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[ChewChewChews]

So I rescued my three boy Chinchillas, which all live together in a big ol' cage, about a year ago and they've been good and sweet and fun to play with.

For the past two months though, at night, they've been chewing on their cage, loudly. My boyfriend and I rent a room so we keep them in the bedroom with us, which also happens to be the only air conditioned room in the house. I know Chinchilla's cannot get warm so I do not wish to take them out of my room and place them someplace warmer in the house.

The problem I'm having though is that I cannot sleep through their cage chewing, and it seems to be getting progressively louder. I'm pretty sure they're doing it for attention/because they are bored. They have pellets, water, chew toys, hay cubes, etc. but they always seem to go for their cage. They stop when I get up and poke them/sit with them, but I'd much rather be sleeping. It is to the point where I don't sleep 3 nights a week and I sleep the other 4 out of exhaustion. My boyfriend, of course, can sleep through anything so he's not having the same problem.

I've tried earplugs, they're still too loud. I can't sleep in another room - we don't have another room for me to go to. I'm trying to keep them up more in the day time and exercise them but they are still nocturnal creatures and they go straight for the cage when the lights are out.

Any tips or advice is appreciated. They just started doing this two months ago after having them for a year. It's my two youngest gray boys, both about a year and a half old (I got them when they were about 3 months from a rescue) are the culprits. We have an older beige male, unsure of the age, that does not chew on his cage. We also have a gray female that is kept separately that decided her food dish was the best chew toy ever, which means I go through a lot of food dishes. I know they chew a lot, but if anyone knows how to correct that behavior I'd love to know too.

[Jo Ann]

    

The problem I'm having though is that I cannot sleep through their cage chewing, and it seems to be getting progressively louder. I'm pretty sure they're doing it for attention/because they are bored. They have pellets, water, chew toys, hay cubes, etc. but they always seem to go for their cage. They stop when I get up and poke them/sit with them, but I'd much rather be sleeping. It is to the point where I don't sleep 3 nights a week and I sleep the other 4 out of exhaustion. My boyfriend, of course, can sleep through anything so he's not having the same problem.

Yep, chins are nocturnal ... try having their play time outside the cage last a little longer and is closer to your bed time.  This might help some ... especially if you can manage to get into a deeper sleep before they start playing.  Your anticipation of them waking you is another thing that is keeping you from sleeping.  Try some soothing music in the background to help relax you.     (Doesn't work for everyone, but it usually does for me.)

The problem I'm having though is that I cannot sleep through their cage chewing, and it seems to be getting progressively louder.

  They could be getting louder OR you could be getting more stressed dreading it and are sleeping even lighter ... it's like a snowball going down hill ... it grows larger and larger.  Chinchillas are suppose to be relaxing and enjoyable, not stressful. 

 Maybe ear plugs?      You may, eventually, have to consider finding new homes for the newest ones. 

Do you keep a lava stone and chew sticks in the cage for them?

   Jo Ann

[Debbie.nl.ca]

If they were mine I would say they were trying to get me up and let them out.

They know you are there, and after 2 months they know the routine.
You'll have to stop going over to them when they do it. I know it will be hard but they are creatures of habit.

Can you attach strips of pine to the areas where they chew?
I'm a big fan of attaching chews to the cages.
Try to obstruct their chew and give then something else to do instead.
Have several hanging toys that you can inter change so they have something different every night. Breaking up the routine of "a chew and then you".
I run strips with the screw heads inside the cage and screw out to small blocks on the out side.
Those plastic bottom chin cages that they love to chew out of I attach pine right around the inside edge.
I attach houses to the ceiling the same way, just a little block out side to screw into.
I screw two small blocks together for supports for shelves, and for some I have to then screw the self into the blocks or they'll just knock them all down. Funny others will never bother.
Even if you attach a nice heavy piece of cardboard over the area might give you enough time to get to sleep before they reach the cage bars.

Little darlings seem to have you well trained, 

 I know it must get frustrating trying to get some sleep.
 

[Petco Chinchillas]

Have you tried a sound machine?   It works for me.  I ahve a chin and a hamster living in my bedroom.  My fan is on high power so I can keep my chin cool. My fan makes lots of noise that I can deal with better than my chin`s noises. Also my sound machine is right by my bed where my head goes so I really don`t mind the noises. Plus every scary noise I hear that may or may not be them I just blame on them.

[Jo Ann]

    Most people adjust to the noise, but some never do.  I've only had 2 chins returned to me ... one was from a very, very light sleeper that slept down stairs and the chin lived upstairs ... talk about a light sleeper!!!   (or an extra noisy chin    )

Chinchillas love to be the center of attention, just like a child.  If you do not stop what you are doing, and play with a child when they want you to ... what do they do?  Throw a tantrum and/or make lots of noise to get you to stop what you are doing and pay attention to them ... same with a chinchilla.      

Like Debbie said:  "They know you are there, and after 2 months they know the routine.   You'll have to stop going over to them when they do it. I know it will be hard but they are creatures of habit."

...  My fan is on high power so I can keep my chin cool. My fan makes lots of noise that I can deal with better than my chin`s noises. Also my sound machine is right by my bed where my head goes so I really don`t mind the noises. ...

Chinchillas do not sweat, so a fan does not help a chinchilla ... all it does is move the air in the room around ... as a matter of fact, chinchillas should never be put in a draft of any kind ... hot or cold.  It can make them sick.

   Jo Ann

[Petco Chinchillas]

I have heard of that, but I didn`t think my fan was a draft, It has never been off since the time we got him.  It gets around 70 somehting degrees fahrenheit even with my fan running. What other way is there to keep him cool?

[Jo Ann]

   Fans are good for humans to cool themselves.  Fans for chinchillas circulate the air in the room (this is also important) ... just aim the fan in a different direction ... not directly towards your chin.   

A chin-chiller  would help.

Ice cubes in a mason jar with a metal led screwed on tight.  Lay it on the bottom level to prevent an accident.

An air conditioner (window unit) would be good.  They now have units that are freestanding and vent out the window.  We have 3 window units and 3 freestanding units as back ups, should our central air unit fail.  One of our free standing units heats and cools.

   Jo Ann

[Petco Chinchillas]

My fan is sitting on the ceiling and it is very far away from my chin. It hardly reaches him.  It helps to keep me cool though. Right now it is not running. I don`t think I will turn it on.

[Jo Ann]

  A ceiling fan is OK as long as it is not right over the chin ... like I mentioned before ...  Fans for chinchillas circulate the air in the room which is also important ... just make sure it is not directly on your chin.     

   Jo Ann