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Chinchillas => General Chat => Topic started by: Chin_Vinny on September 13, 2006, 03:59:42 PM

Title: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Chin_Vinny on September 13, 2006, 03:59:42 PM
i looked around on general chat and didnt see anything similar (maybe i didnt look hard enough?) but id like to know what some of everyones chinchillas do that makes them laugh, could be tricks, playtime habits or just plain cute/funny things they do.

to start off i love when one wall jumps when let out to play (which i assume is pretty common) im not sure if anyone else's do this but mine sometimes just shake their head at random then hop about 5 or 6 feet like a gerbil (with just their back legs) then jump straight up in the air, then stop and look at you. Lastly for the playtime antics i laugh when they jump straight up in the air and land 180 degrees from where they started facing. as for just plain cute things, i like how they sometimes sleep on their sides on the marble with their little feet sprawled out and their tails hanging out of the cage. sorry if that was a little long winded.  :blush2:
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Abby W. on September 13, 2006, 05:15:06 PM
My chins used to have wooden ledges that screwed onto the sides of the cages.   There was one that was a little loose and the chins learned that if they jumped on it just so it would make a "sproing" noise and that would get our attention.  They started doing it everytime one of us walked by and would keep doing it over and over until we stopped to pet them and give them a raisin.

Mine also do "synchronated wheel running" which is this very complicated maneuver whereby one is running on the wheel (a flying saucer wheel) then another one jumps on and shoves the first one off and continues running without ever missing a stride!  I should call Cirque du Soleil  ::nod::
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Lauren_201 on September 13, 2006, 08:30:36 PM
My chins used to have wooden ledges that screwed onto the sides of the cages.   There was one that was a little loose and the chins learned that if they jumped on it just so it would make a "sproing" noise and that would get our attention.  They started doing it everytime one of us walked by and would keep doing it over and over until we stopped to pet them and give them a raisin.

Mine also do "synchronated wheel running" which is this very complicated maneuver whereby one is running on the wheel (a flying saucer wheel) then another one jumps on and shoves the first one off and continues running without ever missing a stride!  I should call Cirque du Soleil  ::nod::

That's so funny! Synchronated wheel running! That made me laugh.  ;D My chin Chloe does something that is not so funny, especially not at 4 am! She does the "alarm call" noise whenever she wants attention, and she will do it until she gets attention, and sometimes she will continue at the top of her lungs until she gets a treat! Isn't that cute. LOL
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Jo Ann on September 14, 2006, 12:44:59 AM
::silly::  I have one that lays on her back, legs straight up in the air ... like a dead cockroach.  If we don't run to her to make sure she is OK ... she will keep the same position, hang her head off the side and screech!  Of course we run to her, she hops downlooking like little "Miss Innocence".
   
    If Bill does not speak to Precious as soon as he comes in the room, she waits till he sets down at the computer and sprays him on top of the head with pee-pee ... she's very accurate within 7 feet.

    PeeTunia will spray me every time I walk past her cage if she sees my husband kiss or hug me.  She's jealous.

    We have two that back flip over and through their huts.

    We have several that will poke their noses through the wire so Bill will play "Get Your Nose" with them.

    Another one will sleep curled up ... his tail and bottom on the cage floor, his feet propped up on the cage door and head on his tummy, almost like porcupines do.

    They are always finding out new things to do to get our attention ... that's one advantage of having so many!

 ::wave::
Jo Ann
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Debbie.nl.ca on September 14, 2006, 08:47:14 AM
Quote
   They are always finding out new things to do to get our attention ... that's one advantage of having so many!

Truer words were never spoken. rofl They are all so different.
Their sleeping positions are an everyday laugh, or rush around here.
I too love the ricochet rabbit maneuvers and the popcorn jumps.

A standard named Jessie pouts if his cage is not by the door.He won't talk to me, let me scratch him or even come out to play if his cage is not where he wants it. ::)
I got a violet named Oliver that rolls over on his shelf when he see us coming.I'll speak to him and he'll keep doing it until his run.
This one also dribbles all over the place when the female in the next cage goes in heat.I have to wash his shelves for the 3-4 days he picks up the scent.
All of them have managed to ruin all zippers in my fleeces.Darn things are plastic, and when I have the chins up, one nip and the zipper doesn't zip anymore. ::tickedoff:: :D
The little darlings, how could ya not love'm ;)
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Chin_Vinny on September 15, 2006, 10:07:59 AM
I'm noticed 2 more things since last post, if im wearing denim jeans/shorts and  i let them run around they tend to try to dig on the denim, like they do with their dust. and for the second antic, the habit of going from zero to balistic in 1-2 seconds. Pip was just looking at me all innocent one day when he was out playing, then turned around and tried to run really fast away, he was on a smooth surface though and didn't get any traction, then made a noise I've never heard before and dashed to the other side of the room.

Lastly, does anyones chins (2 or more in same cage) tend not to notice something till the other one has it? say one of the chins could care less about the water bottle after it has been changed, but once the other starts drinking, they decide thats when they want it.
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Summer on September 15, 2006, 10:14:29 AM
::nod:: Yes some that do that!  ::silly::
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Stacy on September 15, 2006, 10:24:32 AM
Roo has done the running in place before. We get a good laugh out of him when he hits the kitchen floor. I have an island where my sink is kinda in the middle of the room and he will get running so fast when he goes to turn his back legs a going as hard as they can but he is kinda sliding sideways. It is so funny. :D
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Debbie.nl.ca on September 15, 2006, 06:18:36 PM
Those are helarious :2funny:
I have a few that do the dig on my sneakers.
 :DPokie sits on the toes of them, when I'm on the floor and almost rubs himself.
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Lauren_201 on September 15, 2006, 09:38:02 PM
Berry is shoe obsessed. He loves the freshly home and sticky from work ones, he will sit on them, dig in them and try to role on them. Its so funny. I haven't been able to figure this obsession out yet. But it keeps me entertained. LOL
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Jo Ann on September 17, 2006, 11:22:45 AM
::silly::Are all of you familiar with the "Swish, Swish Tail Dance"?  It's cute when they do it, and even cuter when you know why they do it, because when you know why, you will also observe the expression on his face and how "cartoon-like" it appears.  Kinda like Snoopy with a long tail.
    It is a mating dance (like an Indian war dance) ... he will do a little hop-hop, then swish his tail from side to side and repeat this several times. 

 ::wave::
Jo Ann
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Leslie on September 18, 2006, 07:15:34 AM
I love when my Ninja sleeps standing on his back feet....he puffs up into a big fat ball of fur that looks bigger side to side than up and down....his little front paws dissapear in his fur so he really does look like a "fur ball".

My other guy TBone sleeps inside his house, standing up....stuffed into the corner like he's in time-out.  He puts his front paws up on the wall and stuffs his head into the corner.  He looks like a sleeping fashion model or something.

You'd think after having these animals for years you would stop being so amazed by their cuteness....but I think they get cuter every day!
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Abby W. on September 18, 2006, 08:42:20 AM
Jo Ann,

I have seen the swish-swish tail dance.  It is too funny! I am just waiting for him to say something cheesy like "Hey baby, what's your sign?"   :2funny:  What's even funnier is that the females seem to be wholely unimpressed most of the time.
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Kizkitz on January 12, 2008, 01:32:18 PM
Hi!  I'm a newbie and have only had chinchillas for 5 months.  One day when I went into their room, I saw Chinchi's feet sticking out of the log and she was on her back.  I almost broke down crying because I thought she had died!!!!  I've caught her several times now sleeping like that.  Is that normal?  It freaks me out everytime I see it!  I have since added a friend with her and they just sleep next to each other now.  They are the perfect pair!  My other 2 girls are "rescues" that I got from a little girl who no longer wanted them.  They are always sleeping with one's head resting on the other.  They are so adorable!
_Kizkitz
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Jenova on January 12, 2008, 02:09:33 PM
Chinchillas sleep in the weirdest positions. Cheech sleeps on a ledge on the top floor of her three storey cage as high as she can get but it has to be at the front of the cage. Then she hangs her head right over and sleeps with her neck right out stretched and her head down, then slowly she slips off. So slowly you can see it happening. I've had to changer her cage around so many times to try and make it so that the fall isn't very far. I think I've finally cracked it...

Chong does the swish swish tail dance and quietly barks at Cheech. They're in separate cages next to each other and she goes right up to his cage and stretches up as far as she can in front of him, then does a little flick and runs off. Poor Chong she's such a tease!

Chong always sits with one of his paws resting on something, like a person might rest their arm on the side of a chair. Cheech bit one of his paws when they first met and after it had healed bit the other hand. he used to hold the injured paw up, way after it had healed which is why I think he always rests one on something now. He's still obsessed with her though...

I love it when they're out. Cheech is obsessed with getting past my barricades and into the 'forbidden areas' like under the bed or behind the PC. She will twist and squeeze herself into the funniest positions trying to get behind the bits of wood. When she can't get any further she backs out, looks upset, then tries again.

Our old bed was falling apart and the headboard was leaning forwards away from the wall. Chong once fell down behind there and couldn't get up, he was struggling, trying to jump or run up the wall, when I looked over all I saw was all his legs flailing and him looking quite bemused. he sulked after I got him out.

And those are just some of their antics. :)
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Jenova on January 14, 2008, 07:41:47 PM
I just got poofed for the first time by Cheech...
When our friend is round we sit in a line and let her run from shoulder to shoulder sniffing us and getting tickles. Well she 'accidentally' fell down onto our friend's lap and then 'accidentally' fell onto the floor. After I caught her I put her onto my boyfriend's shoulder again and went to give her a kiss and she poofed in both our faces. :o
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: nemue on January 14, 2008, 07:51:44 PM

Chong always sits with one of his paws resting on something, like a person might rest their arm on the side of a chair.

I have a picture of M'noke doing this, although I haven't seen her doing it since. 

M'noke sleeps on one of the ladders, with Kira resting on her butt. 

When I lay on the floor with them and give them treats, they like to sit on my face.  The whole time I"m praying they don't poop or pee on me!   :::((( They use me as a trampoline, and sometimes they think my face is as bouncy as my tummy!   ;D

Kira's fascinated with opening doors.  The door to their room didn't latch properly until recently, so she was always obsessed with getting out.  She can also open the closet in there, and we have a big can of paint holding it closed.  The cats always stick their paws under the door and she goes and pounces on them.   ::think::

I feed them when I get home at 5, and then let them out at 8.  At 5, Kira always has to come out, do a lap across the room, then goes in and eats.  I think she's just showing me she willcome out if she wants to.   :2funny:
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: nemue on January 15, 2008, 10:33:26 PM
So, cutest thing, Kira did the Swish swish tail dance today!  She had hopped into the cage on their run, and looked over the edge holding onto the bars and swish, swished!  It was cute!  ;D

ONly thing--if this is a mating dance, do both boys and girls do it?  Cause the pet store told me they were both girls, but we know how smart they are!   ::think::
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Jenova on January 16, 2008, 06:08:54 PM
Lol!
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Deanna on January 18, 2008, 07:40:57 AM
Does anyones chins (2 or more in same cage) tend not to notice something till the other one has it?

Otis does that, but since I have one chinchilla, he usually sees something in my hands, and he sticks his nose through the bars of the cage to try to chew on it. Yep, he's teething! ;D

A funny story; once when my sister Christina had Otis on her lap, I was playing the piano. I was in the middle of the Can Can Polka, when Otis jumped onto the piano! He walked around on it and hit the keys, so, you guessed it; sound came out. That was to his liking, so he just walked around on it for, like, 10 minutes.

I was rolling on the floor laughing!!!  rofl rofl rofl rofl rofl rofl rofl rofl rofl rofl
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Jenova on January 18, 2008, 06:59:04 PM
Lol!

Well, we often eat dinner and snacks in our bedroom while watching TV and if we do, Cheech wants some. Of course I would never feed her any, so if she hasn't had a treat I'll give her one, but she'll beg and beg and if I don't give her anything, she'll go to her food bowl and eat her food instead. She can't bear to be left out. :)
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Deanna on January 19, 2008, 08:51:33 AM
Another funny story is that Otis chewed off the protection of his cage; the things that held it together. Naughty, naughty, naughty! We had to put a frying pan on the top of the cage, so it didn't come off. Yesterday my dad used something to protect it form coming off, and when we woke up today, he had chewed that off, too.  ;D
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Jenova on January 20, 2008, 09:15:34 PM
Cheech moved her box into the middle of the top floor of the cage. I'm not sure how she did it because it screwed one of her ledges on right next to it to stop her doing this, it's sort of wedged into the corner. Anyway I put it back into it's place and walked over to the bed. I heard a commotion behind me and squeak, not a nice one, and when I turned around she had it in exactly the same place in the middle of the cage. I still don't know how she did it, but I'm not moving it again, she was really p'd off!

And Chong always wipes his water bottle spout with his paw before he drinks.
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: mikasauntie on January 21, 2008, 11:10:28 PM
We had a funny conversation over dinner this evening.  We were talking about Ari's fixation with eating walls and Husband called her "Godchilla."  Then, we were off, imagining a chinchilla devouring a city made of popsicle sticks, etc etc.  Maybe it should be "Chinzilla" instead?  Either way, we had a good laugh.  If only we had the skill to do something for YouTube!
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: nemue on January 21, 2008, 11:36:12 PM
 rofl  we call our cat "catzilla" because when we play games she likes to walk through them and eat the people! 

My girls both chew on this one pair of sock slippers that get bally.  they don't like the balls, and they are just helping me out  and cleaning them up.  On sunday my husband was in the room.  As he has to shave everyday for work, he doesn't shave on the weekends, so by sunday night he has some stuble.  Kira went up to his face and started shaving him!  She got one hair in her teeth and actually pulled it!  He was so shocked.  I told him next time he should groom himself better before visiting the ladies!  ::nod::
Title: Re: Chinchilla Antics
Post by: Beth on January 22, 2008, 08:22:55 AM
Lol, hilarious!!  I need a good laugh like that in the morning!  rofl