Rehoming

[BrainGirl]

I was wanting to get other members' takes on rehoming, or in my case "UNhoming" a recently adopted pet.

I'm a great believer in pets being given "forever" homes, even if they turn out differently than you expected, but there have been times in my life when an animal is wildly unsuitable and it has to be done. I'm thinking especially of the psycho dog (I'm serious, I'll tell you about her sometime) and...well I'm not sure there have been any others. I mean it when I say I'm going to give a pet a home, because home they stay!

This new chinchilla though... It's weird, she's the cuddliest, snuggliest chin I've ever met, just snuggles into your chest and goes to sleep, she's impossible not to love! But she gets a sniff of another chinchilla and she's enraged. I was worrying about how she would react to actual chinchillas and this morning I found out. My teeny little baby (she's a runt, not a baby, but she looks like a baby) leaped out of my arms and made a beeline for the new girl. Jumped on top of the cage and suddenly the chin inside leaped straight up, grabbed her foot, and dragged her in! My poor baby couldn't get away and her whole leg was inside the cage with a large adult chinchilla dangling from it. Thank goodness no damage was done because I was sure I would be dealing with a broken leg. The skin wasn't even broken though which surprised me.

I just feel like such a bad fur-mommy for giving up on her so quickly but I really can't deal with a chinchilla who is going to be a danger to my other pets. I've contacted her previous owner because she'd said she would take her back if things didn't work out. I just feel so guilty and bad for my friend who is absolutely in love with her. She's a real people chinchilla but alas, not a chinchilla's chinchilla

What are your thoughts on rehoming?

[Esmy]

I think sometimes it is possible to adopt a pet that turns out isn't a good fit for the home and I think it's doing the right thing for the pet by finding a home that it is better suited for. I fostered a dog that was such a nightmare and showed aggression towards my cats, that I had to ask the shelter to find another foster home. I got a lot of flack for not sticking it out. If we are confident the animal will be better off in another home, with a different kind of environment, then I think that's being responsible. As long as it isn't dumping a pet or giving it to the first taker. I know you said that wasn't the case.

[NiceCrocs]

I completely agree with Esmy. If an animal is going to be a danger to you, your family, or your other pets it's definitely the right thing to find it a home more suited to it.

[BrainGirl]

Thanks guys. I also feel a bit silly for taking her on just based on her appearance. She just looked so much like my last rescue and I missed her so much that I jumped at the chance to have her "again". I just found out though that the breeder I know has an older girl who needs a home who loves other chinchillas but isn't cuddly. That's not what people want though so she's going to have a hard time homing her. I don't care about cuddliness though, it's not my happiness I'm interested in but Pippa's. I know she wants to be friends with somebody and unfortunately the one she's got is not nice. I think Pippa puts up with her because she doesn't have any other options

[BrainGirl]

Good news, her previous home is more than willing to have her back! Even better, I'd mentioned the problem to my local breeder and she was like "well why didn't you say you were looking for another chin!" except that I wasn't of course, not seriously My heart just ran away with my head! Anyway, she has an older girl she's looking after who needs a good home and who loves other chinnies! So there's hope yet

[Hekomi]

I'm glad to hear things sound like they're working out well for you.

[BrainGirl]

If anyone's wondering why I repeated myself up there, I was just dealing with truckload of firewood. Alone. This is what exertion does to my already poor short-term memory. That's what a hole in the head will do for you! You can consider this a PSA: Look after your brain!

[Esmy]

Glad it is working out well! And now the person knows that the one you have shouldn't be in a home with other chinchillas.

[BrainGirl]

I don't know now. My friend is outside crying because he's so in love with her plus I just found out that she lost her partner only a few days before I got her. That could totally explain her behaviour. Poor girl, I just want what's best for her

[kyrilliondaemon]

Poor chin Is there any way of keeping her separate from your others for a while first? Or of keeping her near them but in a cage with small enough bars/mesh to stop her being able to grab them if that happens again? If its because she lost her partner it might be that you having the others'd benefit her in the end.
Before you said that I did (reluctantly) see why you were thinking about rehoming her, still do see why - you can't have your pets hurt. Its just a really, really difficult situation