The person who wanted me to throw in a cage and food emailed me back, saying "How much for a cage and food? What is the bottom price for them? I truly want them but can't afford them a cage and food."
My response:
We sell food at $1.25 per pound, and our cages start at $75. Both are cheaper than getting the stuff at the pet store. The chins are currently on sale -- the price you saw of $113 is their sale price, they're normally $150. $113 is cheap for two chins, especially with one being white, considering the pet stores charge $150 just for one chin.
If you can't afford them, a cage, and food (and that's not all you'd need to keep them healthy and happy), you wouldn't be able to afford vet care if they needed it -- if they needed to go to the vet for some reason, vet bills are typically $150+. I would suggest looking into a cheaper pet.
Cause here's the thing. Just a cage, food, and two chins is not going to cut it. And a $75 cage probably isn't going to be one big enough for two chins. But let's not forget, they also need hay, chew toys, water bottle, food dish.... none of these are huge expenses, but they do add up, especially for people who are barely scrounging by as it is.
Don't get me wrong, people can have the best intentions. But I won't adopt out chins to someone who said they can't afford the chins and the cage, cause if they can't do that, that's the least of it. I mean, our chins are adopted out healthy, but who's to say one won't develop a respiratory infection next month? If it does, well, let me put it this way -- I've never left the vet for under $150. Need meds? That's extra. Extra syringes? That's extra. Need to handfeed for some reason? Critical care is EXPENSIVE. If $113 is going to break the bank, you can definitely not afford two chins.
...and really, "what is the bottom price for them?" Really? It's not about the money, I'm not concerned with making a certain amount per chin, but I am concerned when people think that $113 is too much, because then I wonder what they'd say if something happened to the chin and they had to face a several hundred dollar vet bill. Cause here's the thing -- a lot of people that think $100 is too much for a pet also don't think that pet is worth vet care. Those people are often the ones who call me and say that the chin has a broken leg and has had it for a week, but they don't want to pay to take it to the vet. Want to know the reason? Cause they only paid $30 for the chin and don't want to spend hundreds at the vet, when they could get another chin for another $30. People are really like this, I deal with them all the time.
Now, don't get me wrong, there are some people who aren't well off who take their pets to the vet if needed and care for them well. But they're not the majority.
And, going back to the broken leg example -- you might be surprised how many of these people want me to take it to the vet, pay for the vet care, hang onto the animal until it's healed up, and then when it's better and I've spent time and bouceau bucks to fix their animal, they want me to return the animal to them. Oooooh no. The only way I'm paying for vet care for an animal is if the animal is surrendered to the rescue.
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