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[ledzeppelin]

Hi guys,

One month ago I became the owner of my now around 6 month old chinchilla. I have not had any troubles with Nikki yet and we are building a relationship. She would come to my hand and  jump on my bed and walk all over me but is still afraid of some sudden movements. Anyway, i was wondering one thing. After i let her out (and i am aware that i shouldn't let her out of her cage for too long), i had half an hour play times but i always had to trick her into getting back in cage.. Now i let my cage open and i wait that she goes in for a snack and i close behind her when its time to go. BUT!! i know that i am supposed to limit the time for a short period of time, but after trick her into going inside, she always  "cries" and sits in front of the gate and then she gets an attitude>< Anyway my question is: Will this affect our relationship if I don't give her more minutes of play time when she whines and begs? I know Im not supposed to but i dont want my chin to hate me. She will never go in her cage at her own will. Thanks for your answers.

[GrayRodent]

I know some chinchilla owners will use a timer that has an alarm sound. At the end of the timed visit they will put the chin back in the cage. Eventually the routine sticks. You may have to chase her and catch her. Doing that is no fun though but it's not as bad when the animal is already used to you.

Personally, I don't let my chinchilla run around in the house. It is dangerous unless they are let go in a bathroom or other room that has been chinchilla proofed. If she gets out and chews a power cord it could be the end of her. Getting stepped on accidentally is another big killer of pet chinchillas.

Behavior wise it's better to not give your chinchilla what it wants when it is begging. That can cause aggression when it doesn't get what it wants. Establish a routine that your pet knows. I have done a lot of work on my two chinchillas I've had to the present. They are very routine oriented animals and have good memories. They like to sleep during the day and play at night. My chinchilla knows when it's time for a dust bath, when he is going to get weighed, but I don't time him when I take him out of the cage to play with him. I always put him back by hand. You can actually train her to tolerate being picked up and held. If your chinchilla can't be handled you might want to wait a couple weeks and get her used to being handled through the door of the cage before letting her run around outside the cage.

[mb30]

No you will be alright. Remember the chin doesnt know she shouldnt be out for too long but you know she shouldnt be.
You will have many days to spend quality time.
Im not sure what age you cant start letting them run longer but it will be there before you know it

[mb30]

Instead of tricking or chasing the chin...here is what i do when they dont go back in...
I have a rug that i roll up and use as a tunnel for them. They naturally run through it and will seek shelter in it.
If i want to put them back in i just wait for them to go in the "tunnel" and then close both ends off with my hands and pick it uo and take it to the cage and stick one end in the cage and they go into the cage. Works like a charm and doesnt stress them out at all.

[ledzeppelin]

@mb30

Hehe i used to do it with a box and it worked until my chin figured it out XD now she'll never go near that box hah

[Snickerdoodlesmom]

That's funny that your chin learned to avoid the box. Every week, when I change the bedding, I put Doodle in his carrier, which he hates. Yet every week he's curious to jump on it and explore--- only to be alarmed when i gently push him in! 

[ledzeppelin]

Why exactly is bad for a chinchilla if it gets too much exercise? I have been told not to over do it but i have never thought why is it so. Any explanations?

[GrayRodent]

I don't think it's really a big problem unless you are obsessively playing with it day after day and don't let it sleep or eat hour after hour. If a baby doesn't get enough rest it can become weak and immune compromised. An exercise wheel is generally not recommended until a chinchilla is fully grown because they do tend to over-exercise on those and it can potentially stunt their growth. That and your pet needs to eat whenever it feels the need and should not be separated from its food for more than an hour. Babies will eat more frequently than adults.
I don't like having my adult chinchilla out for more than an hour at a time for two reasons. One is that he needs frequent access to his food and water to keep his digestive system in check, and another is the potential of overheating from being handled since he likes to be cuddled. So I put him next to the door of the cage and see what he does. If he feels like coming back out he'll climb back on my hand but I find that he'll sometimes go straight to his food and then fall asleep 5 minutes later.

[ledzeppelin]

heh well i keep my cage open so during playtime she can get all the food and water she wants.. and when i decide it is time to go inside i just wait till she is hungry and close behind her xD

[mb30]

Yeah, i think overheating is the big issue

[mojito]

I let my chins out for about 1-2 hours a day in the evening. Their play area is right outside their cage, so they have free access to eat and drink. When I feed them they know it's about time to go up, but I have let them out longer on my days off and I've never had any trouble with them overheating. When they are tired they go back up and nap, if it's both of them I'll consider them done of they don't come back out for 10ish minutes or so. But that's not what usually happens. They don't play hard the whole time but they do enjoy being out; they will sit with me and watch shows and other things, I think it's great bonding time !

[mb30]

I let my chins run in the room their cage is in as well and leave the cage open. I do wonder if some chins are more susceptible to overheating than others though. My larger female seems to not have a problem but my smaller female is a fireball of energy and lays flat every time she goes back in the cage. She runs almost nonstop though. I dont think she is overheating to a dangerous level though. She may even just be exhausted. I wish i could upload videos.
She doesnt investigate or run and then walk and stop etc. She literally flies around everywhere.
I dont know if its because maybe she was never let out before i had her or what.

[mojito]

One of my chins will do that! If he does investigate, he's trying to find a way to escape hahaha. Overheating is possible I suppose, just probably pretty uncommon. My boy who flies around will poop out and sleep for a little while on his side before he goes at it again!

[GrayRodent]

Overheating is usually not a problem unless the room temperature is high. In the summer during the day when it's 76-77F inside it does not take much activity to cause my chinchilla to act overheated. In those conditions I won't hold him for more than 15 minutes at a time. I know those are potentially dangerous temperatures so I'm very cautious then. On days like today it's about 72F and he never acts overheated.
My first chinchilla, Blue, was also more active than my second but got tired easily, partially because he was suffering from malocclusion and the resulting malnutrition. He wouldn't stay still outside the cage but once inside he pretty much always laid flat and was out of breath. My second is way more docile and doesn't usually play hard enough to get to that point.