Birds and chinchillas?

[SissyCool]

I have a BE2, a DYH amazon, 3 budgies, 2 small dogs, and a cat! LOL
But this concerns my birds and my "possibly" getting a pair of chinchillas.
The room where I keep my birds is "bird proofed" so they can come out of their cages for play time. Reading about chinchillas, making a room safe for them seems about the same as for a bird. SO...I was wondering how good an idea it would be if I put the chins' cage in the same room with the birds?
Would they bother each other? I would let them out separately, but I wonder how they would react if one got on the other's cage or something.
So, I just wondered if anyone here might have a similar type animal...or just have some info for me.
Thanks so much for any help!

[Ashling]

Sounds risky to me- I had rats and they attacked my bird once... I guess chinchillas could do the same. Also, if a bird decides to take a bite of chinchilla things could go bad pretty quick.

[birdlover912]

Chins are pretty doscile creatures...I wouldn't worry at all about them attacking your birds. My family used to have a chinchilla named Meeko, and he was the sweetest little thing. He was never out of his cage when the birds were, but he was so easygoing and well behaved, that I am fairly certain nothing dangerous would have happened.

Keep in mind that chins are fast, and can climb and jump. This might make capturing a chin that doesn't want to go back to its cage difficult, especially if it is climbing on other cages. Also, chins aren't supposed to have too much rich, fresh foods (too much can lead to digestive upset). It might be potentially harmful if they ate fruits or veggies that the birds drop from their cages. It might be best to keep them away from the birds, also because their hearing is much better than ours...imagine what a screaming bird would sound like to them!

[SissyCool]

Thank you so much for the responses! Gives me something to think about. LOL
I don't really NEED more pets...but I just love them so much! :-)
Thanks again!

[Razzle]

I don't know much about chinchillas except that they are very emotionally fragile and would not make a good pet in a very loud and raucous household. So I would say that your current zoo, I would recommend against a chinchilla. A good alternative would be a guinea pig, actually, because they don't seem to be bothered by the loud noises, make a loud squealing noise themselves when upset so you know what to avoid, unlike a quiet chinchilla which I'm guessing might just keel over with fright one day, and guinea pigs are very pretty, docile, and are just as tame if you keep them in pairs as if they are housed individually. (Imagine your birds copying that wonderful guinea pig shriek! :))

[RicosMom]

I have a 6-year-old Chinchilla, Nina. Her cage is in the same room as Rico's.....She doesn't mind loud noises at all (she also lives with three pugs and one cat). The pugs like to bark sometimes, and, of course, Rico likes to make himself heard on occasion. She doesn't mind at all. Chinchilla's do need large cages, though. Nina's is as large as Rico's cage, with multiple levels. Free choice timothy hay is a must, and I also offer Oxbow Chinchilla pellets, dried and fresh fruits and other treats. She has a lot of chew toys, pumice stones for her teeth, a hammock and a soft cushy bed. She also has a large ball that she rolls around the house in for at least a couple of hours per day. She literally runs the ball into the pugs and cat (she has no fear). Rico has seen her (and vice versa). Like others have said, chinchillas are very docile. They do require daily handling and interaction to keep them tame, though. Daily sand baths are a must (no water baths). They are very quick and agile, and they love to chew. So I do not allow Nina free run of the house as she will quickly destroy the baseboards and wire (which could be fatal). Found out about the baseboards the hard way.....thought I could watch her closely enough. Could do that .... just not quick enough to stop her. They're great pets!! I just keep her separate from Rico, but they have no problem being roomies (they're cages are also not right next to each other).

[RicosMom]

Nina in her cage

[SissyCool]

Nina is a DOLL! How cute is that? LOL
Thanks so much for the info!
I know I could take care of chins...I have plenty of time, plenty of space, and WAY more than enough love! LOL
If I was to get them, Hubby was going to make a fairly large, multi-level cage for them.
Saw directions for it on a website.
When I was a youngster I had 32 hamsters, 16 guinea pigs, and 8 gerbils! LOL
The guinea pigs were always my favorites so I have thought about another of those.
Can you tell I've always been an animal freak? LOL
So, thanks again to all! Knowing me, whether I get the chins or not, I'll eventually end up with SOME kind of rodent...and it's nice to know there are ways for them to be in same house with birds. :-)

[NanDayus]

I have four chins(Lilo & Stitch and Bonnie & Clyde[two mating pair]) in the same room with Nipper. and the rest are just one room over. None of them seem to mind each other. In fact, with as much running around and jumping as they do in their cages they make just as much noise. I can attest to the catching one though. It is not easy. My husband and I were cleaning Lilo and Stitches cage and Lilo jumped out and decided that it was time for a run. she was hard to catch. If they feel threatened then they will jump on their hind feet with their hands in the air like they are going to box. then they shoot pee at you.... LOL.... it is nasty.

The only thing that might bother the birds is the chins' dust baths. I know they make my husband sneeze, so a bird would be no different i guess. Nipper sneezes just from fluffing his feathers. it is like he is allergic to his own dust. LOL

[some-budgie-loves-me]

I considered getting a chinchilla at one point. They are soooo soft, and I think they're cute (in kind of an odd way). I can't imagine a chinchilla hurting a bird because they're herbivores (if I remember correctly) and pretty timid...prey animals, just like parrots.

As far as them being easily frightened to death, I have heard that too, and maybe they are more fragile than many pets. However, I used to neighbor a 3rd grade classroom that had two chinchillas as class pets. Although the kids were kind to the chinchillas, the kids were pretty loud (we're talking about a whole class of 8 & 9 year olds) and boisterous, and the chinchillas did just fine. I would guess that-- like parrots-- it depends at what age you get the chinchilla and how it is socialized....and it may depend on the temperament of the particular chinchilla as well.