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[gavinschin]

Okay. So I'm new to chins and i just got my first.

Ive never been so good at following rules, but after careful thought i need to follow the rules for the results im looking for.

i have had my chin for about 4 days. i made huge mistakes. i changed EVERYTHING, down the the food and bedding. i have let it out of the cage and played with it non stop.

I know im sorry.

well, the only good news is that the chin seems pretty comfortable with everything but loud noises and anything moving fast.

the bad news, i think i may have ruined my chance at doing it right.



i have recently read all i can about them and talked to a breeder. and i decided to start over, i bought a new cage that is pretty big and everything, i went and got the food and everything he was on before i got him and he seems happier now. he even sleeps and plays in his ferret hanging bed and stands on my hand some times.


is there any chance that if i keep him in his cage and and only give him treats for training purposes, that i might have a chance at doing it right?

[chinclub]

OK...lets back up to the beginning.  First of all.  Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your first chinchilla!!!! 

Now, as for "doing it right" the only thing I see that stands out as a red flag is that you changed his food.  Other than that what makes you think you are making mistakes??

There are no hard and fast rules as to how fast you can play with a new chinchilla.  Each one is different.  For example last week I brought home several new chinchillas.  All were from a large breeder and were not used to being handled.  I left them in their cage for 24 hours without ever opening the door.  On day 2 I offered each a raisin.  Each chinchilla backed into the corner when I opened the door, a few of them fussed at me.  Because they were so afraid I chose not to push it, left the raisin on the floor for them, and closed the door.   The last girl I tried met me at the cage door, ate the raisin out of my hand, and climbed out into my lap.  She became my daughters best friend and has been out of her cage for playtime every day since.  She is very social, loves to be held, loves to be scratched, ect.

So you see, there isn't a set time line that works for all chins.  You pay attention to how comfortable your chinchilla is and let him tell you if you are doing something wrong.  Does your chinchilla come up to your hand when you open the door?  Does it let you scratch it in the cage without acting afraid?  If so you are right on track.

Now for cages.  What cage was he is, what cage did you change to, and what cage is he in now?  I'm confused at how you could mess that up? The only bad cages would be an aquarium or one with lots of plastic....the only bad bedding would be cedar, corn cob, cat litter, ect. 

Tell us all about your little guy and have fun with him.  If there is one thing I have learned over by 11 years in chinchillas its that each chinchilla different, and that like raising children, there are many different approaches that all work well. 
 

[cusunfireguy]

Amen!  Sounds like you are doubting yourself and you shouldn't.  Always ask for advice if you're not sure and go from there!

Steven

[Jo Ann]

   Welcome to the forum and to the Wonderful World of Chinchillas!

Each chinchilla is unique and has it's own special personality ... no two are alike.

Like Jamie said ... there are no written in stone rules for how much time it will or will not take to be able to be friendly, play outside the cage, etc.

We've picked up chins that rode home on my husband's shoulder all the way home (150 to 200 miles) in the middle of the day ... and others that didn't want to be touched until a week or two later (a few even longer).  I got a little one at the show last week and it rode home in my lap ... a 3 hour trip.  

When changing food ... it is usually best to do it slowly over a period of 1 week to 1 month (the latter being the best) ... but, sometimes, if they are being changed from a bad diet to a much better one, the faster of the two is better ... as long as the chin does not get diarrhea ... every rule most rules have exceptions.

When in doubt ... ask ... no matter how simple the question may be ...    We were all "newbies" at one time  

   Jo Ann

   There are no stupid questions ...
    Only regrets they were not ask!  

[gavinschin]

Thanks guys.

i got a small cage(its only temp until the huge one comes in) and got that weird bedding, its like.... puffs of litter. Where do i get the dried pine from?

I also went from a low quality food from a pet store to mazuri. i just cant tell if he is eating though. i know he is drinking and eats treats when i call him and he comes to my hand.

btw. he beat up my cat. lol. it was great. no blood or anything.

[chinclub]

By puffs of litter do you mean Carefresh?  It is safe for chinchillas.  You can get pine shavings at the pet store and at Wal-mart.

[gavinschin]

well the big cage came in today and he loves it. he wont sleep, he just runs all around. lol

i know now that i will need another one with all that space.

this has a plastic bottom but he doesnt seem to pay attention to that, i guess ill have to wait till he is bored to see if he chews, but this is it:



https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=21359&prodid=43005&catid=46

and yeah, its carefresh. im just kind of being an over-protective parent i guess.

[cusunfireguy]

Ah yes, the ferret nation cage.  I have the same one and just love it!  Carefresh is going to be a bit of a nightmare with that cage though.  I use towels that are flat with no "thread loops" on them.  Usally beach towel are the best and they don't chew on them.  Makes it easy to do do a daily pickup and just throw the towels in the wash once per week.

Congrats on the new baby and the new cage.  You have made a fantastic start!

Steven

[gavinschin]

what would be the cheapest metel wheel that has the correct diameter?

[olivia41]

steven suggested a wheel on ebay for me that is metal, 16 inches and completely quiet. If you find any other cages you may run into the problem of it being veryyyyy loud, which is what happened to me. this is the link for the ebay wheel http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280450137258&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_2322wt_1167, it is a little expensive but well worth it!

[chinclub]

I noticed that auction had ended.  Here is a link to some great wheels.  Not cheap though:

http://qualitycage.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=129_142_143_144

[gavinschin]

thanks guys, youve been big helps.

ill be sure to ask if i am curious about anything else

[cusunfireguy]

Keep checking back on ebay.  The guy that sells them custom makes them.  If you need it, I can give you his information so you can contact him.

His ebay handle is bloominhedgehogs.  You are right, he doesn't have any listed at the moment but I'm sure he will as he makes them.  It's worth the wait.  Shoot him a message.

Steven

[Hippo]

I didn't start out right with Dusty, either.  I picked him up against his will and chased him when he was out to play (in order to get him back into his cage, of course).  He grunted whenever he saw me, and you don't even want to know what he did when I tried to pick him up.  But I tamed him with rasins, and we became good friends.  Though he still doesn't let me pick him up, but maybe he just doesn't like to be handled.

I started out right with Lemmiwinks, and her behavior isn't to different than Dusty's.

[olivia41]

i truly just depends on the chinchilla and how willing or not willing they are to trust you. some chins have a very open personality and will basically be your friend right away, others will be more hesitant and may never want to be held. its just like humans! they're all very unique you just have to become friends with your chinnie that is accustom to their personality and willingness to trust.