Let's Love Chinchillas & More

09/07/2025

We're welcoming a new foster to our team soon, and we're so proud of them. They've owned other small pets before, but never have they been responsible for Chinchillas!

They did this all themselves — they wanted to obtain their own enclosure and supplies for their fosters. They read the information we provided about care, did a little research, leaned on friends in the community annnnnd look at what they've made.

A beautiful home for 1 or 2 rescue chinchillas in need of safe haven. 💜

What you see here is a single critter nation cage, with metal replacement pans from bass equipment . com, they've chosen to try out fleece liners. They have pine wood platforms spread just right along the walls. They have chew toys, a dust bath house, a tunnel, a wall hammock and a hay feeder ( who wants to tell them good luck? 😂 ).

Our only feedback is to move the water bottle to the outside of the cage, to avoid them using it as a leaping spot and getting their leg caught in the spring.

I think I need to put a matching hammock in their care kit for the top of the cage, but this home is just perfect for 2.

🤞 They'll be taking on an existing pair who are medically clear and off of maternity hold. A pair who has been sitting in foster care for a period of time, overlooked, and deserving of some 1 on 1 family love.

08/07/2025

Whenever someone claims chinchillas eat fruit or climb trees in the wild, I want you to look at these photos. Sourced from Save the Wild Chinchilla & The Chinchilla Reserve.

What don’t you see?
🌳 Tall trees people model cages after ☠️

🍓 Fruit-bearing plants people feed as “treats”

Chinchillas live in the high-altitude Andes desert, above the tree line, where trees no longer grow.

They’re adapted to hop up rocky inclines, not climb trunks like squirrels. Yet, the pet industry keeps pushing tall, vertical cages that don’t reflect their natural behavior. It’s not enrichment—it’s marketing. They can't even use all the empty tall space in the middle of most hollow cages we see posted... They don't fly around the air space.

Yes, native fruits do grow above the tree line. But their seasons are short, and they’re mostly eaten by birds and other wildlife. It’s not well documented if wild chinchillas even eat them—but if they do, it would be rare and opportunistic, not daily or even weekly. It's documented that chinchillas eat mostly grasses ( https://www.chinchilla-scientia.com/english-corner/nutrition/diet-of-wild-chinchillas/ )

Remember: wild chinchillas only live a few years. Our pets can live 20+—because we control their diet and reduce environmental risks.

When you feed daily bowls of sugary pellets, fruit bits, or seed mixes, you’re not mimicking nature—you’re overwhelming their systems. Wild fruits are tiny, tart, and seasonal. Store-bought ones are selectively bred to be larger, sweeter, and higher in sugar. (Seriously—Google what original bananas or watermelons looked like.)

👉 Just because something exists in the wild doesn’t mean it’s part of their regular diet.

👉 Just because something is marketed “for chinchillas” doesn’t mean it’s safe.

Respect their biology. Feed with intention.

08/07/2025

I was asked for a Harper update, SO I give you, a Harper update.

She was found guilty of being extra squirmy upon leaving her enclosure and was sentenced to 30 seconds of hard time in Air Jail.

After serving her sentence, she nuzzled up and relaxed in my arms.

She's doing very well. All her fur has grown back in and has given her sweet little " space bun " bumps.

Her favorite things are dust, her tunnel, her hammock, and cookies.

She's remained infection free, has gained weight steadily, and is stable to date.

She will likely become eligible for adoption at the end of AUGUST when her maternity hold ends, assuming no medical issues arise.

If anyone has been eyeballing, waiting, and hoping to adopt Harper, .... Things are looking promising!

08/07/2025

What kind of posts would you like to see more of here?

Sometimes I just share my pets—because who doesn't need a little joy?

I always update you on our chinchilla rescue work.

I try to post educational content when I can.

And I share real snippets from our community interactions—both the uplifting and the challenging. I believe it's important to be transparent about the realities of rescue work and working with the public.

What needs do you see in our community that we might be able to help with?

08/07/2025

Chinnie in need of adoption in Seattle Washington. Anyone looking to adopt?

This chinchilla has an ear tag, which means it for sure came from a breeder. Typically you can get the breeders information from that ear tag by contacting ECBC Empress Chinchilla Breeder Cooperative or MCBA Mutation Chinchilla Breeders Association.

The breeders we know ( and we know dozens ) will always take their animals back — no questions asked. It's the right thing to do. So please, return your animals to the breeder before surrendering to a rescue or shelter.

This guarantees they go into knowledgeable, capable hands and prevents cage / kennel space from being occupied when it's needed so desperately in rescue.

Note : Please don't feed chinchillas seeds, nuts, FRUITS, or vegetables 🥺 even as a rare treat, there's healthier options like dried hibiscus flowers. We want to encourage new homes to care for them exceptionally well. 🌺

Ares doesn't always eat freeze-dried strawberries, but when he does, he prefers to do it in a loving home. Of course, he will still do it here at Seattle Humane because, duh, strawberries! This super-soft fella is just one of several chinchillas to come into our care recently. It is beyond adorable to watch them hold things in their furry paws, and we hope to see them being held by their new families very soon! Leave some time in your summer plans to Netflix and Chinchilla!!

07/07/2025

It’s my birthday this month! 🎉

Did you know I received my first chinchilla as a birthday gift when I was just 8 or 9 years old? His name was Slim, and I was his second or third home, but I loved him dearly. I made plenty of mistakes early on, but those lessons shaped where I am today. Toward the end of high school, I got involved in breeding, but my heart was quickly drawn to rescue. Now, I focus exclusively on the rescue and rehabilitation of chinchillas in our community.

I'm still figuring out how I want to celebrate, but I thought this might be the perfect opportunity to re-stock the rescue’s toy box and replenish our foster supplies! We went through nearly everything during our recent back-to-back adoption events, and we’d love to put together new care kits for our foster families.

We currently have over 20 chinchillas in the rescue, spread among 6 foster homes with foster #7 joining us soon!

We fosters personally cover the cost of essentials like feed, hay, and bedding to ensure the rescue isn’t burdened with ongoing expenses. Most of the chinchillas are with us for 6–12 months before they’re adopted. Extra items — like chew sticks, toys, dust, and cage accessories — are “wants,” not “needs,” and are always secondary to medical care.

Thanks to YOU and your incredible support over the years, the chinchillas have rarely been a financial burden on the rescue — and, most importantly, they haven’t taken resources away from other species who don’t receive as much outside support.

This is exactly why we’re able to say YES to any chinchilla in need, no matter how complex or costly their care may be. ❤️

For my birthday, I’m simply asking that we spoil the chinchillas and show a little love to the amazing foster families who care for them. ❤️

If you'd like to help:

🧸 Donate a toy or supply item from our Amazon Wish List:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/5LA3ALFZ8B0X?ref_=wl_share

🌾 Send a Rescue Donation Stick Mix from Graves Family Orchard — they’ll ship it directly to us:
https://www.gravesorchard.com/product-page/rescue-stick-mix

💸 Support vet bills or ongoing costs with a direct donation:
www.califidparrotandexotic.com

Thank you so much for celebrating with us and supporting the little lives in our care! 💛

07/07/2025

Welcome Minnow 🩷

Minnow is a baby Betta that was dropped and scooped up off the linoleum at a pet store.

Please remember to be GENTLE when handling animals, you hold such fragile little lives in your hands. 🫶

Minnow is a minnie little thing, barely bigger than a shrimp right now.

She's in my 5 gal ( shrimp reject ) tank, next to her foster brother Guppy ( my Betta ).

04/07/2025

Wakey Wakey Peter, it's time to come out and play!

🐰😚

04/07/2025

Need a new cage for your small pets? California Chins - Chinchilla Rescue in Sunnyvale has cages super cheap!

03/07/2025

Listen, if I were as disgustingly filthy rich as Jeff Bezos there absolutely would be signs.
I wouldn't need NONE of you to help save chinchillas .... But I'd happily welcome and enjoy your company anyway 🩷

I'd make you all foster and adopt 😂