The Lost Boys
May. 31st, 2023 11:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shamanicshayminCopypasted from my Instagram. Pictures of the chinchillas are in my entry here.
Over the past several months, I’ve bought chinchillas from Petco. This is Geno, Joel, and Gladion. One by one, they suddenly got weaker and were dead within hours. I provided the highest quality Timothy hay and pellets their diet needed, yet their teeth were white instead of orange. I gave them calcium supplements and it wasn’t enough. My only explanation aside from my poor parenting (and I hope to hell it’s not) is whatever breeder Petco is purchasing their chinchillas from. Chinchillas have one of the longest lifespans a rodent could have—my first chinchilla Ryu lived for 12 years, and the absolute best a chinchilla can strive for is 20. The Lost Boys were still young and were only with me for a month to only a few weeks. This is unacceptable for chinchillas. Chinchillas should never have to suffer like this. In memory of the Lost Boys, I refuse to purchase chinchillas from Petco, even if it means no access to chinchillas as long as I’m in Texas. Buying unhealthy chinchillas only supports the greedy breeders they came from, and it would be a disservice to my chinchillas’ memories.
I’m sorry Geno, Gladion, and Joelly Joel. I only hope you were happy with me for however short your time was.
Over the past several months, I’ve bought chinchillas from Petco. This is Geno, Joel, and Gladion. One by one, they suddenly got weaker and were dead within hours. I provided the highest quality Timothy hay and pellets their diet needed, yet their teeth were white instead of orange. I gave them calcium supplements and it wasn’t enough. My only explanation aside from my poor parenting (and I hope to hell it’s not) is whatever breeder Petco is purchasing their chinchillas from. Chinchillas have one of the longest lifespans a rodent could have—my first chinchilla Ryu lived for 12 years, and the absolute best a chinchilla can strive for is 20. The Lost Boys were still young and were only with me for a month to only a few weeks. This is unacceptable for chinchillas. Chinchillas should never have to suffer like this. In memory of the Lost Boys, I refuse to purchase chinchillas from Petco, even if it means no access to chinchillas as long as I’m in Texas. Buying unhealthy chinchillas only supports the greedy breeders they came from, and it would be a disservice to my chinchillas’ memories.
I’m sorry Geno, Gladion, and Joelly Joel. I only hope you were happy with me for however short your time was.
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Date: 2023-06-01 03:43 pm (UTC)(I also had no idea chincillas could live that long! :o)
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Date: 2023-06-06 12:07 pm (UTC)Really sorry to hear about Gladion and Joel. It does seem like it's an issue with the breeder supplying Petco, especially since you didn't have the same problems with Ryu.