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Author Topic: How interactive are your chins?  (Read 1788 times)

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Rachael29

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How interactive are your chins?
« on: June 09, 2015, 05:00:33 PM »

Hi Guys,
Thanks for reading my post and hoefully replying!
Just wondering how much everyone Else's chins interact with them.

Ours are quite weird - Coco, our Med Tan chin has started letting us pet him and "play" with his tail (which in have read is a sign of trust) however if we attempt to lift him and when we eventually do lift him he will not have any of it ... he will fight to get down and not settle either so we just leave him to it.

However our Standard Onyx will not let you anywhere near him to pet him or tail curl or anything like that - if he sniffs you he will turn his noise up and back away from you. However when we eventually get to pick Onyx up he squirms for a few seconds then accepts it and then lets you pet him  rofl

We find this quite odd but love them to bits  ::silly:: ::silly::

Just wondering how all of yours interact would be fun to find out all the wee personalities out there  :)

Thanks for reading
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GrayRodent

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Re: How interactive are your chins?
« Reply #1 on: June 09, 2015, 05:05:51 PM »

How long have you had your pets? Also where did you get tgem from? Sounds like they are not well socialized.
« Last Edit: June 10, 2015, 06:31:10 AM by GrayRodent »
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Rachael29

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Re: How interactive are your chins?
« Reply #2 on: June 09, 2015, 06:22:27 PM »

We have had them for about a month or 2 ... And we got them from a breeders friend who couldn't look after them anymore due to dealing with sick family members. I thought they were doing good no? Any recommendations?
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Rachael29

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Re: How interactive are your chins?
« Reply #3 on: June 09, 2015, 06:27:16 PM »

To be honest with you we haven't been trying to hold them for very long as we didn't want to rush them or break any trust built up. Should we start trying to lift them and pet them? If so how would you go about starting doing it?

Thanks for any advice (sounds  like we need it)  :(
« Last Edit: June 09, 2015, 06:33:23 PM by Rachael29 »
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GrayRodent

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Re: How interactive are your chins?
« Reply #4 on: June 10, 2015, 06:53:18 AM »

Not a problem. Chinchillas that are not handled frequently typically act more wild than chinchillas that have been handled regularly since early development and will tend to be more skittish around people in general. It just means you will have to take it slow.

Two months is long enough to start working with them. I recommend picking them up maybe 3-5 times a day and hold them. Chances are they are going to act like they are panicked so be very careful that they cannot injure themselves or fall. I've found with chinchillas they'll put on a show but it typically looks worse than it actually is regarding real stress. It is going to be a balancing act until your chinchilla gets used to be handled.

Just hold them against your chest for 15 seconds at a time or until they settle down a bit and put them back in the cage. This will condition them to be held. Beware because they may try to bite you as well the first few times you do this so you may have to hold their chin up to protect yourself. Again, protect them from falling at all costs, even if you are being bitten. A fall can kill your chinchilla. If you do get bit try to stay calm. A chinchilla that thinks you'll stop if it bites you will make a habit of that. Chances are you won't encounter this but be prepared.

They may never actually take to being restrained but they will become calmer once they realize it is not the end of the world. It may take a week or so before you notice a significant difference. I have found this method to be highly successful with one chinchilla like yours that had an aggressive disposition who bit frequently and a chinchilla that had a hyperactive disposition who only bit me once when he was very little. The aggressive one became tame enough to be around children and the other chin, who I still have, actually likes to be held. Just make sure to interact with them normally otherwise and don't overdo it.
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Rachael29

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Re: How interactive are your chins?
« Reply #5 on: June 10, 2015, 07:37:12 AM »

So how do you recommend lifting them? I've read you can lift from the base of the tail but I don't like the thought of lifting them that way. And ideas on a technique to use? Also would this be done during play time or a specific time of day? Also would 1 of us start this or can my fiancé and I both do this together? So pick each of them up twice a day each?

Thanks
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Re: How interactive are your chins?
« Reply #6 on: June 10, 2015, 12:59:49 PM »

You can do it a bit more often that twice a day, I'd say at least 5 times a day. Of course starting out, if your pets are very uncooperative, twice a day is good for the first day or two.

I actually use a variety of techniques with my pets. Chinchilla like to have their back feet supported when possible. Using the base of the tail can be very helpful when trying to position your pet. It is a very sturdy way to restrain a pet that is combative. If you dangle your pet by its tail, just for a split second, it can buy you time to get a better hold. I know it looks really bad to do that but the way chinchillas are built you'll discover it actually causes them less stress than grabbing them under the arms which is also a good technique. Once your chin is tame that will be the normal way to hold it, one hand under the back feet, and the other around the chest. I don't make a habit of lifting them by their tail but consider it a usable technique to use when handling and certainly something to try out. My pets are tame enough to be lifted with one hand but do not try that with just any chinchilla because if they fall onto those hard shelves they can be seriously injured.

Avoid putting a lot pressure around their middle where their organs are and be very careful not to snag their feet which can cause some real damage. Keep in mind your pet will want to lunge forward so putting your hand in front of their head can help control this. Do not let them flail around in your hands. If they are flailing around and you don't have control let go immediately. To prevent this make sure you only pick up your pet when it is in an easily accessible part of the cage.

When reaching into the cage try not to approach them from directly above or chase them in the cage if you can help it and this will make your pets more comfortable. Try to predict how they are going to land when you let them go to make sure they will not fall or ram into something that can injure them.

My chinchillas are typically inactive during the day and much more awake after sundown. I recommend initially handling them during their inactive times and they'll be a little slower. If you do manage to drop one or have a chin get away I've found it helpful to have a rod of some kind like a broom handle to chase them out from under furniture. I use a plastic grabber with tongs on it (don't use the tongs part!) that's safe to push them around with. In my situation I can close the doors in my hallway and chase my pet out of my room and into the bathroom where there is nothing to hide under. Try to minimize stress by making the chase as short as possible. My oldest chinchilla has a habit of jumping away from me when I sit with him at my desk and catching him is very difficult. Most are. Some owners give their chins the run of the room which makes them less likely to run away. I don't recommend that because they tend to chew power cables and don't usually survive when that happens. And that is only one potential hazard to consider.

So there's a lot to consider. In practice it's really not that terrible. Think ahead of your pets and it should go smoothly.
« Last Edit: June 10, 2015, 01:26:49 PM by GrayRodent »
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Rachael29

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Re: How interactive are your chins?
« Reply #7 on: June 10, 2015, 02:27:19 PM »

we will try what you have said. wish us luck! I will keep you updated with our progress!
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