New chinchilla owner here and I'm having a tough time with Lemmy I've only had him a week now but there are a few things I having a hard time understanding so let me explain fully. Before getting Lemmy I knew Id have him a month ahead of time and began looking up everything possible however out of everything I read I don't think I was fully prepared for the little rascal I got (and I say that in the nicest way, I love him to death). Now because of my work schedule I usually don't get home to let Lemmy out until late and it seems like he likes it that way because on my off days he doesn't start getting excited to get out until around 10-11pm, throughout the day my boyfriend will let him out for 15-20Min's to play in the bathroom if he seems like he wants out. When I do let him out I take him to my chinchilla proofed living room and keep a very close eye on him, I watch TV but I know where he is at all times. As I've had him I've gradually increased the time I let him play, the first day he seemed scared so it was about 30Min's and now I will let him play for 2-3hours before I'm tired and want to go to sleep. The first few days were great I'd let him play for a hour or two then put him in his cage and he would eat a little and usually fall asleep before I went to bed, now its a whole different story instead of eating and taking a little nap he goes crazy. Anything on the floors above the first in his cage he will knock to the ground, he jumps on his pellet bowl and makes them splash out until there's hardly any left and then tries moving the bowl he chews on the bars he makes barking noises and If I try to take him out to calm him down he nips me. I really have no idea what I'm doing wrong, is this normal? I try to bond with him as much as possible and hes usually calm before I go into work I check on him an open his cage an he will come to me and let me hold him and pet him but when I return from work its completely different because he doesn't even want me touching him if I pick him up he fights so Ill let him go. Also when I first got him getting him back into his cage after play time was easy because he let me pick him up he never ran or hid or made me chase him everywhere, now catching him takes me at least 15Min's and I need my boyfriends help or it would take longer! I don't know if hes get mad at me for leaving him all day, even though my boyfriend is always home and takes care of him, IDK if I'm doing something wrong so please give me some advice it would be greatly appreciated. Lemmy is 12 weeks also so IDK if it maybe a age thing.
