Okay, so as of late I've been having a few bonding problems with my Chinchilla and him sitting under my bed all the time and hiding from me. While I try to figure out how I can block off access to my bed I've been putting Leopold in his yellow ball. I know it isn't the most fun for him, since he really can't jump or run under and in small hiding places, but it keeps him safe and out of trouble for the time being, because I'm doing some spring cleaning in my room and it's not the safest to let him roam, and the only other 'safe' place is the rest of the house INSIDE his ball, due to our two small dogs, who are more scared of him then he is of them, and our cats who think it's cool to whack at his ball with their paws, but usually give up when they can't get it to move. But anyway!
When I first put Leo in his ball, he wanted NOTHING to do with it, he'd sit in one place, pawing and trying to chew at the walls and doing what ever he thought he could to get OUT of it. And when I finally felt bad for him, after watching him paw at the walls only to end up spinning out of control like those hamsters who loose their footing in their wheels and go for a ride. Which made me laugh so hard to watch him spin in his ball... Lol. Poor Little Guy! I would let him out and back into his cage, and as soon as I let that ball door open he'd be out faster than you could say sliced bread!
But the other night, I had it. I couldn't stand leaving him in his what I think, small cage, until I can find the money to get him something bigger, and the thought of having to chase him out from under my bed after letting him have some time out, I just put him in his ball. I wanted him to have some out time, that would not stress him out, or me out with the fuss of having to get him back into his cage. So while I watched a movie in the living room, I let him sit in his ball, ever so often looking over at him only to find him rocking in his ball. At one point, I completely zoned out. And after a good hour or so, I found him running up and down the halls and into one of our other main rooms. I was so happy that he was using his ball! So much in fact, that I let him roam around until he seemed to sit in one place for a little while, thinking he was tired of his ball I went to put him back into his cage. To my surprise, when I opened the ball up he didn't jump out right away like he normally did. I had to tilt and give the ball a slight shake to get him to come out of the darn thing. It made me feel so happy that he could have some out time without the stress and fuss of going back into his cage!
And what makes me even more happy, is that just before I wrote this, I went to let Leopold out and in his ball, I thought I'd try and let him jump into his ball on his own, usually I would have to grab him and fight to put him into, but tonight! He got in all on his own after sniffing the sides of the ball! And he is running around as a write this. I am so happy that he is using his ball until I can figure out how to block access to my bed, and get my room all spring cleaned out!
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Topic: So Happy! (Read 2123 times)