STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE / 46
RESCUING THE CUTE
and CUDDLY
New business specializes in Chinchillas
Who knew that Stillwater had a Chinchilla rescue ? I did . I follow a lot of cute animal / animal rescue accounts on Instagram . I prefer it over Facebook for quality animal content and boosting my mood .
I ' ve followed a Chinchilla influencer account ( yes , you read that correctly ) for a few years and came across a post about an Etsy store that sold safe Chinchilla products . Of course I had to know more , so I investigated and found out that the store was right here in Stillwater . Pandamonium ( That ’ s how it ’ s spelled ) Pets is located in Rosewood Hills shopping center . Katherine and Jose Marquez officially opened a storefront earlier this year for their unique pet supplies after operating out of their home for almost a decade .
Nine years ago Katherine was working at a corporate pet store chain when a customer wanted to return an injured Chinchilla he had adopted from the store . The customer was demanding a refund even though he had been the one who hurt the tiny animal . With her background as a Vet Tech , Katherine knew she needed to be the one to nurse this sweet furry animal back to health . And that ' s exactly what she did . She then made it her mission to learn everything she could about caring for Chinchillas . From reaching out to various groups , Facebook pages , and even breeders , Katherine was able to expand her animal knowledge of these exotic fluffballs – like the fact that they can live up to 30 years . Everything she had ever heard at the pet store about caring for and feeding these animals had been wrong . From their enclosures to their food , most pet shops do not take the time to fully educate their staff , let alone customers .
Katherine started filming Chinchilla videos and uploading them to YouTube and Tik Tok . Two of those videos actually went viral and she was contacted by two different Chinchilla content creators . They were inquiring about her items and wondered if she had an Etsy store . Behind the scenes , Katherine ' s family members had been helping her make and build all sorts of toys , treats , and wooden furniture . Her mom Karina sews fleece hammocks and pillows . They enlisted her younger brothers , Justin and Nick , to make treat bundles and wooden toys . Jose has perfected his woodworking skills to create safe picnic tables and custom lounges . I wonder if these items are available in human sizes ?
This husband and wife duo has left no stone unturned when it comes to the safety of these tiny animals . No staples , nails , or screws can be used in the fabrication of anything they make . Jose has found the perfect type of wood to use as gluing blended woods is dangerous . No plastics or regular food items either . All of their Chinchilla pellets and treats are organic and hand blended . Early on , Jose designed a wheel toy that ended up taking four years to master . He started with a lawnmower wheel that has now become a silent wheel which is a favorite amongst small animal lovers . The attention to detail in everything they create to ensure the health and safety of these cute critters is pretty remarkable .
Launching an Etsy store was a brilliant move , especially when the pandemic hit . The online store was the perfect business model to sell her pet items . Housing her entire business ( and some rescued Chinchillas ) in their home was a little
STILLWATER OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE / 46