Chinchilla Community Forums
Chinchillas => Health => Topic started by: Rosiems12 on September 24, 2009, 10:39:44 PM
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So, I wasn't sure if this should really be a health question...but here goes. Henry is about one year old, he is my only chin. I can imagine that he might be approaching the point in his life where he wishes he had a mate (so perhaps he is begining to feel lonely). Well, one day while at my computer, I looked over to Henry's cage and saw him bent over with something in his mouth. How can I put this...he was not sucking on a lollipop...yes, he is quite the talented little guy. I thought I was seeing things, but I quickly figured out (when he was finished about 10 second later) what had actually happened. He is not been nuetered so, is it just "ragging horomones?"
I do realize that this is a "touchy" subject, and admittedly, I am somewhat embarrassed that I actually witnessed it...however, I just wanted to know if anyone else has seen their male chin relieve themselves like this before. (Insert memory of my high school health teacher reminding us that this is completely "normal"!)
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haha, this is one of the reason why i don't have male chins... but would it be possible that he was simply grooming himself around that area..?
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::silly:: This is the way a male chinchilla cleans his privates ... they are very clean animals. If he did not clean himself, he would develop fur rings which could be very bad for him healthwise, and it would be very painful. Nothing to be embarrassed about. :)
Female chinchillas clean themselves daily, more often when in season, after mating, just before delivery, during and after delivery of the kits.
If chinchillas did not do this, they would not have the reputation they do have of being "almost odorless".
::think:: Thinking of cleaning themselves this way may not be appealing, but, they don't use showers/baths and then wash away all their body odor, dirt and waste down the drain to contaminate the water others will be drinking. :P They do not touch themselves with their paws to wipe, as humans do ... many of which do not bother to wash their hands and contaminate door knobs, shopping carts and food others eat. ::puke:: Come to think of it, they are much cleaner than humans. ::)
::howdythere:: Jo Ann
P.S. You may want to go out and buy a carry-with-you-size of sanitizing wipes now. rofl
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:2funny:
Omg that' so funny & true, almost scary, and I always carry wipes. Love that some grocers have them at the cart corrals.
I also believe they enjoy it :D got me this one little Waverly that's not to steady on his feet. While "cleaning" he'll keep tipping and tipping and tipping........to one side until he falls right off the his shelf. It's only 4-5 inches off the floor for those kinds of reasons. :2funny: He'd rather fall than stop :D
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This is why I was told there should always be five inches between cages as male chinchillas can impregnate females through the bars... Chong makes my boyfriend jealous. :blush2:
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::silly::
I also believe they enjoy it :D got me this one little Waverly that's not to steady on his feet. While "cleaning" he'll keep tipping and tipping and tipping........to one side until he falls right off the his shelf. It's only 4-5 inches off the floor for those kinds of reasons. :2funny: He'd rather fall than stop :D
I have to agree ... at times they do seem to enjoy it. :D
This is why I was told there should always be five inches between cages as male chinchillas can impregnate females through the bars... Chong makes my boyfriend jealous. :blush2:
Yes, they can easily breed between cages that are less than 3" apart ... One of my males got loose for about a week ... I thought he had made it outside, because we could not find him anywhere ... but, one day when I was feeding the others, he poked his little head out from behind a dust bath box and squeaked at me ... guess he wanted the comforts of his cage again ... then, maybe he was just tired ... about 111 days later I had several 'single' females that were not 'in breeding' give birth to new kits. :blush2:
::wave:: Jo Ann