How the Chinchilla's Came into my life :)

 

 

THIS WAS 5 YEARS AGO...........

I was on the freeway traffic was flying.  I see this thing hopping down the side of the road I have my kids, Devon –12 years old, Dawson – 9 years old, and my cousin Marley who is 11 yrs old in the back of the car.  So I go around the block and decide I can't let this thing get hit. I had been reading books about saving animals, the man in the books saved Lions and elephants and such: but I'm starting with this thing that is in the road.  I see it and I stop my car turn on my hazards and get out to catch this thing.  At this point I think I know it's a Chinchilla, I don’t know HOW I know this but I just do, but I know nothing else.  He is hopping all over the street in and out of traffic and people are still going 55 MPH so the kids are hanging out of the car trying to tell me where it is and I'm yelling at them and trying to chase this thing.  So I say to myself if my husband saw what I was doing right now I would be in BIG trouble, because NO one at this time is in a safe predicament. 
 
I get back into my car and as I go to shut my door I see his little face look up at me and twitch his little nose.  All of a sudden all the doors bust open because the kids know that I'm leaving and they are not letting that happen.  Now all the doors are open everyone BUT Devon is out of the car because, like his dad he is Mr. Safety.  Marley has her camera phone and is trying to take pictures but every time it comes near her she screams as loud as she can.  Dawson is running around the truck like a freakin crazy man Devon is hanging out of every window trying to tell us where he was and all I'm thinking is if my husband saw me I would be in trouble and people were STILL going 55 MPH.  All of a sudden I just picked it up and told everyone to get into the car.  We piled in and I say, "don't tell your dad what just happened or I will be in trouble". 
Dave passes me on the other side.  Not, knowing that he had passed by I call him and say
”I found a Chinchilla"
and he said "how I just passed you" 
Huh...... Huh "it was running on the freeway"
"how did you catch him?"
"well I had to stop the car and I know I'm in trouble but he is SOOOO cute"
he says "what's a Chinchilla some kind of lizard?"
"Dave I don't think I would be chasing a LIZARD down the freeway"
I let him go because I suppose to be meeting my Aunt at Wal-Mart because she was taking the kids to my moms. 
Marley says "I will hold it (because my other cousin (Amanda) Marley's sister has rats)  I hold my sister's rats all the time" 
"OK!!!!, I'm going to run in to Wal-mart and grab something to put it in, whatever you do don't let it go in my truck"
So while I'm running threw Wal-Mart Devon is quick behind me so quick that he steps on the back of my flip-flop and I go flying, lucky catching myself before I hit the floor, I whipped my head around so fast and gave him the "back off SUCKER" look.  Then I said "please go get a cart and meet me at the pet part,"  I start a little bit of a jog to get there and Devon is soon to follow.  I'm looking for things that have Chinchilla's on it....like houses, food ....anything.  NOTHING!!!!  So Devon starts in on me
"Mom you need to hurry"
"I know Devon, I'm going to call Aunt Shelly and let her know what's going on"  and I'm thinking she will tell me what to get she baby-sits the rats all the time.  SO I tell her the brief story and all she says is
"where is it NOW"
"Marley has it in the car"  Holy Crap wrong thing to say, my aunt is a little bit on the LOUD-DRAMA side of things.
"I can't believe you are letting my daughter hold that thing, are you sure it's a Chinchilla?"  I had nothing...... I start thinking “am I sure not really, oh my what did I just pick up out of the road”.  As I'm thinking this she is yelling "it might have rabies, or some kind of disease and you let my daughter hold it?....I'll be there in a minute."
Devon is now just staring because he heard Everything she had just said.  "Now what?" he says to me
I then grabbed a big aquarium asked the guy in the isle what do you feed a Chinchilla and he gave me freakin gerbil food and we started running again.
In my head I'm thinking what if it has rabies or a disease, am I stupid, has it bit her and the biggest question of all is ....Did it bite her and she let it go in my truck!!!!
I get to the car and everyone is fine.
My Aunt comes as Dawson is petting it to sleep and says how cute it is and leaves with the kids.  But before she leaves she says "what are you going to name it?"
Devon says "road kill"  everyone starts laughing,
So it's me and Road Kill and I take him to Petsmart they tell me it's a boy and ALL the stuff I need, which is a lot!!!!  But he is still sleeping a lot and just letting everyone hold him, The lady says to me "you need a cage"
Earlier my aunt had called and said I found a cage for $5 at a garage sale do you want it?"
"Yes"
I tell the lady "No cage I have one on its way"
"When are you going to have it because this won't hold him, they jump 5 ft into the air, they are in the Kangaroo family."
"No this will work for now, Thanks"
Dave comes home and all he says is "that's an overgrown RAT” He barely touches him and we leave for dinner with him in his aquarium and the door to the office shut "JUST IN CASE"
When we got home the office was a MESS he obviously felt better and decided to check everything out.  I had POOP everywhere and still after 2 weeks I was finding it.