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[Hoppinchins]

My boyfriend and I are trying to get my chins more used to be held. Pogo still squirms alot, but he is calm for a few seconds. Snowie has gotten alot more calm being held. I can hold him alot long than I can pogo. But with both of them, they still lose fur when being held. Is that normal or does that mean that they are too stressed out? Most of the time I give them a 'treat' afterwords.

[Jo Ann]

   A chinchilla has a natural defence against predators ... it can allow it's fur to "slip" ... leaving the prey with only a mouth full of fur and no dinner.   

Chinchillas, as a rule, are not 'hold me' animals ... they love to run and play.  They can, with their body temperature + your body temperature, easily become over heated and get very uncomfortable.

Another reason they may begin to squirm, is that they may need to 'go tinkle' and they do not want to urinate on you, so they are trying to ask you to let them down.

Being held improperly is another reason they may try to get down/loose ... if their legs/feet are not supported at all times, they feel like they are falling and are trying to save themselves.

   If you were stuck in your room 23 out of 24 hours every day ... would you want to set quietly when you were allowed to come out of your room?
 

   Jo Ann

P.S.  If one of my little ones were to sit still when let out for play time ... I would think he/she was sick.   

[Hoppinchins]

Thanks for the advice Jo Ann! I belive that we we are supporting there feet when we pick them up. I let them run around in there fence area for a few hrs a day. I ushaly just keep it open all day when I'm home. They mostly sleep during the day so the don't come out much till the night. Then I get in the fence with them and spend some time with them.

Its not the snowie just comes out of the cage and doesn't run around. I ment when I picked him up, he has gotten used to us and he doesn't squrim, but he still loses fur. 

[Jo Ann]

    Is he loosing just a little bit of fur here and there or clumps of fur?

Chinchillas go in and out of prime ... prime is being in the peak/optimum fur condition about every 9 months.   Here are 2 URLs that will better explain it.       http://www.luvnchins.com/InPrimeChart.html  &  http://www.luvnchins.com/ChinPrimingChart.html

Do you groom/comb your chin's fur?

    Jo Ann

[Hoppinchins]

I think its more of a clump of fur, but i'm not to sure. I didn't know that chinchillas go through a prime time of shedding. Thanks for the advice. I'm about to look at those websites.   

[Hoppinchins]

I do not groom/comb them. Should I? If the pet stores were right about when they were born, then I believe they will be one in the middle of October. According to the website, I do belive they are in there prime. I think that sounds about right also.

[Debbie.nl.ca]

It depends on what your wearing as well, their fur does come out very easily and if your wearing a shirt with any kind of grip to it you will get more fur coming off.
When I let them play in my fleeces I can get pretty full of fur, but when I have my silky smock on I get hardly any.
You can comb them but it's tricky to do it properly, a sticky lint brush can remove some of the looser fur, or a rubber glove. I use a rubber cat mitt that has small rubber spikes like on it.

[Hoppinchins]

Ok, thanks. I might try that.