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[nattack]

I have a Ande that really doesn't seem interested in being handled. If you try he barks at you. He's sort of a new pet in the sense that I've begun to take care of him. But he has been my Dad's pet for several years. He was kept downstairs in an area that wasn't really Chin friendly over time he got less and less cage time. I don't remember the last time I had seen him out...

So I decided to "steal" him upstairs to my pet zone...which consists of my room and a spare room for well. My pets.

For the past few evenings I've just been letting him out and watching him run around and enjoy himself...I can imagine he has quite a bit of pent up energy. He will take raisins out of my palm but he grabs them and retreats back to the cage (or jumps off of me)

I've read that it helps to not let your Chinchilla have "free roaming" until they've tamed and gotten used to you...So I'm worried that letting him out too much is just going to make him act more wild. Yet at the same time I don't want him cooped up in his cage for any longer than he has been.

If I sit on the floor for a long time he'll use me for a trampoline sometimes...but he's just constantly moving! ...and I thought ferrets were crazy.

I realize that it's going to take time and patience...but I need some advice on where to start.

Also a few other issues I'm curious about. He is being housed in the same room as my ferret. I don't let them out at the same time (he'd make a tasty snack I''m sure...) but I'm worried the predator smell might stress him out?...The funny thing is; is when my ferret is out of the room and his cage is open my chin is totally fearless about jumping into it...

and his cage does have wire floors...which I'm not keen on but I don't have the $$$ to change. There's places for him to sit off of the floors but I'm wondering what else I could do to protect his little feets?

[dianah]

you could try putting your hand inside of the cage and let him come to you and nibble on your fingers, some chins will jump on top of your arm and will be happy sitting there. i find that all the chins are interested in fingers - even the ones that don't like to be handled much. just make sure you keep moving your hand slightly just in case he's not yet learnt that it hurts when he bites too hard. they like to nibble but sometimes they move from a hard area - nail - onto the soft area and don't realise they need to apply different pressure.

you could also try hand feeding him, even if he takes it and then runs away, you're still building a relationship. you could hand feed him a few rolled oats. same goes with toys, if you have an apple stick or a willow ball or a pumice stone, don't just put it in the cage, stick your hand in with a toy, wait for him to come over, then give it to him.

see how you go. some chins just don't like being handled. all mine but one do not like to be picked up and some don't like to be tickled too much either. all of them love hands and arms though!

as for the feet, you can put some fleece down - just make sure one corner is lifted so he can go to the loo. i use 'bimble' pads from hammocky hammocks - they're pads made out of fleece, they're reasonably thick, chins don't tend to chew them much and they're easy to keep clean.

[nattack]

Thank you I'll try sticking my hand in there and see what he does...I wasn't sure if that was a good idea because I don't know how territorial they are...that would have never gone well with some of my rabbits.

One other thing he will do is sit at the exit of his cage if my hand is in the way, and he'll grab my fingers and just push them away and jump down. Is this unusual? 

Does anyone have any recommendations for products like "bimble pads" sold in the U.S.? I'm afraid shipping will be murderous...

I do have quite a few handmade fleece ferret hammocks and sleep sacks. I'd think maybe just placing some of those on the cage floor would be about the same thing?

[jmdebb]

oh the 'grab your finger and PUSH IT away' movement.. it cracks me up.. but it ticks me off.. hahahahaha.. doesn't want to be bothered by you.. 

i'm just gonna chat about the ferret issue.

i also have a cage in my chin room with 2 ferrets in it.someone once made a rude statement [not here] about how scared my chins must be because they are pray.. etc... well...   when they ferrets come out, it's not in that room, the chins do not seem affected by them at all, because when the chins are out they go up to the ferret cage.. what does affect the chins.. when another chin is out and they aren't!! thats when they go nuts. 

i could be off base here.. maybe they are scared by the smell or something... but they sure do not appear to be, and they've been in the same room for about 4 years.

[dianah]

no! that's good! they do that. just telling you not to put your fingers where he doesn't want them. once he gets more used to you, he might grab your fingers and actually pull them towards him!

the http://www.hammockyhammocks.co.uk/index.htm i use ship to the us for free (unless you want it tracked) - you can choose whether you live in the uk or not, the outside uk prices are slightly higher (i.e. bimble pads are £11 for uk and £14 for outside which is not too bad! you get two sets - one for cage, one in the wash). i really like them because all the proceeds go to chin & piggy rescues. the only thing is that because it's just one lady who does this - and they are quite popular - it sometimes takes a while. but you can email and say it's an emergency and she will do her best to find the time somewhere!

i'm sure he would love the hammocks and sleep sacks hung up! mine have love snugs and tunnels and hammocks and love them all!

[dianah]

not exactly ferrets but i have three dogs - a great dane, a greyhound & a deerhound greyhound cross - all of them rather loud when they decide to bark. they have no access to the room the chins are at (the greyhound's ex racer and he would do his best to kill them so it's definitely a no no) - the chins are absolutely oblivious to the barking or any other dog shenanigans. i think once they establish that there is no danger, they're fine with whatever's around them.

[nattack]

Lol...I missed the free worldwide shipping. My mistake. 14 euro...so that's a little under 20 with shipping? That's not bad at all. It's nice to hear that for prey animals they don't seem too fearful. I've had a lot of rabbits and they're just so delicate...never adjusting to anything...and such attitudes.

It ticks me off too when he pushes my fingers away But at least I know it's normal.

This is his cage for now. I find that most litter pans on the market are plastic...so what do you guys use? I've yet to see him chew on it...but something else I'd like to swap in the future.




He's awake so I stuck my hand in his cage...apparently he's grumpy because he's just going in the corner and turning his back on me.  I guess I'll try again later.

[jmdebb]

i've been to that sight many times... i wish i could sew like her!! wow!!! she's good... i'm lucky i can do the simple things.. hahahahahaha.. i have to work on a cuddle buddy next..

[dianah]

aww, he is very pretty it will take time but i'm sure you'll end up being friends. he's not barking at you so that's a good thing!

some cages have metal litter pans but if he's been in that cage for a while and he's not eating it, i think he should be fine. what you could do is put some untreated pine shelves in. or just ledges. they very much enjoy ledges and it gives them more levels without taking too much space.

oh, and it's 14 pounds, not euro, that's $21.60 at today's exchange rate.

debb - she is very good. i've got love snugs with heart opening and they're absolutely brialliant. pippi tends to chew fleece but not the fleece products and they all love them. i can't saw, not properly anyway. i'm pretty good at crocheting but that's no good for chins!

[nattack]

Thank you

Lol....my mistake I don't do these conversions too often. But that's still not bad

He does bark at me if I try to pick him up so I've just stopped that. It doesn't help that my boyfriend thinks it's cute and wants to poke him...-.-;

I meant to say litter boxes rather than pans too. My mistake as well. But still...he doesn't really seem to chew on his litter box. It's like he has so much wood and I think he enjoys the texture of chewing on it more.

[dianah]

i know, they are very reasonably priced!

mine don't like being picked up - well, spock doesn't mind but that's why he's called spock, he's very chilled out. i don't pick mine up unless i have to.

oh, does he have a litter box? does he go in his litter box? mine just pee in a corner. some people use cardboard boxes with litter in.

they very much like wood, don't they? it's good he's got a lot to chew, this should help with not chewing plastic. you're doing a good job

[jbcstratton]

Be patient is the best advise, try sprinkling oats in your hand and just stand with your hand out till they start eating out of your hand. Gradually they will go from grabbing one and running to standing there eating them to where they start standing in your hand.  But on the other hand some chins just don't like to be held.  Some of mine litterally jump out of the cage into my arms while a few others I can barely rub under their chin.  Not that they bite or that I can't get them out it is just what they are comfortable with.  Good luck and just be patient.

[jmdebb]

mine don't like to be picked up either, but they will jump on me.


i have a friend [imagine that..hahaha]  her chinchilla will jump put the cage door onto her when she opens it up. it is so cute to watch. i swear this chin is a person .. with a fur costume on

[Crimson_Ham]

oh, does he have a litter box? does he go in his litter box? mine just pee in a corner. some people use cardboard boxes with litter in.

i tried using cardboard after Xochitl started chewing the litter pan and Sorley kept flipping it so I put in a square baking pan with bedding... they don't flip or chew it now.

[dianah]

well aren't they clever!