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General Chat / Having Problems with my Chinchilla's chewing after a year or so...
« on: July 31, 2009, 09:59:50 AM »
So I rescued my three boy Chinchillas, which all live together in a big ol' cage, about a year ago and they've been good and sweet and fun to play with.
For the past two months though, at night, they've been chewing on their cage, loudly. My boyfriend and I rent a room so we keep them in the bedroom with us, which also happens to be the only air conditioned room in the house. I know Chinchilla's cannot get warm so I do not wish to take them out of my room and place them someplace warmer in the house.
The problem I'm having though is that I cannot sleep through their cage chewing, and it seems to be getting progressively louder. I'm pretty sure they're doing it for attention/because they are bored. They have pellets, water, chew toys, hay cubes, etc. but they always seem to go for their cage. They stop when I get up and poke them/sit with them, but I'd much rather be sleeping. It is to the point where I don't sleep 3 nights a week and I sleep the other 4 out of exhaustion. My boyfriend, of course, can sleep through anything so he's not having the same problem.
I've tried earplugs, they're still too loud. I can't sleep in another room - we don't have another room for me to go to. I'm trying to keep them up more in the day time and exercise them but they are still nocturnal creatures and they go straight for the cage when the lights are out.
Any tips or advice is appreciated. They just started doing this two months ago after having them for a year. It's my two youngest gray boys, both about a year and a half old (I got them when they were about 3 months from a rescue) are the culprits. We have an older beige male, unsure of the age, that does not chew on his cage. We also have a gray female that is kept separately that decided her food dish was the best chew toy ever, which means I go through a lot of food dishes. I know they chew a lot, but if anyone knows how to correct that behavior I'd love to know too.
For the past two months though, at night, they've been chewing on their cage, loudly. My boyfriend and I rent a room so we keep them in the bedroom with us, which also happens to be the only air conditioned room in the house. I know Chinchilla's cannot get warm so I do not wish to take them out of my room and place them someplace warmer in the house.
The problem I'm having though is that I cannot sleep through their cage chewing, and it seems to be getting progressively louder. I'm pretty sure they're doing it for attention/because they are bored. They have pellets, water, chew toys, hay cubes, etc. but they always seem to go for their cage. They stop when I get up and poke them/sit with them, but I'd much rather be sleeping. It is to the point where I don't sleep 3 nights a week and I sleep the other 4 out of exhaustion. My boyfriend, of course, can sleep through anything so he's not having the same problem.
I've tried earplugs, they're still too loud. I can't sleep in another room - we don't have another room for me to go to. I'm trying to keep them up more in the day time and exercise them but they are still nocturnal creatures and they go straight for the cage when the lights are out.
Any tips or advice is appreciated. They just started doing this two months ago after having them for a year. It's my two youngest gray boys, both about a year and a half old (I got them when they were about 3 months from a rescue) are the culprits. We have an older beige male, unsure of the age, that does not chew on his cage. We also have a gray female that is kept separately that decided her food dish was the best chew toy ever, which means I go through a lot of food dishes. I know they chew a lot, but if anyone knows how to correct that behavior I'd love to know too.