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[tram900]

hi guys, i let my 2 chins run around in the toilet and i let them do this for about an hour at a time. However when it comes to catching them and putting them back in their cage this can be very frustrating. They always run away when i try catching them and its taken upwards of half an hour to do so to catch them. what does this mean? do they not like me or do they want more time to run around?
how can i tame or bond with them so they trust me? Ive had these guys for about 2 months now. love them but catching them is always irritating.

thanks

[GrayRodent]

Don't feel too bad. I've had my standard for two years now and he is a royal pain to catch. He is well bonded with me and that is just how it is with him. My white mosaic is so laid back he's never tried to run off, I've had him about two months. I fully expect if he does get away it will be no fun either because running and hiding is normal behavior. The exceptions are people who have them out all time running around.
I use a cheap shop grabber tool that has a long plastic handle to chase my pets into a place where I can reach them. A fine mesh net can also work. For bonding I recommend an enclosed space like a shower stall where they can't get away and just let them crawl and jump around on you. Training a chinchilla to be handled is a process that should be taken in stages over a period of weeks if necessary. Avoid excessive stress but don't be too lax so as to not progress. Working a little at a time everyday should give you good results.

[Herbert]

I've had one of my chins for over a year now and he absolutely hates being picked up, even to be touched really, so I am not sure if you can really ever get them out of that habit.  My other chin I've had for about 6 months and he is the same way, they absolutely hate being picked up.  I don't like to chase them around to try and pick them up because I do not want to stress them out so I just set up a play pen on the outside of their cage and let them run freely in and out as they please when I open the cage each night. 

[GrayRodent]

I recommend using this technique for chinchillas that aggressively resist being handled or touched. If your pets are like that they may never actually want to be handled but I did have one rescue chinchilla (bought off of craigslist) that was very nasty. He also had a habit of biting and spraying. After I did this his behavior improved greatly. It took some months but eventually I had no problems handling him.

I started off with the shower stall and allowed him to crawl on me and play with toys every day. After he got used to that after a few days I would pet him on the nose, which was the only place he'd let me touch him. I then moved back from there, getting him used to being touched on the head and under the chin. Chinchillas have some kind of grooming reflex so when you touch them on the chin they'll tip their head up and let you scratch them. Take this slow, do a little bit more each day. It can take a week. I typically had him the shower about a hour in the morning and again in the evening.

I would do this in the cage a couple times of day. Remember to cooperate with your pet when possible but you need to try do this several times a day. Over time he'll let you pet his back and may begin to crave more attention. After a week or two of this try holding your pet. This is where you may get bit. If you get bit do not drop or injure your pet. You may experience fur slip which is a defense mechanism for chinchillas. Make sure you are holding them under their feet and at the base of the tail if needed because this makes them very slippery. Don't be horrified if your pet loses large clumps of fur. If you get bit you can dangle your pet by the base of the tail. This does not cause them pain and it will allow you keep hold.

Hold your pet close to until he stops struggling. This should all take less than 30 seconds. It may take only 10 seconds. Return your pet to his cage. Make sure to interact normally throughout the day. Do this a couple of times a day for a week and you should see improvement and less fighting over time.
Always return your chinchilla to its cage at floor level. Make sure it cannot fall or slam into something that it can be injured on.

[Herbert]

My older chin is so squirmy that he most times squirms himself free and takes off, I do not want to hold him too tight so I normally let him go when he does that.  Any suggestions or is it too late now that I have had him for a year. Plus he was from a pet store, there are no breeders in my province.

[dozla]

I use a cat carry box to move them around with, after one of my chinchillas had a nasty accident after he jumped from my arms, I leave the lid open in the bathroom whilst they are running around and when it gets near to them going back I wait for them to jump into it and shut lid.

[GrayRodent]

I strongly recommend you grab your chinchillas by the base if the tail (Not further down the tail) but the thickest part. You can hold the whole animal this way and have instant control of your cinchilla. They cannot bite you and you are unlikely to injure your pet. You can use this hold to reposition your pet easily.

[BLS Chins]

You can always place the dust house on the floor and put them back in the cage using that to transport them. Many chins willing jump into that. It would be a good tool till you get more confident grabbing and holding them

[Herbert]

I used to do the dust bath thing, until one bit my hand so hard I now have a scar, and they eventually caught on to that.

[GrayRodent]

Sounds like you should be more assertive with your pets. This is a pretty bad behavioral issue that is caused when you refuse to take charge. I recommend going through the same process that I've described. It will be harder for you now. If you hold your pet under its chin and cock its head up it won't be able to bite you. You will have to learn how to handle your pets by the base of the tail. You can dangle your pet by the base of the tail to help you gain initial control when needed. If you are consistent this should remedy the behavior in a matter of weeks. I used to have a chinchilla like this and I saw improvement in a matter of days. He was manageable in about two weeks. By about 3 months I was able to have him out and sit down with him and he became safe to have around children. It was hard work and I ended up chasing him a lot before I learned how to properly secure him. He was making improvement up until I had to put him down for malo.

[Herbert]

You mean like hold the base of the tail and only that and you can dangle him? that doesn't sound good...

[BLS Chins]

You can safely hold a chin by the base of it's tail. You should support the feet if the chin is calm enough. It's common practice to hold a chin that way by ranchers and rescues. It keeps the chin from getting lose and potentially hurting it's self, as well as keeping yourself from getting bit.