# Chinchilla Kits Clean-up Operation...



## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

When I was happily cleaning out today, I opened a cage containing a chinchilla doe and her litter, all excited to see how they were doing. Sadly, their mother had not been taking care of them. They are thin and their bums covered in poo. COVERED. There was only one black fox in the litter (typically the one I wanted most) and she had eaten it's genitals :shock: Poor little guy had to be culled, and I set about cleaning up the others:




























This little girl couldn't even move her tail it was so encrusted:









Here she is, all cleaned up. You can see how thin she is:









Her brother's fresh clean bottom:









Meeting their new foster family. These kittens are the same age. There is another doe in there, but she wouldn't come into the shot:









Here they all snuggled in with their new family:


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

Good luck with those.I've just had a successful fostering of a splashed litter to a broken mother.I'm not usually very successful but all has gone well and the litter is weaned


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## jadeguppy (Jun 4, 2011)

How sad. Good thing you had a good mousie mother ready to take them in. She'll keep them clean. Do you plan to supplement their feeding to help them get back up to weight? I'm wondering if doe's milk production will be able to catch up fast enough with four very hungery new additions. What size are chinchilla pups when they wean compared to mice? I've never gotten to see chinchilla pups and only know of chinchilla's by what I have seen in a pet store.


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

I always supplement their food  There are two mothers in there and they now have 11 kittens between them, so I'm sure they'll be fine. These chinchillas/black foxes are always quite small, delicate little mice - that's one thing I plan to change. I like my mice big and chunky


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

Chinchilla is a variety of mice. She doesn't mean actual baby chinchillas.


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## jadeguppy (Jun 4, 2011)

Laigaie said:


> Chinchilla is a variety of mice. She doesn't mean actual baby chinchillas.


You caught my senior moment. I've been interested in the animal chinchillas and didn't even think about the mouse color chinchilla.


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## tinyhartmouseries (Dec 30, 2010)

Oh poor little sweeties! I hope they make it safe and sound.


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

> You caught my senior moment. I've been interested in the animal chinchillas and didn't even think about the mouse color chinchilla


 :lol: I didn't even realise! Chinchillas are like cavies, they're born with all their hair and their eyes open. They look like minature adult chinchillas.


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Very sad. Hope the survivors make out ok. It only takes less than a days neglect by the mother for babies this young to be in crisis.


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

All six chinchilla kitts are doing really well. They are gaining weight quickly and their new mothers are keeping their bums spotless


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Thanks for the update; glad the fosterlings are doing well.


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## Paula (Jan 18, 2009)

Hi Sarah 
So pleased foster mum has cared for them so well!!  
Paula x x


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

Hey all,

The fosterlings are still doing pretty well, considering their start. They are still rather small but healthy.


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