05/08/2026
EDUCATIONAL POST
*Shows and show cages*
Breeding healthy chinchillas has been and should be the MAIN focus for ethical and responsible breeders.
Other than pedigree tracking, one of the more important factors of responsible breeding is attending shows. When you are with all your own animals and they are all you see, you become "barn blind". You only have your own animals to compare to so you lack any sort of goal to strive for. Seeing others' animals shows you what you might be lacking in your own herd quality wise. Shows are also a wealth of knowledge. You learn endless information from other breeders who all bring their own experiences. You get hands on experience, training, and knowledge. You also get critique on your individual animals to help you understand how to pair that animal for the better, something that someone cannot tell you via pictures. It also opens the door for sales from breeders you wouldnt have the chance to purchase from due to distance and that allows you to bring in traits and health into your program that you may need. This process works. It's why chinchillas now have a much longer lifespan and issues like Malloclusion have been fairly bred out if purchasing from a breeder. For anyone who has dealt with Malo, they can tell you how heartbreaking the experience is. Animals at these shows are handled with exceptional care. We literally PAY a pretty penny to travel and attend these shows. We have supplies, first aid kits, and processes that pet homes have no idea about. We put our heart, soul, and finances into this. The animals are not in pain, theyre not scared, theyre not abused. We can dig up plenty of pictures of chinchillas over the years actually showing off, rolling around, and trying to mess with other chinchillas while on the show table. And honestly, most of them end up just sleeping. Their feet *never* develop sores or redness in these cages otherwise things would have been adjusted decades ago.
I am making this post for educational reasons and here on out, I will not tolerate comments that are anti-show and show cages. To quit showing would be detrimental to the overall health of these animals. If you don't understand, ask. Otherwise, sadly, you're free to unfollow. I will always put my animals first and that means I show.