, stressed, neglected, injured, or otherwise not having its needs met.

That is why animal welfare cannot always be judged by one photograph, one cage measurement, or whether a setup looks like the one you personally have at home.

So when you see another animal's enclosure, ask yourself why is this animal being housed this way? What are its individual needs right now? And is this setup meeting those needs safely and humanely?

Ask those questions before immediately branding something inhumane because animal welfare is about the whole picture.

The animal. Its health. Its environment. Its safety. Its ability to engage in appropriate behaviors. Its physical and emotional condition. And the circumstances surrounding its care.

The purpose for which humans keep an animal does not change the fact that the animal is capable of experiencing its life.

And that is why situations like the allegations against R&R Chinchillas are worth paying attention to, even while recognizing that allegations are still allegations, and I cannot personally speak to what did or did not happen there.

But situations like this should make all of us breeders, rescues, pet owners, and animal advocates ask difficult questions without immediately turning on one another.

What happens when the person responsible for a large number of animals can no longer care for them at the same level they once did?

And more importantly:

Why are we waiting until there is another crisis to figure it out?

Maybe the conversation shouldn't begin when the animals are already suffering.

Maybe it should begin while there is still time to make a plan.

Please take the following with a grain of salt:

https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/2026/08/feds-sue-ohio-chinchilla-breeder-say-more-than-1100-animals-kept-in-inhumane-conditions.html

https://www.peta.org/news/r-and-r-chinchilla/

I'll try to update as I learn more.

Jumping Bean is about 1 year old now.

He's with Cali_FID rescue in Modesto / Turlock CA. He's actually with me right now as a foster.

Jumping bean has been ghosted TWICE.

JB came to the rescue when his owner was hospitalized, and the family found him roaming around the house. Somewhere along the lines JB lost a portion of his tail, too. The family took great care of him while trying to find a solution ( us ) and during that time his owner passed away. The family has remained supportive of JB hoping he would find a home quickly.

JB is a very interesting chin. He has no understanding of what a cage is, so he always wants out, but he doesn't really trust you, but he wants to trust you. We're having an easier time getting him to come to us now, but, god forbid you want him to return to his enclosure. He's like... Flubber. I can only imagine how he lost his tail lol.

He can be very affectionate with his uh cuddle buddies, and we are trying to find a friend for him within the rescue but he's eligible for adoption on his own currently. He has been very good with two males in the rescue, but nothing solid yet. One thought he would make a good humping pillow so JB was outta there and the other just isn't too sure yet.

JB should go to a family that is experienced with Chinchillas and confident handling them. This is hard mode, there's a smaller handle now.

He would probably really love a home that practices safe playtime routines.

I picked this photo for a reason. This was unauthorized playtime number 47 while Amber really needed to pee and play catch Beans.

Please enjoy my boy, Peter. Peter is Barnaby's cagemate. I also have Peter's sister, her name is Bunny.

His name is Nemo, and I didn't know they made PINK finding Nemo fabric?! I found some and had to make him a hammock. . .

But maybe making him a 20" hammock was excessive 😂 the scale in this photo is wild. That's a Critter Nation cage, but the oversized hammock makes it look like a carrier, and makes him look to teeny tiny.

Nemo and Louie are two of my Sanctuary chins. I am their owner, Louie came to me when his owner was dealing with a DV situation. Louie was born without eyes and has neurological issues. Nemo came from another home, along with another chinchilla. Both had broken limbs that were neglected and healed with deformities. In Nemo's case, the arm was snapped and broken backwards. It healed in the direction it was dragged in. It doesn't cause him pain, but he tries to use it and falls.

They're fall risk animals, so they have a single unit but they use almost all their platforms and hammocks. If one thing moves, Louie falls. Religiously.

His breeder always complains I never share the boys enough. Barnaby likes to sunbathe in the morning, and snack on his wheel. He was certain I was delivering cookies but atlas, it was just me and that was a disappointment all together.

🩷 WE NEED YOUR HELP MINNESOTA EXOTIC VET RECOMMENDATION NEEDED!

One of our longtime followers reached out to us after her 10yr chinchilla suffered a serious tail injury, including a laceration and fractures.

She is currently stable, comfortable on pain medication, and receiving antibiotics.She is a well loved, well cared for girl, and her owner is doing everything they can for her.

Her current veterinarian has recommended tail amputation, and it's exactly what I would do too, but after going through some personal changes, and already spending approximately $2,000 on stabilization and emergency care, they were quoted around $5,000 for the surgery. That is an enormous financial burden they cannot afford at this moment. It's also very high, in my experience. I know there's veterinary clinics that can perform this surgery in a much more affordable way and still be safe.

We are looking for exotic veterinarians in Minnesota, particularly in or around the Minneapolis area, who may be able to provide a second opinion, perform the procedure at a more manageable cost, or know of veterinary financial-assistance programs with their practice for families experiencing financial hardship.

If you are in Minnesota or have experience with an exotic vet in the Minneapolis area, PLEASE comment below with their name and location. The owner is watching the post and calling!

Reviews and personal experiences are especially helpful!

We aren't asking anyone to fundraise at this point. Right now, we need information and options so this owner can make the best possible decision for their chinchilla. We already informed them to apply for care credit & scratch pay.

We may share a GoFundMe on our social media platforms ( let's love Chinchillas & more ) to help with her care later. If we do, please only donate through a GoFundMe link posted directly by us so it goes directly to the owner. Please be cautious of scammers or unauthorized fundraisers using her story.

Thank you for helping us find this sweet girl another option. 🩷🐭

Popping back in to reintroduce myself and Chinnie Boutique! 🐭🩶 Most of you know me by my reddit name ( it's been... Years! Or as Let's Love Chinchillas & More / @ambers_chinchillas on other platforms )

I'm Amber and have been making handmade fleece cage accessories for the small pet community for over 10 years, creating safe, high-quality items for chinchillas and other small animals.

Last year was a slower one for me. Between illness and life, I wasn't able to keep my shop stocked the way I wanted. Thankfully, things are looking up! We recently moved, and I finally have a much larger dedicated sewing space. I'm excited to get back to doing what I love and to keep adding new products and prints.

Chinnie Boutique is a very small, home-based business, it's mostly just me behind the sewing machine, with my husband jumping in to help when he can. Working from home and setting my own hours gives me the flexibility to answer the call when animals need help. Outside of sewing, I coordinate for an exotic animal rescue, transport animals, foster, provide supplies, and care for medical foster cases. Every order helps make that possible.

🍂 Fall, Halloween, and Christmas prints are now being added to the shop!

📦 Free shipping on orders of $150 or more.

🧵 Every item is handmade with care using quality materials designed for small pets.

Whether you're looking for cones, hammocks, hideouts, cubes, or other cozy fleece accessories, I'd love for you to check out the shop.

Thank you to everyone who has supported my little business over the years. Every order means more than you know, and I truly appreciate every single one of you. ❤️

🛒 www.chinnieboutique.com

We are constantly advising owners to be mindful of their cage layouts.

There's a huge push on social media to get the biggest cage possible, but when the entire budget is spent on cage size, owners often can't properly outfit that cage with the accessories needed to make it safe.

This doesn't mean you have to have a small cage. It just means you shouldn't have a big and empty cage.

Perches, ledges, shelves, and platforms are all important. A big empty cage is only as useful as the floor space and shelf space your pet can actually access. Chinchillas don't fly, they can't use empty air space.

A single Ferret Nation with 10 well-placed ledges has essentially the same usable living space as a double-stacked Ferret Nation with those same 10 ledges. The difference is that one is simply taller, with larger drops that can become life-threatening if a chinchilla falls.

If you're upgrading, size up slowly as your budget allows. If possible, prioritize going wider before going taller, and always budget for enough shelves and ledges to safely break up the space to prevent any potential falls.

This was August.

August was found locally under suspicious circumstances, and we believe she may have been dumped. She arrived with injuries consistent with a significant fall or other blunt trauma. She had a split, punctured lip, a broken incisor, and, most devastatingly, intestinal torsion that was not repairable. Her stomach was diseased, on the brink of rupture. She was struggling with fatty liver disease and in rapid decline. Despite receiving specialized veterinary care, she continued to decline and ultimately lost her life.

Sadly, injuries from falls happen more often than many people realize. In August's case, the trauma to her face made it obvious that something was terribly wrong. In many other cases, a chinchilla falls inside its cage, appears relatively normal, and is simply monitored at home. Some recover, but others are quietly suffering from internal injuries and may pass away days later.

I don't want August's loss to be in vain. I hope her story encourages every chinchilla owner to take a fresh look at their cage setup. Check for large drops, gaps in shelving, or areas where a fall could happen. Adding another ledge or platform today could prevent a devastating injury tomorrow.

Please take a few minutes to make sure your pet's home is as safe as possible.

In addition to having a safe cage, knowing how to hold and handle your chinchilla is important too. It's not uncommon for a pet owner to contact us about their pet's broken arm or tooth after they've jumped from their owners grasp. Please secure your pets by holding them by the base of the tail, or using a carrier, to prevent these incidents too. Even the most trusting and comfortable animal can become startled and jump to the hard floor becoming injured.

We are part of a 501(c)(3) non-profit and have specialized in chinchilla rescue and rehab for 20 years. I have seen or met more sick and injured pets than I ever cared to, please hear me out.

9 days ago I had 0 frogs.

Then someone asked me if I could take on 2 whites tree frogs. I said yes, because, frogs. I've always wanted to learn about em.

Then yesterday someone else contacted the rescue with an urgent request to bring in all their remaining pets. 1 sulcata, 2 bearded dragons, ... 4 pac man frogs and 10 White's tree frogs 🫪

Wish me luck!

( We're a 501c3 non-profit exotic rescue in CA, sometimes we gotta learn on the fly too. )

Rowan alone would make someone the happiest chinchilla owner ever.

Rowan is looking for a place for him and his pops to call home. Rowan is a young male with lots of curiosity and energy. He 100% wants to come out and interact with you. He's looking for a home with his father, Bramble. Bramble is an older male, he has cataracts which limit his visibility. He is also a fur chewer and that may never change.

The pair are happy together, but Rowan sometimes gets too zoomy and will make Bramble stumble, so a cage layout that is practical and safe for them both is important. Bramble may never feel safe enough for " playtime " as his cataracts will eventually leave him totally blind.

We have considered separating them and placing bramble with sanctuary males and giving Rowan a younger friend who could keep up BUT that's never guaranteed to work. We could end up just ruining something that isn't broken at all. So we want to give them a chance at connecting with a home together first.

Cali_FID Rescue is in the central valley of CA.

Foster Emily dropped off Jumping Bean with us yesterday. He's pending adoption this weekend 🤭

Poor little guy was so frustrated yesterday, and scared. He didn't enjoy the trip or the changes. Today, he was still scared. He jumped out of the cage right into my armpit to hide and run. A bonding bag and some shushing helped him gather himself and realize I wasn't there to eat him. Then a nice dust bath and back into the holding cage to decompress.

Refresh on Jumping Bean :

He is a young chin, under a year or just about. He was purchased by his owner as a kit, but his owner was terminally ill. When his owner passed away, the family found Jumping Bean in the house, he was often loose. They didn't know if he was born / sold with half a tail or if he lost it somehow. They bought him a nice cage and great supplies and prepared to care for him while they waited for rescue space, but we were able to get him in sooner.

Jumping bean has always been energetic and jumpy, that's how he got his name ... And Stubbs. Lol

Wire hay feeders are often incredibly unsafe.

If the pet can crawl inside, or get trapped, don't use it.

Wall mounted feeders with hooks for toys have ripped eyelids, or trapped chins inside breaking legs as they try to get out.

Hay balls that hang from the cage have caused pets to hang and break necks. On the cage floor they get stepped on and let's get stuck inside.

Same things happen with wire balls on mounted stands.

It's safest to use a hay feeder mounted outside the cage, 1x1" grids with a topper, a dish, or just toss it in their floor.

Asked to repost the photos by another user.

Onyx is a 5–6 year-old Black Pearl chinchilla. He was originally purchased from a chain pet store in Washington before moving to California with his family. In 2023, they reached out about surrendering him, but ultimately decided to keep him and were able to care for him for a while longer.

Recently, they contacted us again. His cage had become damaged and needed to be replaced, and their air conditioning was failing during the summer heat. They had tried different fixes, but the repairs and replacement costs just weren't manageable. With the ongoing heat waves and uncertainty moving forward, they knew they could no longer keep Onyx comfortable and safe, so they made the difficult decision to surrender him.

Onyx has clearly been well loved. His grandpa even made him a cozy terracotta house, which he'll get to keep. He came to us with quality food, hay, bedding, and toys too. His family recognized they could no longer provide the safe environment he needed, and made the right choice. Hot weather is very dangerous for Chinchillas, and they're unlikely to survive without air conditioning here. So we accepted him same day.

Onyx will remain on hold for the next couple of weeks while we monitor him for any signs of illness or injury. Once we're sure he's healthier we'll also see if he's a good match for a companion before making him available for adoption.

We also have several other chinchillas waiting for homes. Now that we've finished our move, it's time to update everyone's photos and bios, so keep an eye out for more adorable faces in the coming weeks.

Central valley CA, primarily Turlock & Modesto with Cali_FID Parrot and Exotic Rescue Sanctuary, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Phoebe came to us as a shelter transfer after being surrendered by her family. She stayed with us for an entire maternity stay, just as a precaution, but her fur chewing never improved. She'll always have an interesting hairdo. She was eventually transferred from us to another sanctuary where she could work as an ambassador for Chinchillas in our area. Shes very loved, valued, and respected now.

Even fur chewed scruffy chinchillas deserve to be adopted and be seen. 🩷