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[Mcdoog7]

Hi all.

On April 18th, my female chinchilla, Goodie, had her third litter and I ended up keeping her daughter and her. She has become a very unpleasant pet to have around: she sprays me and my son a lot, and there's also urine streaked all over my walls as well. She didn't start this behaviour until very recently and I'm wondering if it's a phase she'll grow out of or can I expect her to do this for the rest of her life?

I got her when she was 4 months old, and while it's true she was never an affectionate chinchilla (though sometimes she would cuddle up to my hand), she had never sprayed us until now. I am trying to decide if I will keep her or not. I just may keep her little daughter, but right now I"m not 100% sure. I know maybe I sound mean, I really am not a mean owner I am just tired of my son and I getting urinated on. She has become so moody, sometimes I can't even walk by her cage without her flipping out and spraying. My house smells like urine all the time and it's incredibly embarrassing.

What do you guys think?

[jmdebb]

usually spraying is because of them being mad at you, or scared..

by mad... i mean.. when noel was sick once, i had to have her on meds for quite some time, and she got so sick of it,  don't blame her, so maybe i used the wrong term, but she got real nasty.  she did grow out of it, it takes time.. go slow, easy... if she looks scared maybe back off a little...  i'm not good at explaining things, so i'm sure someone else will come on and be better, but there is hope. 

j

[dianah]

when exactly did she start spraying? did something happen? was it straight after having babies? how old is she now? 

i have only had one chin spray a boy once (during introductions) and it was obvious because she thought she was in danger. does she give you a warning or does she spray straight away? is her daughter with her? what about the father?

[Mcdoog7]

She is 3 now and hasn't started spaying until the last year. She does make very nasty sounds and I guess I haven't clued in until now to back away. I just wonder why she is like this and if it will stop. She actually just sprayed my son in the face today, and all he was doing was petting her. I just asked him if she was doing anything to let him know she didn't want this, and he said she was chattering her teeth.

Nothing traumatic has happened to her at all. She has always been safe, has never been around big animals. No one has been mean to her in anyway, we are always affectionate to her and try to cuddle with her, talk softly to her.

[dianah]

well, i think the right course of action would be back off. by all means, pet her but her chattering her teeth is giving you a warning that she is not happy. as soon as she starts doing that, leave her alone so she does not have to resort to spraying you to get you away. while we consider petting an animal a sweet thing, they don't necessarily always see it that way themselves. hopefully once this is done for a period of time, she will get more comfortable around you because she'll know that you'll go away when she wants you to and she'll probably get more relaxed. think of how you have to befriend a new chinchilla, some need a lot of time and personal space before they even let you anywhere near them.

i would take her to the vet to make sure there is no underlying health issue - any sudden change in character should be investigated. chattering teeth is often a sign of pain (for example, when chins give birth, they chatter their teeth a lot rather than making loud noises) - but not always, sometimes it's just a sign that they're annoyed or scared.

[Mcdoog7]

Well, today all I did was put my hand in front of her cage and she sprayed me again. She didn't even warn me this time, she just drenched my hand with urine. This is absolutely disgusting because, as I mentioned before, my whole house smells like urine. I am seriously considering selling her. I don't like the idea of keeping an animal that pisses on me (sorry for the language but I am quite annoyed right now).

I've given her space, I backed off when she warned me. I've had her for 3 years and she just hates us now for some reason.

[PSV]

Just give her a bit more time ... try putting your hand inside strictly for treats. If she sprays you, don't give her the treat anymore at that time.
I had a similar problem (without the spraying thankfully) several months ago when the female became frightened off of me for no reason and for one week I couldn't even get close to her.

Give her room, let her play, just stand around and let her explore you so that she realises that you mean no harm.

[dianah]

if you do sell her, you will be putting an already stressed animal into a new very stressful situation. has she seen a vet? health problems need to be eliminated before you decide that it's definitely behavioural.

[chinclub]

I feel for you!  I would rather get bitten than peed on and I have been peed on plenty.  I once had a female that actually came to the front of the cage for a raisin, took the raisin from my hand, then backed up and shot me right in the face!  YUCK!! It is true that chinchillas pee with they are scared but I know first hand that some just do it because they have an attitude.   And here is the really bad part you don't want to hear.  To make it better you have to take it.  Every time she has shot you and you have backed away and closed the door you were saying to her that peeing on you will make you go away.  So now whenever you come near the cage and she wants to be alone get what she is going to do...  So how do you stop it?  Suit up for a rain storm.  

Let me add here that in this situation we are talking about an animal you have had and handled a lot.  She knows you. She isn't afraid of you.  She is just irritated with you.  What I am about to suggest shouldn't be tried with a new obviously scared chinchilla.

Ok, put on a pair of dish washing gloves, the kind that go all way to the elbow.  Cover your chest with an old shirt or apron that is wet proof.  Safety glasses if you've got'em.  This is your new attire EVERY TIME you go near that cage so it won't be as gross when you get shot.  Now open the door.  If she sprays you she gets picked up.  Every time!!!  Be prepared to get sprayed because she has endless supply and she can still spray while you are holding her.  Even if you are just going to replace the food and weren't even going to touch her or if you were just walking by the cage going somewhere else.  Pick her up Every Time.  Now you are telling her "You spray me I catch you".  

Have her fav treat ready and try to give her a treat and make being held enjoyable.  You want her to associate spraying with being held, but you want her to associate being held with good things so she doesn't keep being hateful.

I know this isn't fun and wasn't what you signed up for when you got a chinchilla but lets face it, no one is going to want a chinchilla that sprays so like it or not she is yours and its better to work through this thing then live with it forever.  While you are working it out go to the dollar store and get a few shower liners.  You can rotate those behind the cage to save your walls and floors.

[Mcdoog7]

  ok that last post was just funny!!

sorry i haven't been on in a while, but thought i better come back to update you guys. she is still as nasty as ever and is now biting too. she is actually quite vicious: she'll lunge at the cage, make a quacking/barking sound, and she just seems like she wants to rip me apart with those little t-rex arms of hers    Seriously though, it's getting pretty bad.

I wish I could just prepare for a pee storm everytime, but my carpet would get ruined, my landlord would be really angry with me, and nobody would want to come visit anymore because my house smells like pee all the time!

I was thinking about selling her to somebody that doesn't have kids or other animals. Her behaviour is so strange, she used to be a sweet little girl, she would cuddle up to my hands all the time. Now she's vicious. She reminds me of a tasmanian devil actually lol...

I miss my sweet little girl but I don't know what else to do. It almost seems like she lost her mind

Thanks so much for all the feed back and advice guys.

[Blondy40]

WOW! I can say that I have never had this problem (thank goodness) but I could understand where this could be quite annnoying.

Keep us updated on her progress with her new owner if you can...as it sounds like you have let her go. I
would be interested in seeing how she is with someone new and if the new owner can change her TAZ ways...wow what a little brat!

My girls are different in many ways from the boys...they are much wilder and definitely more agile than the boys...I call their cage the Phi-Beta-Chin sorority chin house..these two party all evening!

LOL...  

[Debbie.nl.ca]

I'd get her to a vet.
This is getting worse, and as Jamie said she's not afraid of you.She's trying to tell you something all right, and it could be she's in pain to be biting now.
I am guessing your getting mad at her, and she is getting madder at you. She has learned how to get what she wants from you. If you don't think she's hurt or sick and just showing attitude try what Jamie has said.
My twist on it it to go at her with a damp cloth, keeping it between you and her. They don't like being wet nor having it rub back on them.  If she is biting make it a thick cloth.
At this point she is boss and knows it, and you have to take back head of the herd.Take her out, hold her firmly,speak firmly but lovingly, make her calm down. Then put her back with a treat.
So what happened to the dad?
Something has really peed her off.
Or she is sick.
If she's not you can't re home her to just any one like that.