Hi! I am a new member, hailing from the west coast of our fair country. I am a stay-at-home mom to four and we have several chinchillas as family pets and for hobby breeding. I have owned chinchillas for about 25 years. They are so entertaining and sweet! I also love dogs and other pets, but our budget and busy family schedule does not permit me to indulge in them at this time. I'm hoping to get a dog in a few years when our youngest child is settled into preschool. We'll see how it goes. I'm not going to take on the responsibility of another pet until I know I have the proper time to devote to it's care (although I have had dogs before, when I had less children).