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[Joel]

My wife and I bought a chinchilla four days ago from a Petsmart.  We were told he was 4-6 months old.  My wife wants to be able to hold him (Tai), but is having a hard time being patient.  We left him in the cage the first day we had him, but let him smell us when we put our fingers near the cage.  The second day, we put our hands in the cage and let him climb on our hands (he did some nibbling, but nothing that hurt). We put him in a 13 inch ball and let him roll around for a few minutes, but by the end there were at least 10 droppings in the ball.  He took a raisin as a reward when we put our hands in the cage.  The third day my wife and I sat in a V outside of his cage and let him explore the area between us but blocked him from going more than a few feet outside of his cage. When we put him in the ball again he peed and made several more droppings within the first 30 seconds of being in there so we immediately put him back in the cage.    After having been outside the cage, he frantically chewed on the door in an attempt to get back out.  Today we tried the ball again and he peed quickly again.  We also took the whole cage to a different room with less hiding spaces and let him roam around freely for about 15 minutes.  He produced about 20 droppings while he was out and when we put him back in the cage he did more frantic (almost angry seeming) biting of the door frame and laid on his side which was worrisome, but has since gone back to his stomach.  If someone could provide advice on any of the following questions, we would appreciate it.

1)   Based on what I have said from the first 4 days, are we moving too fast?  Should we not give Tai so much freedom too quickly?  Should we stick more towards letting him walk on our hands within the cage?  On average how long does it take for a chinchilla to get used to people?

2)   On the same note, is it too early for us to use the ball

3)   He doesn’t seem to enjoy the dust bath as much as I thought he would.  He usually just goes in for about 2 minutes, does maybe one flip and then sits or digs the rest of the time.  We have been giving him one every day.  Is he just getting used to it, and is every day too often?

4)   His cage is currently sitting in the family room where the TV is.  Is the TV being near his cage too much of a distraction for him?

5)   Tai gobbles up the Thomas hay as fast as we put it in there, which is usually just 2 pinches a day.  Should we limit his intake?

6)          If I let him out for a minute and then put him back in the cage, he gnaws the door at a furious even more angry pace or pouts and acts like he wants nothing to do with me.  Is this normal?

7)   Any other advice for new chin owners would be thankful, thanks.

[Deeliteful]

1)   Based on what I have said from the first 4 days, are we moving too fast?  Should we not give Tai so much freedom too quickly?  Should we stick more towards letting him walk on our hands within the cage?  On average how long does it take for a chinchilla to get used to people?

I have had my chinchilla for nearly 2 years and he still does not enjoy coming out of his cage unless its in his ball other wise he would rather stay in. Patience Patience Patience did I mention Patience? It may take some time but ultimately the chin will set the limits . Its all about trust . You have to earn His trust.

2)   On the same note, is it too early for us to use the ball.

 The Ball is in my opinion a good thing to use for short periods of time . No more than 10 to 15 minutes. it gets really hot in there and thats not good for the chin.

3)   He doesn’t seem to enjoy the dust bath as much as I thought he would.  He usually just goes in for about 2 minutes, does maybe one flip and then sits or digs the rest of the time.  We have been giving him one every day.  Is he just getting used to it, and is every day too often?

I dust bath my guy 2 times a week . He rolls for a few minutes and comes back out . Dont leave the dust bath in there with him though. Too many dust baths can make for an itchy chin and skin troubles.

4)   His cage is currently sitting in the family room where the TV is.  Is the TV being near his cage too much of a distraction for him?

Chins need a space where there arent a bunch of loud noises . However I find mine simply loves to watch cartoon network just with the volume low.

5)   Tai gobbles up the Thomas hay as fast as we put it in there, which is usually just 2 pinches a day.  Should we limit his intake?

I put a large hand full of timothy hay in every feeding. They need the hay because of the type of digetsive system they have. You might not be giving them enough.

6)          If I let him out for a minute and then put him back in the cage, he gnaws the door at a furious even more angry pace or pouts and acts like he wants nothing to do with me.  Is this normal?

Yes LOL . Thats normal behavior. Just be patient . Talk calmly and sweetly to your chin and just be patient. Spending time every day is a good idea but don't force him.

7)   Any other advice for new chin owners would be thankful, thanks.

Its only been a few days since you got your chin . It took me a while to earn the trust of mine . It will happen I promise just be patient .

[Joel]

thanks for the advice.  Regarding the ball, is using the bathroom after a few seconds normal or are we doing something wrong?

[Deeliteful]

Normal too Joel . I have to clean my ball after every use because he poops and pee's in it . Chin's are poop machines and the peeing is not abnormal. Just make sure he doesnt have any poops stuck to his fur . carefully remove them if he doesnt .

[Abby W.]

I agree with what Deeliteful said.  Patience is an absolute must with chins.  Remember in the wild these animals are prey to large birds and other predators.  Think about how cautious you might be if you lived in a world where most things tried to eat you!  

I would be very careful with the ball.  I used to have one, but I stopped using it because it is very easy for them to become overheated.  Plus, I got tired of finding random pee spots on my floor, and my chin always came out with poops stuck to him...he looked like a chocolate chip cookie!

How often to dust depends on how often he is being handled, the time of year and climate you live in, and the individual chin's fur.  Dusting more frequently is required when living in humid climates, or where a chin is being handled often.  Also, some chins just seem to produce more oil than others.  I have a few that start to look gross after a couple of days without dust, but others who can go for a week or more.  You will be able to tel lwhen he needs a bath, as his fur will start to look a little scraggly and oily, instead of smooth and dry.  Just keep an eye on it and you will soon figure out how often he will need to  be dusted.

As far as hay goes, let him have as much as he wants.  All of my chins get unlimited hay.  It is vital for their digestion and helps keep their teeth ground down properly.  I recommend limiting the pellets though to a set amount per day.  I give 2 tbsp per day per chin.  This is because the pellets are not as good for their teeth as the hay,. and some chins can develop dental problems if they get too much of the pellet diet and not enough hay.

And as to the tantrums...that is normal chin behavior.  They can be quite dramatic and sometimes a little like prima donnas.  Just remember, as far as your chin is concerned, it's ALL about him 

[Deeliteful]

Yes Prima Donnas thats it  You are sooo right about that Abby.

Thank You for addressing the dusting = humid and handling thing I forgot about that . I live in a humid area but because I run the AC pretty much all the time and its the kind that dries everything out I dont have to dust but about twice a week .


I ment to add as well about watching the poop . With chins it almost seems to be always about the poop . Not too much poop unless its runny poop or squishy poop . But about consitancy and shape and such . Limit raisins to occasional treats . If you have a poop issue ever just ask . There are several good tips about it and how to handle the issue.

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

1)   Based on what I have said from the first 4 days, are we moving too fast?  Should we not give Tai so much freedom too quickly?  Should we stick more towards letting him walk on our hands within the cage?  On average how long does it take for a chinchilla to get used to people?

This has been cover...Patience is the answer.

2)   On the same note, is it too early for us to use the ball

I don't know the answer to this question because I personally don't feel safe using one with my chins. But that's me

3)   He doesn’t seem to enjoy the dust bath as much as I thought he would.  He usually just goes in for about 2 minutes, does maybe one flip and then sits or digs the rest of the time.  We have been giving him one every day.  Is he just getting used to it, and is every day too often?

I give my chins 2 times a week unless they are handled more within that week. I currently have 3 chins...my oldest boy gets in and is in there for about 2 minutes at the most and he gets out. My other boy staying in for about 5 minutes and he's done. Now my female...she doesn't know when to get out. She will stay in as long as she can. I leave the dust bath in her cage for 10 minutes and then I have to make her get out.

4)   His cage is currently sitting in the family room where the TV is.  Is the TV being near his cage too much of a distraction for him?

When I get my chins out one at a time so they can get away from each other...Gizmo watches tv as long as its turned down and theres no sudden loud noise. Those scare him. The other 2 don't like it. So I keep mine away from the tv unless its Gizmo and he gets out to watch about 5 to 10 minutes of tv so him and Shiloh has time away from each other.

5)   Tai gobbles up the Thomas hay as fast as we put it in there, which is usually just 2 pinches a day.  Should we limit his intake?

Let him have a much hay as he wants. If he eats it all put more in.

6)          If I let him out for a minute and then put him back in the cage, he gnaws the door at a furious even more angry pace or pouts and acts like he wants nothing to do with me.  Is this normal?

That's normal. Mine do it as well. Maybe give him scratches through the bars after putting him back.

Do you give your chin any type of treat?

[Joel]

thanks for all your responses, we have beenn getting along with Tai better.  Regarding the question about the treats, he gets a raisen occasionally, usually one a day, has gotten 2 a few times.

[Jenova]

If he lets you, try tickling his chin and neck through the bars of the cage.

Chins take anything from a few months to a year to trust you. But it's worth it. In my opinion you seem to be doing everything right so far. I like my chinchillas to be in a room where I spend most of my time and especially as yours is on his own he will bond with you rather than other chinchillas and will probably come to think of himself as human, so keeping him in the front room means he won't get lonely and you will be more likely to give him attention because he's right there.

Chinchillas don't like loud and sudden noises so as long as you take that into consideration I'm sure he'll be fine. Mine used to like watching us play computer games and weren't even fussed by gunfire. We let them get used to it slowly of course.

Just have patience like everyone said, give him lots of attention in the evenings and in a few months he could even be sitting on your shoulder as you watch TV.

[ChillinChinchillas]

I am very anti-ball. Chins can get overheated, they can get injured, they can get urine in their fur, etc. To me its just not worth the risk.

Take your time with him getting to know you. Some chins just don't like to be held, but you do want him to trust you.

Limit treats to appropriate sticks, cheerios, shredded wheat, rosehips, and oats.

[Jenova]

I don't like to disagree, but I am actually a big fan of balls. If you know the risks of overheating and they only spend 15 to 20 mins in it with careful supervision and they're big enough. My Chong absolutely loves the ball and actually actively tries to get in it. Cheech on the other hand isn't so fussed. Obviously at the end of the day it's up to you.