We're permanently home!
We're here because we needed some permanence in our lives. We've been passed around, given away, and have either health issues or behavioral issues which increase the chances that we will never find permanent homes outside the sanctuary. We tell our stories below our pictures so that you can get to know us better.
If you'd like to sponsor one of us, please click on the donation button below the picture of the chin you'd wish to sponsor. Your donations help defray the costs of living, and help to buy us pellets, hay, dust, and toys. They also go towards our vet bills. Thank you for choosing sponsorship.
It only costs about $8.20/month to sponsor one of us. There are no commitments. Even a one-time donation will help tremendously.
Sponsors will receive a picture of their chin with the chin's life story, if known, and issues he or she is currently working on. Sponsors will also get a birthday card and a winter holiday card (we request that you specify the holiday you observe).
Wubbzy Enoch
September 6, 1993
Hi! I'm Wubbzy. I was named after my new favorite cartoon. I came to live here on September 7, 2008. I'm here because I have seizures, and since the nice folks here already had two chins with seizure disorders, they requested me specially from another rescue.
I've been through a lot in my 16 years. My first people didn't know too much about chinchilla nutrition, so my sons and I were fed nothing but treats and bad stuff. When I was surrendered to the first rescue 4 years ago, I was only 340 grams. They sent me and my two sons to the rescue I was at before here, where they fed me up. My two sons were eventually adopted, but not me. I stayed there 3 years before I came here. The folks here said that I am Permanently Home, and I never have to move again.
I have a really comfy fleece set in my new set up. The rescue folks thought we chins would appreciate being surrounded by soft, snuggly comforts, and I have to say, I truly enjoy the cuddliness of fleece! I also have 2 shelves, which I haven't had for years. My seizures only happen when I'm excited, so there is no danger in my getting hurt. Just in case, though, the new folks have arranged my shelves so that I can't fall off and get hurt. I love to practice jumping between shelves! I also have a lot of toys here, though I have to admit that crabapple sticks are my favorite.
November 3: I'm settling in really well. The doctor said that I do have epilepsy, but they decided that they wanted to try some natural methods to deal with my seizures instead of getting me the medicine-treat (phenobarbital). The folks here make a special effort to talk to me every time they come in the room. The lady comes over and lets me push my nose against her finger til I'm sure it's her, then I wait while she scritches my nose for me. I'm having less seizures, because I'm getting used to being showered with attention. Getting attention helps relieve my stress. Less stress means less seizures. Sometimes I go for whole days without a single seizure, lately I've been going even longer! Before I came here, I'd have a seizure every time someone would say hi to me, just because I was so excited to have attention.
January 31: I'm doing better than anyone thought possible. I have less than a seizure a week now. I love to come up for nose pets, sometimes I'll even let the lady scritch my chest. I like to hold her finger and just sit and look at her. My favorite time is playtime, and after that is "lights on." We get acidophilus or a rosehip then. My favorite toys are bamboo shredders and willow shapes. I like to play with other boy chins during playtime, but I don't like to share my cage with anyone just yet.
The new lady says that I'm a wonderful chinchilla. She said that maybe someone will read my story and want to sponsor me. If you sponsor me, you'll get my story and my picture, the things I'm working on, and a birthday and winter holiday card. If you sponsor me, I'll get extra toys, and you'll help to cover vet & medicine costs (if I need medicine), shavings for the litter pan, dust, hay, pellets and anything special I might need (like ramps so I can get down from the first shelf to the floor more easily). Every little bit helps, and I'd be very grateful for any help you'd give. I know the folks here would be very thankful as well.
Hi, I'm Esther! I'm 9 years old. My daughter Naomi and I came here on September 7, 2008, after being at another rescue since February 5, 2007. As you can see, I've chewed the fur over my entire body and tail. My head still has fur because I couldn't reach it. The folks here think that I stopped eating shortly before I came here, because I didn't poo for a whole day. I'm very, very thin--the vet said I'm malnourished--and weigh only 425 grams. They are working hard with me to encourage me to eat, and I've gotten Critical Care, Lifeline, acidopholus, Calf Manna and crushed rosehips to eat (plus pellets and hay, of course). Two days ago, the lady saw me eating pellets and hay for the first time. She told me I have to eat up all the hay so she can give me more. They're very kind here, even though I'm being as grumpy as I can be to chase them away.
When I have Holding Therapy, all they ever do is tell me how good and wonderful I am, how much they love me and how perfect and beautiful I am at this very moment. I'm not sure what to think of that. It must be true, because the lady got me wet with water from her eyes the other night, just holding me and saying how wonderful I am. She said I will never have to worry or move again. That everything I will ever want, they will give to me. That if I want, I can stay here forever.
I have had a very hard life since being in rescues. I lost my mate to suspected malocclusion. I was so stressed out that I chewed off all my fur. I was so stressed out, I stopped eating. I don't know what happened to most of my kits, and I didn't want to lose Naomi, too. She is my best friend. Then we came here. It seems to be different. There are cartoons and music all the time; there are not very many chins, so we get personal attention and interaction throughout the day. We've got a huge house, and all kinds of fleece things to snuggle in.
October 4, 2008: Here's a picture of me from October 2! See how well I'm doing now? I've gained 150 grams over the past 2 weeks, and I've stopped chewing my fur. I love to say hi through the bars of the cage, but still bark when they try to touch me. I admit, I like it here. The lady talks to me all the time, she even sings special songs with my name in it! I know that no matter what happens, I'll be safe and well cared for. 
January 31: The lady here said she is super proud of me, and that you will be impressed to know my most recent weight. I weigh 700 grams! My fur has grown in, and though it's a bit sparse, it's still fluffy and soft. The calcium supplementation helped me tremendously, and my teeth are a nice topaz color again. I used to hate being touched, but now, when they open the doors to the cage, I come running up for attention. Just last week, I let the lady scritch my chest.
The lady here said that maybe you'd like to sponsor me; to help me on my road to recovery. To help me become the best chin I can be. If you sponsor me, you'll get a picture of me and what they know of my history, you'll get a birthday card and a winter holiday card (you choose the holiday). I'll get extra toys, and my supplies would be covered, including Critical Care, Lifeline, pellets, hay, shavings for the litter pan, new litter pans, and anything special I may need. I'd be very thankful and appreciate any help you'd give, and the folks here would be very grateful, too. Every little bit helps.
Naomi Ruth
April 14, 2003
Hello, I'm Naomi, and I am 6 years old. My mom (Esther) was surrendered to another rescue on February 5, 2007, and I joined her a year later after my dad died. We came to Finally Home Chinchillas on September 7, 2008.
I'm a friendly girl, if I say so myself. I'm just not very used to human contact. I have a rudimentary right eye that requires weekly drops. I require special eye drops from the vet that I will need for the rest of my life. At the last rescue, things started becoming stressful and I started chewing the fur on my hips. I needed special intervention to help me overcome this. I'm also what the vet called "malnourished" and so I get the same things my mom gets: Critical Care mixed with Lifeline, acidopholus tablets, Calf Manna and crushed rosehips. Since I've gotten here, I love to sit in front of the bowl and chow down on the pellets. I'm a real good eater, and the lady here said that she needs me to eat as much hay as I can so she can give me more. I'm still trying to figure out the hay box, but she puts some hay on the shelf for me to work on.
I'm not very comfortable being held, and during Holding Therapy, I put my teeth on the folks' hands to let them know. No matter how hard I do it, even when I bite down hard, they tell me I'm good and wonderful and lovely; that no matter what I do, they love me! (Don't tell, but I actually like hearing that.) I love when they come in and just talk to us, or sing us songs. The lady told me the story of my name, too.
I love my mom Esther very much, and when it's time for Holding Therapy, I'm not afraid to spray to protect her. We love to snuggle up in the hammock and in the wooden house. We will be together for life, which is the ultimate reason I'm in the Permanently Home wing. I do have medical needs that will require attention for the rest of my life. I also have behavioral issues, but I know I'll overcome them in time. However, whatever my mom Esther wants to do is what we'll do. For now, she needs to know we're not moving again.
November 3: The lady here said I'm really blossoming. I weigh 750 grams now (I was 650 the last time they weighed me, which was about 2 weeks ago), and I'm slowly becomming less food-aggressive. I love when the lady holds me and tells me how wonderful I am, but I get a little worried when the man holds me. He's never hurt me, though, so I'm starting to trust him. I've stopped chewing my fur, and it's finally starting to grow in.
January 31: All my fur has grown in! I must say, I'm quite the charming chinchilla to behold. My eye has not had any issues for the past two months, and I'm much more willing to be picked up. When they open the doors to the cage, I come running up to be held.
My story is not the same as the others', but it's still worth sharing. The lady here thought perhaps you'd like to be a part of my healing journey, through sponsoring me. If you sponsor me, you'll get a picture of me and what they know of my history, you'll get a birthday card and a winter holiday card (you choose the holiday). I'll get extra toys, and my supplies would be covered, including my special eye drops from the vet, Critical Care, Lifeline, pellets, hay, shavings for the litter pan, new litter pans, and anything special I may need (maybe even a wheel!). I'd be very grateful and appreciate any help you'd give, and I know that the folks here would also be very appreciative. Every little bit helps.
Babbette Yael
September 6, 2004
I was surrendered to another rescue on April 20, 2008, and I came to Finally Home Chinchillas on September 7, 2008. The rescuer at the last place told the folks here that before coming to the first rescue, I was horribly abused. When I was first here, I panicked whenever the folks here opened the door to my cage, even if it's for food or hay. I am terrified of being held or touched by the man, and getting me for my Holding Therapy is quite a task. I'm slowly coming around and trusting the lady. She comes in to visit me every day, to tell me how wonderful I am, how brave, and how lucky she is that I'm here. Me!
The folks here have told me that I can stay here for the rest of my life, because it's just too hard for me to trust people any more. I know these folks here won't hurt me--they haven't so far, anyway--and so I can relax just enough. I've stopped chewing my fur since I came, and I've even binkied on my toes (little hops of joy) a couple times. I'm in a different cage now, so I'm safe when I have my moments of cage psychosis and run wildly up and around the walls.
They love me here, and know I can't help being terrified. They don't push me hard at all, just expect me to come get my acidopholus tablet and my rosehip from their hands. The other day, I decided to be really brave and jumped right onto the lady's hands. Then I got scared and jumped off, but turned right back around and jumped again! We were so happy with that, I got lots of snuggles and love and even a gentle scritch behind my ear. I got to play, too!
I have a cataract in my right eye, which requires minimal care. I was born in 2004, and the folks here have chosen my birthday to be September 7.
November 3: I am getting better and better every day. Almost all my fur has grown in (except on my tail). I love to watch tv, and when I'm looking to chat, the lady is right here to chat back! I've earned playtimes in the entryway/kitchen/den, and I just love it. There's so much to do. I'm still afraid of people, but now I know that I can at least trust these ones won't hurt me. A couple days ago I was so brave, I let the lady give me chest scritches and even a scritch under my chin! I didn't know that people could make me feel so good. I think that I'm going to have to try that again, because there really is nothing else like it.
January 31: I look like a different chin now! All my fur has grown in, my eye has cleared up (though I still have a cataract), and I love to get scritches from the lady here. To celebrate, they gave me a 2-level hidey house and that is my prize possession. I spend time in it every day, chewing on different toys or just snoozing. I also got a willow perch from Tennessee Chinchilla Rescue that, I have to say, I am just so cool when I stand on it. When the lady from the Tennessee rescue came by earlier this month, I surprised the folks here by running right up for scritches and attention. Usually, I'm very shy. I'm starting to learn that not all people will hurt me, and that is a wonderful feeling.
Would you like to sponsor me, and help me out as I learn that not all humans are bad? I've had such a hard life, and I'm glad I've fought to survive. I'm glad that I got to come where humans are nice, where I don't have to do anything at all but be a chinchilla. I know I'm not perfect and that I don't tell as much of my story as some of the other chins, but I'm still worthwhile. Any donation you'd make would help to get my special eye drops, q-tips, Lifeline, pellets, hay, shavings for the litter pan, new litter pans, and anything special I may need (maybe even a wheel!). It would help off-set the cost of my toys. I'm a rather anxious chin, and I go through a lot of them! If you sponsor me, you'll get a picture of me and what they know of my history, you'll get a birthday card and a winter holiday card (you choose the holiday). I'd be very grateful and appreciate any help you'd give, and I know that the folks here would also be very appreciative. Every little bit helps.
Chilli Shalom
February 6, 1989
Chilli came to us on December 7, 2008. He is an 18 year old solo-chinchilla. Chilli was very loved and doted on for his entire life, but became anxious as other rescued animals were introduced into the home. As a result, he started to chew his fur. He went to a rescue in Michigan, but became stressed there when the people would go on "ranchie runs" to save ranch chins. When his fur chewing became extreme, the rescue asked if we could help him.
When he arrived here, Chilli felt like a naked rat. He had little-to-no fur from the shoulder blades down. It was the most extreme case of fur chewing we've ever seen, online and in person. Chilli has some basic goals: weight gain, stop chewing his fur, and gain control. He's doing really well in all three areas. Chilli has gained between 50 and 75 grams this week, he has stopped chewing his fur, and he has not barked defensively for days.
Chilli will spend the rest of his life with us, as per his mom's request. (His mom being the lady who had him for the first 16 years of his life.)
1-31-09: Chilli is making remarkable strides, doing much better than we'd originally anticipated. At this time, we're tentatively confirming that Chilli has met all his goals. He has maintained his weight at 600-625 grams since December 21, he has not chewed his fur since being here, and he has not barked for at least 8 weeks. When we left to go to Chicago for the day, we were concerned he'd revert to his fur chewing and that we'd come back to a naked chin. Our fears were evidently unfounded, as Chilli still had his fur, and was very happy to see us. It was wonderful, when we turned on the light and he clearly gave us a look that said "it's about time, people!"
Chilli is a very happy, well-adjusted chinchilla. He needs scritches several times a day for about 15 minutes at a time, but that's no big deal to us. His favorite toys are flavored loofah and willow stars. He loves to snuggle up in piles of fleece, and his favorite possession at this time is his fleece house.
April 22: Chilli is doing amazingly well. He has not chewed his fur once since coming to us. He doesn't bark, he doesn't itch. He's even less anxious to get scritches when we walk into the room. At first he would be so anxious to get them that he'd push his nose as far through the bars as he could, but now he sits and waits til we get close enough to give him some. His fur is 1/2" or longer over his entire body and he has this kind of mohawk on his back to his tail. Chilli's fur, like Esthers, is wispy in parts, and has grown long randomly. Other parts remain shorter, but unchewed, kind of like a downy layer. It's growing in slowly now, but it is growing, and that's what matters. His mom is very happy with his progress, and is pleased that he is with us, where he's getting the help he needs. Another positive improvement is that Chilli is very talkative and vocal now. He squeaks when he sees us and while getting scritches, and he gives us love nibbles (gentle little nibbles on our fingers and hands, that are a form of mutual grooming). We're very proud of Chilli's accomplishments, and look forward to seeing more in the future.
Piet Moishe
May 5, 2002
Piet, July 2009. Piet was so aggressive and bit so hard, we had to wear leather work gloves just to handle him, give him toys and clean his cage.
Piet, March 16, 2010. Piet has worked very hard with Kjell, and he will now allow Kjell to give him scritches, clean his cage, give him toys without any gloves. He also loves to play with Kjell during playtimes. Piet is still afraid of Marne, but his accomplishments are so far beyond our wildest dreams that it's ok. Just the fact he can lovingly interact with anyone is a major thing.
Piet is approximately 6 years old. He has severe behavioral problems related to brain damage he recieved at some point in his past. It's clear he was severely abused; every time he sees hands he goes into attack mode. He grabs the bars of the cage with his mouth and violently shakes the cage in an attempt to attack the hands he sees. Piet is very much like an overly-aggressive dog. He was taken in off FreeCycle by a caring family that tried for a year to work with him, but his behavior did not change. They surrendered him to a rescue that guaranteed him a forever home if his behavior could not be altered. That rescue tried to work with him for about a year, where it became clear that the behavior was unpredictable and compulsive. When the financial crisis hit that state, we took in Piet, so that the rescue would have one more space for an adoptable chin.
We exist for chins like Piet. He's very friendly as long as he doesn't see any hands. He loves to watch cartoons on tv, and he loves his fleece hammock. Piet is very possessive and gets threatened if we have to remove anything from his cage. He also refuses to leave his cage. Piet does bite to draw blood; he does bite excessively hard. Kjell wasn't aware of this, and on Piet's first night here, Kjell got bit so hard that he was bit clean to the bone. We must wear leather gloves and long, thick sleeves to clean out his cage.
Piet has overcome his fear of men, though not his fear of women. He will visit Marne through the bars without trying to immediately attack, but he will not let her pet him. On the other hand, Piet seeks out scritches from Kjell, and adores him. In spite of all this, we feel he's a great chin. Piet can't help his behavior, we know this. We're glad that he's found his place here.
Queen Nadia
July 12, 2006 
Nadia came to us in July 2009. She is a 3 year old girl that was transferred from a rescue in Wisconsin. When she arrived at the other rescue last year, her back seemed to be an odd shape, and she was smaller than expected. She had a lack of appetite and hated to be touched. The rescue took her in to the vet where they discovered Nadia had a broken pelvis, which was confirmed via x-ray.
Because of the location of the break, a cast wasn't an option. The rescue worked very hard with Nadia, giving her pain meds, encouraging her to eat Critical Care, and keeping her confined to a very small space. After some time, her pelvis did heal, though in a way that left her back straight (as opposed to rounded). Nadia can hop incredibly fast, which is pretty miraculous, considering what she's been through.
Poor little Nadia had a very rough life before entering rescues in 2008. She didn't have a name, her last owners kept her in an aquarium, they fed her really poor quality rabbit food. They would put her in a ball and let their big dogs play with her.
Nadia hates to be touched by women, but has taken to Kjell with gusto. She even hops into his hands to snuggle. She has an upcoming vet appointment to have her back checked out. If she is ok'd by the vet, we'll be getting her a specially made cage with modified ramps and shelves.
Nov. 27, 2009: Nadia is doing remarkably well. After a vet consultation, we have been slowly increasing her cage size, length of playtimes, and number and type of ledges in her cage. We are doing this to help her rebuild her back and leg muscles. So far, Nadia is doing well. She currently has a roomy cage with a leapin ledge and a shelf that runs the width of her cage that she loves to sit on while she watches tv.
Nadia's earned the nickname "Little Queenie" due to the regal way in which she surveys the room and anyone in it.
Sophia Loren
March 23, 2007
Sophia was born near the end of March 2007. She is here because she's got moderate behavioral issues. She is a very friendly chin until we try to touch her. In her last home, Sophia sprayed the people nearly every day, and hated to be picked up. Here, she has been startled (she sleeps with her eyes open, which we didn't realize at first), and so she has nipped. The last time Marne had to pick her up, Sophia was so afraid that she peed on herself. These aren't overly offensive behaviors by themselves, but they are related to her unsocialized nature.
Sophia hates to leave her cage--even for playtime--and she often hides from people. We feel she'll come around in time to make a wonderful pet, but for now she cannot be placed in a home. She came from the same place as Piet, and we took her in because that rescue was being innundated with surrender requests. We also took her in because of her sassy nature. We're suckers for chins with attitude, and we love to work with them to help them blossom into the wonderful chins we know they can be.
Sophia has gained well over 100 grams. She's got a great appetite for hay and she loves rosehips. Sophia's favorite two things are her fleece tunnel and her Chin Spin (which she came with). Her favorite toy is the Rosehip Surprise, though she'd never turn down mulberry sticks.
As you can see by her picture above, Sophia just LOVES to be photographed, hence her name (Sofia Loren Wikipedia article, pictures).
November 2009: Sophia was not pregnant, for which we are relieved. She's doing really well, letting us pet her hands and scritch her tummy. Sophia's been adjusting slowly, so we are tentatively placing her in the sanctuary.
Mitzy and Trinket
April 7, 2004 and February 9, 2007
Trinket is in the foreground, Mitzy is in the background.
Mitzy and Trinket were owner placed into our sanctuary due to severe epileptic seizures the girls both have. They did come with Belle (a mini chin) and Chrystal (recently lost her mate and was severely depressed). Unfortunately, shortly after arriving, Belle died due to genetic fatty liver, and about a month after that, Chrystal died due to pyometra, a gastrointestinal infection and cancer.
Mitzy is grey, Trinket is violet. Mitzy is Trinket's mother. When the girls were brought into our home, both had seizures. They are stress induced, and they are nearly identical to Johan's. Since that night, Mitzy has not had any seizures at all, but Trinket has had 2 seizures. Both were 4 minutes long, and she did expel fluid from her lungs. Trinket does not seem to have long-term damage from her seizures, but it does take her quite some time to recover after them.
For now, the girls are in a 1-level Ferret Nation, with shelves every 6". They cannot fall more than 6" from either shelf. They have their Chin Spin Wheel and a double hammock, and they love both.
When they first arrived, the girls were shy, but they have progressed to taking treats from our hands, and letting us pet their heads. Both girls have excellent appetites. Their pellets are dusted with calcium/alfalfa/rosehip powder once a week, and they are given alfalfa/timothy (50/50) hay cubes to chew on along with their hay. So far they do not need medication to control their seizures, and we are aiming to keep it that way for as long as possible.
Cerise
October 21, 2003
Cerise came to us for a couple reasons. First, she wasn't really fitting into the breeding program where she was. Second, she is not ready to be placed directly into a pet home due to behavior and personality issues. Cerise is a very special girl, and was well loved in her last home. We heard about her situation shortly after Belle died, and asked if she gets along well with other chins. She does, so we asked if we could possibly put her with Trinket and Mitzy, who are in the sanctuary wing of our rescue. The person thought it was a great idea. She brought Cerise down on a chin run at the end of March, 2010. We are going to start intros between the girls on May 2, the day after quarantine ends.
Cerise is a wonderful girl. She is very skittish and hid a lot at first, and she runs when she sees our hands. Cerise is coming around, however, and on occasion she will let Marne pet her hands. She takes rosehips from Marne, and she no longer hides when Marne is giving her a new toy or refilling her pellets/hay. When we catch her to hold her, Cerise soaks up all the attention and just loves to be pet and fawned over. She gets the cutest grin. Cerise likes to sleep half in her hammock, half on the shelf. We think she will fit in nicely with Mitzy and Trinket, and that she will do well here.
Cheech
August 1, 1992
Cheech is another owner-surrender. Due to the economy, the family could no longer care for Cheech the way he deserved. They told us they got him from a friend, and that Cheech was 17. We told them he'd stay in our sanctuary for the rest of his life (mainly because elderly chins are not often adopted), and the family did appreciate knowing he'd be here. He apparently spent most of his life in a 55 gallon aquarium. It is taking him some time to get used to being in an open-air cage, he was recently upgraded to a 1-level Ferret Nation. Cheech is very proud of his new cage.
It's clear that the family loved Cheech very much, and they gave him the best care they could. Aside from having poor vision, Cheech is a healthy and friendly chin. We must approach him slowly and let him know of our intentions before we act, to help him feel comfortable and safe.
Once he memorized the placement of everything in his cage, Cheech liked to jump between his leapin ledges, perches and shelf. Cheech LOVES fleece, and sleeps in his fleece tunnel every day. Cheech is high on our list for a Chin Spin, because he does have a lot of energy and we think he'd do very well with a wheel. He loves his toys, favoring loofah, willow, and sticks of any type. Cheech loves and will eat any treat we offer (rosehips whole, crumbled rosehips, shredded wheat, raisin, dried cranberry, dehydrated potatos, dehydrated kale).
Cheech is in the sanctuary due to his age, the number of places he lived before coming here, and some occasional behavior issues that are related to his age and poor vision. Cheech does occasionally bark and he does occasionally lunge if we reach for him without letting him know. We think that is also due to being in an aquarium; he is not used to people being able to reach through the side of his enclosure to touch him. Cheech is learning to appreciate scritches. He's doing very well here.
You may notice, in the pictures, that the chinchillas here have fleece sets in their cages. When a new chinchilla arrives here, we buy fleece and then sew him/her a hammock, pillow, house, fleece tunnel and two liners for his/her cage. We believe that the softness of fleece is reassuring to the chins, and that having such things helps smooth the transition to the new surroundings encountered here. Our belief has been furthered by the fact that each chinchilla that's come here has taken to its tunnel immediately, and for the first few weeks, will rarely leave it. These fleece sets belong to the chinchillas, and each pattern/color combination is unique to each chin. If adopted, the fleece set goes with the chin to his/her new home.