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[melissac]

Hi there, I've been reading through the posts non stop practically for 3 days! Tons of great advice and helpful hints, I feel much more relaxed about the whole experience.

I wasn't in the market for a chin but saw this sweet little furry ball in the corner and fell in love. I have a few questions, if anyone can help/advise it would be appreiciated. I have no clue if it's a boy or a girl as the pet store manager ( who was very nice and tried to be as helpful as she could) didn't let me know and I didn't want to stress Chinny out more than he was, and seeing how we've just met I didn't think it would be proper to check out it's genitalia  . So for now, and probably ever it will be ' Chinny ', sorry for the lack of originality but I had to think on my feet.

I have no idea how old Chinny is! He's small probably less than six inches in body length and very slight, is there anyway for me to date Chinny without a vet trip?

I've read a few places that say to relax and wait for him to come to you, and I've read a few places that say pick them up and stroke behind the ears and under the chin to help them realize you aren't a threat. I open the cage doors and he comes out and walks on my palms but if you make a move to pick him up he scoots away. If I just reach and pick him up he has a blast climbing on me and gives me no warning sounds or seem wary. What do you guys think?

He doesn't really go for treats, not even raisins. If you stick it right under his nose he'll take it but won't come looking for it. Walked right over a few oats to climb on me, no interest! Odd or just he's new to me?

Third he does this thing where he's running around and having a grand ole time, then he just stops and stares. A few minutes later he starts wriggling his nose and bounces off... It's like he fell asleep with his eyes open! Is he just checking out sounds or is he suffering from chin narcolepsy?

Thanks for any advice you have!

[Jo Ann]

   Welcome to the Wonderful World of Chinchillas!!!   Welcome to the Chinchilla Club Forum, too.   

Once you feel it is more "proper" for you to check Chinny to see if it is a she or a he, you can compare what you see with what is posted below.       Females' privates touch, males' privates do not ... but, at an early age, someone who is not familiar with chinchillas can be fooled because they are so small.

Getting a chin from a pet store does not give you allot of information on Chinny ... they have almost no information on them from the distributor who buys them from large breeders in large numbers.  The information on them is usually lost or thrown away.

If you can post a picture of Chinny next to a dollar bill, that will give us an idea of his size.  When you say 6" are you referring to nose to the tip of his tail?  OR nose to his rear end?  There is no way to tell for sure with out having his/her birth records ... but we can guess at it ... that's all it would be ... a guess.  If he/she is under 3 months, it would be fairly easy to say so, much older than that, it gets difficult.    All chins are not the same size and they do not always grow at the same rate.

Sounds like he/she is warming up to you quickly ... much more than most, that come from a pet store.

Each chinchilla is different and has it's own special personality.  They will often react differently to the same situation.  It sounds like you are doing the 'get acquainted part very well.  Keep up the good work!   Never chase, yell at or hit your chin ... it is often hard to gain trust and easy to loose their trust.  Just give lots of love and attention.   I have a huge amount of information for newbies on my website, you might want to check it out.   www.luvnchins.com/

   Jo Ann

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Yes welcome, nice to meet you and Chinny.
I'm guessing he's grey, but yes we'd love to see his pick.
He sounds normal to me, they will go mad then stop , then go mad again. It will take time for you to get to know each other, but once your used to his personal antics you'll know when he's not acting right.
He could be a young one and not used to treats, and their just that treats so don't worry. Try some alfalfa hay in your hand and see if he will eat form it.
Does he love his dust bath?
They are just so much fun.