Chinchilla Community Forums
Chinchillas => Q & A => Topic started by: kstump on January 14, 2013, 11:56:10 AM
-
I know I may be jumping to conclusions but my chin seems unhappy...He just seems to sit on him wheel or on his wood perch. Is there anything I can do or am I just being a worrier? I hate having unhappy animals :(
-
They're nocturnal, remember? :)
Also, if you see him "popcorn", he's happy!
-
So I am new to this...what does popcorn mean? And I guess he does run on is wheel about 5 am every morning I am just not used to animals that aren't active during the day I guess lol
-
Popcorning is when a chinchilla will jump in the air and give a twitch. It shows extreme happiness and excitement.
How long ago did you get your chinchilla? He's probably still warming up to you!
-
I just got him Saturday the 5th...so its not been very long at all..
-
If you let him run around in the bathroom after sundown you might see some popcorning. My chinchilla is usually pretty groggy during the day as well. My fist chin was completely nocturnal and hated it when I messed with him during the day. My second has a more crepuscular schedule but can be very active during the day. His lighting is also highly controlled and on a timer unlike my first chin.
Bothering them while they are sleepy can irritate them. Since I've had mine for a while and mine is pretty well bonded I do handle him at times during the day and sometimes he'll completely wake up for a few hours when I do that but not always.
-
I will try letting him run more in the evenings in the bathroom...I hope it helps...
-
So I let my chinchilla loose in the bathroom last night and he would start to run then half jump on the wall and bathtub and rickashay off and repeat the process..I can honestly say it was the funniest thing I've seen! I sat on the floor while he ran around and he would jump up on my lap and sit..he didn't want me to pet him though but I think we are making progress. :)
-
That is known as "wall surfing" and is the most entertaining thing to watch a chinchilla do. To me anyway.
Most chins don't like to be petted but it is something they can be acclimated to once they get to know you and often become more cuddly when they get older and slower. My first chinchilla, like most, really liked being scratched under the chin as soon I got him to tolerate being touched but rarely liked to be held. He liked it so much that he would close his eyes and fall over backwards because he'd lift his front leg up and lean back too far.
My second chin is very tolerant of being held but rarely accepts being touched along the jaw or neck to get a chin scratch. He is generally intolerant of being scratched and stroked for anything but a short while but sometimes if I pet his head right he'll fall asleep in my hand. So ya never know what you're gonna get.
-
My chinchilla does that too! He loves to be petted on the side, under his neck. But after a minute he pushes me away. Is it possible that it's too intense for him?
-
It is likely too intense for him. I also found that mine gets very distracted if I touch his whiskers and sometimes I can get in a chin rub if I can avoid touching those. Also I have to pick the right times. He can be very active times where there is no stopping him from moving and playing and touching him just makes him mad.
One thing I am discovering about chinchillas is that when you repeat things they initially don't like in a systematic way in short sessions they'll get used it and take it longer. My new chin took several weeks to get used to staying still in my arms but is now so relaxed when I hold him he'll sometimes lay down flat in my arms for 10 minutes before he starts trying to get up. I just keep on at it and each session (where I try to push the timeframe) gets longer and longer.
I am amazed how teachable these animals are. I have worked with dogs that were much harder to train. I expect if you want him to do it longer then all you have to do is repeat it more often in short sessions and see how long you can do it.
-
Last night was an even better night with my chin! :) I sat on the bathroom floor and I had my tablet on my lap and he would jump in my lap and sit on my tablet until I would either scratch under his chin or run behind his ears. Then he would run and jump on the side of the tub and sit there until I would look at him and when I would say anything to him he would take a flying leap towards me...So far he is just a big show off and loves attention lol
-
It does sound like that! He seems great! And the best part is he's going to get even better as he warms up even more! :)
-
Sounds like you have a really nice pet. I am glad for you.
btw My own chin is getting more accustomed to chin scratches just in the few days I've been trying it. He is not as apt to run away when I try. I am also conditioning him to be petted on the sides when he explores the opening of the cage when I have the door open. I think that is also helping.
-
Last night I left him in the bathroom by his self for a few minutes and I heard a thud so I go running back in there and he's just hanging out in the trash can but when I got onto him he high tailed it out of there it was hilarious!! Then I was sitting on the floor and he just hops up on my shoulder.
-
more pics
-
and last one
-
Haha! In the trash can? haha I just laughed out loud! But remember to keep it chinchilla- safe. Make sure he doesn't eat soap or anything; that can't be good for his stomach!
I also don't think you should let him alone by himself; what if he starts to eat the walls? I know that some people have that problem with their chins....
-
Trust me it wasn't for very long I was helping my boyfriend make a purchase on the internet (darn men) lol So far I haven't had any problems with wall chewing I make sure he has plenty of toys
-
It's not about number of toys. They just like to eat whatever they can get their little hands on :) Especially when they know they're not supposed to! :D
-
My first chinchilla really liked to eat drywall. There was a place behind the toilet where the pipes come in and the drywall is kind of messed up and exposed and he was able to get small chunks of chalk out of the holes. It took many attempts to discourage him from going back there. I'd pull him out by his tail and he always got really upset butkept going back until I'd pull him away again. I never got him to give up trying but did manage to keep him out of there once I learned his tricks. For the few seconds he had access to it I could sometimes see it in his feces the next day since he managed to eat so much of it. I don't know what the big attraction was. Perhaps it was because it was forbidden.
-
So far my chinchilla's only obsession in the bathroom is jumping on the side of the bathtub and then taking a flying leap at me lol I watch him very close....he likes setting on my tablet and getting behind his ears rubbed....I did remove the trash can last night so he wouldn't jump in it...Im just glad i had it completley empty (sack and all) when he decided to jump in lol
-
That's cool. I got a covered trash can with a flip up lid for my bathroom to keep my pets out of it and it works pretty well.
-
He probably adores the attention :) Snickerdoodle is very independent (yet still loving), so I don't get that from him.