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« on: April 10, 2011, 11:51:23 AM »
Hi! I have recently adopted a chinchilla [March 26th] because I felt that I have been in need of a companion in my life, and a dog just didn't seem to fit into my busy and stressful life. I use to own a chinchilla before [about 2 years ago, my ex-boyfriend kept him when we broke up] that I had gotten it from a human society, and of course to be expect they are both very different animals, but I am so unsure of what to do.
I adopted, Leopold from a lady and her two sons. I never meet them, I had my boyfriend go and pick him up for me, and it was my mother who found the AD and called for me, because she knew I really wanted another Chinchilla. They were the only two people that talked to the woman about the pet. I was told by my mother that Leo, who she called Rocky, I changed his name due to some personal issues between my sister and her lost cat, who was named Rocky. But anyway. I was told that Leopold was very friendly, didn't mind being held and would take treats from your hand and liked to run around outside his cage and play and that her two sons gave him most of the attention.
I know it takes some time for your chinchilla to get use to you, and that they are very shy and easily frightened creatures, but I feel like either I'm doing something wrong, or how he was raised with his past owner(s) may have affected him? He's about 2 and a half years old, from what I was told.
When I first got him, he seemed okay with me. I was able to get him to sit with me - sort of, he struggled a bit, but at least he didn't bark at me like he would at my mom or my boyfriend if they tried to touch him. He even took a raisin or two, but mostly inside his cage, if he was outside he'd take it, nip it, and drop it. Which my old Chinchilla use to do too. But since then, he hasn't and won't eat any treats that I offer him.
When I let him out of his cage, he runs around for a little bit, avoiding me almost all the time, unless I'm laying on the floor on my stomach, and not looking at him, then he'll climb on my feet, the back of my legs, and run off. My room isn't very big, but it is the only good closed off room away from our two small dogs and our cats... I usually let him out after I get home from work, since I work closing shifts and it's after 11 pm I thought a Nocturnal pet would be perfect! Specially since I stay up late anyway. Sometimes when I let him out, I really just let him out run around, and I'll sit on my bed and do homework... Letting him do his own thing while I do mine. Of course he'll run around the room, jumping, sniffing and what ever else he does for a good 10 minutes or so, and then he'll retreat to hiding under my bed under I have to fish him out to go back into his cage.
At first, I would sit on the floor with some hay and try to get him to come to me, which he would, then I would pick up a struggling Leo, pet him and talk to him for a minute or two and put him back into his cage, where he'd run around and chew on the wire sides making loud annoying noises wanting to come out again. I was able to get him to come to me when I wanted to put him away after a few minutes of petting and talking, but a few days later he wouldn't come to me, he'd sit under my bed and stare at me, he'd come to me but if I made any movements to pick him up or touch him, he'd bolt back under my bed... So I went to using his favorite little pink house, and put bath dust into it. It'd take him a few minutes to come out from under the bed and jump into the bath, and once he was in, I'd block the hole and put him into the cage with his bath house... Which in affect, would cause him to jump out and try to race my hand to the door, which of course he never made it and would have his jumping and wire chewing fit again. Now he won't even fall for the bath time trick to getting him back into his cage...
I can't reach him from under my bed, and that's the only place he goes to when I let him out of his cage. I have tired keeping him in those plastic rolling balls that you can get for them so they can run around in a ball, but he doesn't seem to like it, unlike my past chin. He just sits in it, pawing at the sides wanting out of it... But I almost dread letting him out, because I know at the end of the night when I want to go to bed, I have to fish him out from under my bed... Which I hate doing. I know you're not suppose to chase them, but I don't know what else to do... I usually chase him out with a boom stick, and drop a towel over him, which keeps him from running away... but now he's getting tricky...
He won't have anything to do with me [I can still pet him under his chin or behind his ear when he's in his cage, but that's it], he won't take treats from me, won't come to me if I sit on the floor while he's out, and won't come out of his cage if I sit in front of the door. I fear that I might have ruined my bond with my little friend.
I've also thought about getting him a bigger cage, the one he came with is only a one level cage, and maybe a friend.. and hope maybe that might keep him from wanting to sit under my bed all the time and actually run around and play?
I'll make sure to keep a close eye on him while he's in his ball and try the bathroom out. 
