Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[nervousings]

i know that all chins have different personalities and attitudes, and most will not ever want to be held and cuddled for more than a few minutes...
but im wondering, that since i am buying mine from a wonderful breeder who gives all the little guys the attention they need from day one... will that make him more likley to bond easier with me? the breeder mentioned how loving they are... and wont my chinnie be bonded with the breeder as he is already 4 months old?
i went to petco a few weeks ago while starting my research and was extremely appauled at the way the employees chased the poor thing around in the plexiglass in order to grab him.
then while at my breeders house the chins would practically jump out of the cage in order to be touched. i feel so bad that i am not helping the ones at petco, but i just feel like this is the best choice for me and my chin.

comments, suggestions?

[LindyLu]

I think it does helped for them to be hand raised. I got my boy Schroeder (who has since passed on  ) from a guy who held them often...he wasn't a breeder, it was actually a really bad situation for the chins...BUT, because Schroeder was used to being handled, when I first stuck my hand in his cage to say hello, he climbed right on my hand! He just allowed me to lift him out with no problems! It won me over instantly! Schroeder and I bonded quickly and easily. He was eager to spend time with me! (Probably grateful I saved him from that guy!)
My current chins... a 5 yr old male I have had since last June, was raised by a good family, but handled only occasionally. He doesn't like to be pestered...he'll let me scratch his chin on occasion, but usually I use his bath house to coax him in & out of his cage.
....And now my 7 month old female I just got last month...was from a pet store, but a GOOD local one. She was played with frequently by the guy taking care of her. She usually allows me to pick her up without much fuss. She doesn't walk right onto my hand, but she does stand still while I reach for her.

So...in my experience, it seems that chins that were handled often from early on, are much better about being handled, and very easy to bond with!
BTW - I also HATE seeing how the chins at Petco & Petsmart are treated. They live in glass aquariums full of plastic toys. So sad. It worried me to purchase from there because the chins could be in such bad health after that sort of treatment.

[chinclub]

It really depends on the chinchilla.  A chinchilla that was held from birth will not fear people and will be easy to adapt to a new home. A chinchilla that has not been handled can be tricky.  I bet I have bought at least 100 chinchillas in my time that were breeders.  This means they were never handled.  Some of these chinchillas never liked me and would always run to the back of the cage.  Others would warm up and take food from my hand.  Some even learned to love getting scratched.  But it was a rare few that ever enjoyed being held. 

If you want to be able to hold your chinchilla and carry it around with you I HIGHLY suggest a baby that was held a lot from birth.  If you are happy playing with your chinchilla in the cage and not really taking it out of the cage much you can find a friendly one that was not.

(I do want to add that chinchillas in general will not sit still for long to be held as they are too hyper and curious, but a tame chinchilla will humor you for awhile and will be fine with being carried from the cage to play area and back again)

[Debbie.nl.ca]

Now that can be a tough question, as you said all chins are different.
As a general rule I would have to agree with Jamie, and she's bought way more chins than I ever will.

But with in my own experiences it's not so cut and dry.
I got a pair from a fur farm at the age of 5, plus their 1 year old daughter. They were never spoken to let alone have names. Though they were never with out the basics necessities of life, but they never had much more. They were the sweetest calmest, most handle able chins I had seen up to that point.  So Why?
I also took on a five year old male that was very well taken care of and had everything a pet chinchilla could dream of. He was just as calm and handle able. Why?
I've shipped in chins and some seem to have changed from the stress of the trip while most, seem totally unaffected.
Their breeders kept me posted on their temperaments.
Most my kits I find love being held right from birth. They love the warmth of you hands, and will sleep balled up for hours. As they age and get spunkier most will stay people friendly, but some just realize freedom and will do everything just to get on the floor. These are squirming for play and not fear.
 It helps to learn the difference in all chins, cause they can be tricksters and very adamant when they want something. So knowing if they are squirming for fear or control makes a difference on how you'd handle the situation.

It all takes time, and I haven't had one yet that I couldn't get a good bond with. You just need to learn what makes each happiest and use it.

If you are looking for a calm, well behaved pet I'd adopt an older animal that has had a good slave in the past.


Kits are just like puppies, you never truly know how they will turn out. The first year requires a lot of training & patients,. Their energy levels and curiosities seem to be at it's peek during that first year too. As the age they do calm and given a good routine will be quite accepting of human interaction.

Being able to handle any chinchilla before you purchase is a must. If it's totally uncontrollable I wouldn't buy it unless you were up for the challenge.
I show all my customers the correct way to secure their chin with the tail hold. I watch them with the chin so I can give them pointers on how they are holding it and try to get them in a couple fo times. I can't imagine having them come take a carrier with a chin in saying good luck!
Most of us with multiples really don't care, we love all the different personalities, are not in a rush, and are willing to take what ever we get personality wise.

Most any chinchilla can be conditioned to tolerate handling, scratching, and a scattered cuddle with out any stress.
As Jamie says it’s all about patients… and routine.


As hard and as sad it is to leave the chin in the pet store, keep in mine as soon as he's sold another will be placed in the plexie glas cage.

[chinclub]

As they age and get spunkier most will stay people friendly, but some just realize freedom and will do everything just to get on the floor.

Isn't it funny how that happens!  All of the sudden one day they just notice the floor and cuddle time is a thing of the past.

[BambiLove]

well i only have 1 chinnie and idk about bonding and stuffs like that, but about helping the one at petco, i would definitely do it if i were you. I mean...the chinnies from the breeders will always have good care and love, while the other chinnie is lonely without a home. this is why i got my chinnie at the rescue place (im going to get my dog and cat there too), i felt that there are many chinnies out there that are very unfortunate and their owners left them, some of them were about to get killed for their fur, so i decided to get 1 there because i wanna help them so there will be 1 less lonely chinnie =] even though my chinnie doesn't like to be held (you have no idea how much i wanna sleep with him) i feel happy because i know that i provided him a good home, and he makes me so happy when i look at him.
idk why someone would breed pet, not like there isnt enough pet in the world, there are so many out there that need a home, and they are just putting more pets out there so they can suffer. and for breeders in the forums, please don't get me wrong, im not against any of you guys, you all are nice people and i thank you for your help with my chinnie  

[nervousings]

well everyone... thanks for the advice!
i ended up switching little guys to a brown velvet. he has a leaky eye.. and it scares me. the breeder told me hes seen a vet and nothing is wrong... and thats its been that way since birth. i am making an exray/check up appt today just to make sure there are no teeth problems. has anyone heard of a "naturally leaky eye". im worried about my little guy ... i just couldnt leave him there... the breeder said he has been overlooked because of this... and he was just the sweetest little guy and loved both my husband and i... even gave my husband kisses do i need to be worried?

[jmdebb]

hi,

i  didn't read your responses.. i am just going to answer your question.

yes every chin is different like every person, cat. dog..etc..

but just because you get it from a petstore doesn't not mean it won't be friendly.  here is a little story that is 100% true.

i met tara on another forum, we live close to each other so i went to her house to meet her and her chin [she did the same].  her little guy gizmo has got to be the happiest chin on earth.. you can actually tell he is happy. i swear he looks like he's on happy pills.  i can't believe it.  when she opens the cage door, he jumps into her arms, when she put the card maze up in his play area, he actually saw it and ran over to it and went in.  i'm like stunned with how happy this chin is. i swear he's a person and SABRINA'S MOTHER PUT A CURSE ON him TO BE AN ANIMAL.

but i'm also not saying you will get one like him.. heck, i never even heard of one coming from a breeder as happy as him.. but just a story.. it might help, it might not.. best of luck.

jean