Advice

[Jaybee]

My partner and I are seriously considering getting 2 chipmunks. We have room for an outside aviary, but want to know if we could also keep them indoors during some of the winter months as we are worried about the excessive cold and us not having so much contact with them. Is this possible? Also, can anyone recommend a reputable breeder in the Midlands area?

[tarcus]

Don't know about breeders in Midlands but I do know I have an aviary outdoors and never bring the chips in and I live in a far colder place than you do I  imagine being on the north east coast you will find many sources of comfort to guide you as to where you would like to keep your pals but personally I have no problem with mine as I have a bench built into the aviary and still manage to spend time with them during winter
Have you checked out the photo section on here?
http://super-chipmunks.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,172.0.html
loads of Ideas to help you out.....

[jennyb]

Hi  Jaybee, i have one Chippie indoors Abigail but my others are outside. I kept mine outside all winter with no problems, they didn't hibernate but i live in the South-East which is probably slightly warmer. Originally that was what we was going to do, have the Chips in the aviary in the spring and summer and bring them in for autumn time and then keep them indoors until the next spring. But we changed our mind because we was worried moving them all and bringing them indoors would probably mean separating, we don't have room for lots of large cages inside and i was worried if they were all separated for the winter they might not all get on again next spring. I think if you just had two who could live in one large cage bringing them in for winter could work. They could stay together so there should be no problems putting them back out again the following spring.
Good luck with getting the chippies

[hollysmithy]

hi ive kept mine indoors with no problems at all
i was a breeder till a few months ago when i lost a couple of my chippies but now our petal is retired  bless her
but i will keep my ears open as i now a few from mids area n wolvo  that are breeding 

[Martyn]

Hi there,
  Just to let you no that you do no that by keeping chipmunks indoors in the winter and not letting them hibernate, that you are shortening there life span!,
    Martyn,
       www.cheekychipmunksse.webs.com

[hollysmithy]

probably but everbody is different with keeping chippies as long as the chippies are happy
thats what owners love 

[DaveB]

Hi Jaybee

 welcome to the site, if you are seriously considering getting a pair then don't hesitate any longer as they make fantastic pets and will give you hours of entertaiment and laughs. I started keeping mine in february this year and went from 2 to 13 in a few months.

Although all mine are outside in an aviary and will stay there for the winter,I wouldn't put any outside now from indoors as they will need time to get used to the weather.
The end of April to early May is usually a good time as the nights are warmer,  so unless you are getting them from an aviary I would keep them inside for this winter.

Hope this helps and good luck 

[jennyb]

Hi there,
  Just to let you no that you do no that by keeping chipmunks indoors in the winter and not letting them hibernate, that you are shortening there life span!,
    Martyn,

I have never heard that before


I have had Chipmunks live to a good old age 

My Ginger and Hazel spent almost their whole lives indoors, they spent only a month outside as sadly Ginger died soon after moving out there and Hazel was soon bullied badly and needed removing back indoors to recover. I then kept her indoors from then on.

Ginger male lived to 8 years old
Hazel female lived to 8 years 10 months old
Both were Cinnamon.

I also had two girls who lived to old age who never lived outside.
Creamie was my oldest ever female about 9 1/2 years old when she passed away
Christmas lived to about 8 1/2 years old.. Both were Dilute White.

All my early Chippies died young before 5 years old,although Sandie, Ginger and Hazel's mum lived to about 6 at a guess, she was at least a year old when i bought her.

My Pearl who just passed away had lived outdoors almost her whole life, she was born in an aviary and when i got her at 3 1/2 years old i then had her indoors for nine months before i had the aviary built and she lived outside until october when she moved back inside, because of her past illness i felt it was too risky to stay outside for the winter. April this year she moved back outside until she became ill again in june and moved back indoors so she has moved around alot.