Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[PamBalt]

Has anyone experienced moving to a new house with your chinchillas?

I have 3 chinchillas age 7-5.  I've had them since they were babies. They've been in the same cage for 5 years.

A month ago I moved into a new house and they are still scared to pieces.  Even more so when we moved to a new apartment 3 years ago.  Back then they got settled in after a week or so.  But this time it's not the case. They are still so scared that they are hiding in the back of the cage. They run from me when I put my hand in  or spray on me when I get close, and won't take treats.  They haven't been playing and I have a feeling they are not eating or drinking much either since they aren't going through as much food and water supply.

Another is that the movers broke some of the wheels on the cage so I had to put it in a spot that is not ideal- mainly because it's too sunny.  I now have the replacement parts, but the chinchillas won't come out of the cage so I can fix it, and won't come out to explore the new house, or let me clean the cage.

I'm at a loss.  Any ideas?  Do they not realize I'm the same person?   

[GrayRodent]

I moved once with a chinchilla. It was uneventful other than he would bark at night for the first few days. He had a nice quiet place to stay though and I'm sure that helped.

Chinchillas can be vulnerable to stress and it may take even more time because during a move you are moving and unpacking which is noisy. As far as stressors here are some factors that you may want to consider.

1. Noise - if there is a lot of thumping and bumping and movement that can be a problem. Electronic noises from appliances and speakers can sometimes cause problem. In unusual cases standing waves from speakers have been known to be problematic in one place in a room and not another. If you suspect standing waves can be a problem you can try to relocate the appliances or speakers. Otherwise try running a floor fan (kind of ironic but it works). Don't blow the fan into the cage. The noise will mask other noises.

2. Temperature - if it gets above 75F or the sun shines into the cage you must remedy the situation immediately. Overheating may cause extreme stress to your chinchillas and may cause stroke (brain hemmorage) and organ failure.

3. Other pets - Cats and dogs can cause a lot of stress if they get access to the cage. So can children who are unruly and don't understand chinchillas. Sometimes the smell of cats or dogs can stress a chinchilla out especially if they've had a bad experience in the past.

4. Lighting - A chinchillas cage should get no more than 12 hours of artificial light in the day. It is not as critical unless you have bright interior lights.

Monitor their fecal output each day and their weight at least once a week. This will help you determine if intervention is needed. If you need to get them out of the cage just go in and grab them. If you need gloves then so be it. Just try to keep things efficient to minimize the stress. It is better they are taken of properly.

[kageri]

Dealing with the same issue but not as severe.  We are in to week 3 of having moved and most of mine are still nervous and antisocial.  I get yelled at a lot.  They really need dust baths.  Some used the bath last week but some are too upset.  They seem to be feeding each other.  When I brought 1 or 2 new ones in to the condo they settled right in but everyone is having issues here and I think it's because they sense their neighbors are upset.  If I could get a few to start calming down the rest would probably follow.  Mine are eating fine though so I'm not as concerned.  I'm just giving them time.  Some have started taking treats again.  Covering 3 sides of the cage in fleece might help and will keep the sun out unless it's coming directly in the front.  I can't find what box I packed my cage covers in.    We just bought lengths of fleece for the height of the cage and stuck large safety pins through the fleece and around a bar.

[Jasonred79]

I agree with grayrodent, and would like to add one more possibility:

smell.

Animals have better sense of smell than humans and rely on it a lot more. Unpleasant/ unfamiliar smells can cause huge amounts of discomfort.

It's a new house... did you PAINT it or put new wallpaper etc? Even for me, I HATE having my room painted cause I just can't adjust to the smell of a newly painted room, can't sleep.