Hello!

Hello and welcome to my first Kiwistix post!

I'm sure you're wondering, "what exactly is Kiwistix?" Well, Kiwistix is a website created as a way to share my love and expertise of my favorite animals -- chinchillas! The name for this site arose from my chinchillas' favorite wood chews, kiwi sticks!

A little about how I got started in chins--in January 2006, I purchased a white mosaic female from the petstore I was working at while an undergrad. I named her Gizmo and I fell in love with how absolutely adorable she was! Those whisker kisses, her little paws, how soft and fluffy her coat was--she just exuded cuteness! And that's how I was bitten by the "chin bug!"

Fast forward almost 15 years and now many know me through my activities in the chinchilla communities and the US breeder organizations as Chinchilla Chateau. Chinchilla Chateau and the ranch brand CCHT is my name registered with the ECBC and MCBA breeder organizations. I began breeding and showing chinchillas in 2006 after I bought a pedigreed breeding pair and I have produced many beautiful champion chinchillas as well as adorable loving pets over the years. As a small hobby breeder, I'm always proud to see my chins hold their own on the show table against the large full-time ranchers, even at the National level.

As a breeder, my main focus is on top quality standards and beiges as well as whites and pink whites. I was also involved in the development of the Lowe recessive white mutation (aka "goldbar" or "champagne") since importing them from Canada in 2011. I feel I made great strides in their quality by breeding them to my very best standards; one of my best Lowe recessive whites even took Class Champion!

Although I don't produce many litters each year, I also feel the responsibility as a breeder to assist in rescue situations for chinchillas in need. Chinchilla Chateau has always taken in rescues and owner surrenders in order to give those chins a second chance at a "fur-ever" home. We have assisted with several rescue and owner surrender cases, nursing chins back to health and eventually placing them in permanent homes.

In recent years, I've scaled back my breeding to a smaller-sized herd and have focused more on education. I have given presentations at the National ECBC meetings, taught 4-H and FFA groups, and pop in to give advice in chinchilla groups on social media.

I know the year 2020 has been interesting for most of us due to COVID-19 lockdowns, travel restrictions, and new ways of daily life. Being at home more meant I had more free time to play with my chinchillas and other pets. I also found myself on my computer more than usual and coming up with new creative ideas and thoughts about these amazing animals that I'd love to share with others!

As this website develops, I plan to share my knowledge and expertise in the form of blog posts, videos, product reviews, and of course, I won't forget the cute content of my "dust bunnies!" I've also created a shop with apparel and accessories with cute designs for the chinchilla lover. Keep an eye out as we launch for Black Friday! I'll post a discount code good for that day only.

I hope you'll continue to follow and support this new website! Make sure to subscribe and feel free to share with all your chinchilla-loving friends!