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[hyrdra]

Hello,

I am new to chins and this board. I just recently purchased an adult (?) chin (see below) from a pet store. He seems healthy and is very active, alert and curious. However I do have one question about his behavior. He is very timid and even somewhat scared of people. When I open his cage door, he runs from me or at least trys to get away. He does not really like being held, squirming and kicking to get free but is getting somewhat more calm as I try to socialize him. When I put him out on the floor, etc. he does come near people and myself, and even climb up on us and sniff us, but try to pet him and he runs away. He also tends to stay put on whatever he is on (e.g. a couch or chair), preferring not to jump down, but is still very curious, exploring ever square inch of it. While in his cage, he spends most of his time either sitting or running in his wheel -- he even sleeps in it! We got him a large clear ball and he also enjoys running around in it, and picked up on how to use it very quickly.

I was wondering is this is normal and typical behavior of a new chin, or if for some reason he has become anti-social due to isolation or trauma. My friend has a chin and he is VERY friendly, albeit he has had him for several years. Also, based on my chin's size, would anyone care to guess how old he is? The pet store didn't know and couldn't even tell me his sex.

Thanks,

Johnathan

[Lauren_201]

I would say that is pretty normal for a new chin. Just take it real slow, and don't do anything scary like chase him around his cage, or chase him when he has free-run time. They have really long memories, and will remember if you scare him. My rescue Berry is still very timid I have had him since November '05.

[chinclub]

HI Johnathan,
Welcome to the forums and to the wonderful world of chinchilla owning! I saw you join last night and I was hoping you were going to join us in the chat room. 

 Its really hard to say for sure how old your chinchilla is.  They are usually fully grown by the time they are 7- 8 months old...which in a chinchilla lifespan is still very young (as they live 10-20 years)

If you want to know if your chinchilla is a male or a female this website will help you do that:
http://www.huggablepets.com/huggablepets/sexing.shtml

It is very common for a new chinchilla from a pet store to be nervous.  Especially if you got it from a large chain like PetSmart.  They buy all of their chinchillas from a very large distributor so the chinchillas are usually only touched twice in their life then they are dropped into a cage in the middle of this loud store with all of these strange animals and loud noises.  By the time you buy one and get it home it is pretty freaked out!

Start out slowly by getting to know your chinchilla in its cage.  Don't try to pick it up until it will come to your hand in the cage and let you rub it between the ears.  Once it does that you know it has bonded with you.  It might take a while to get it to trust you, but once it learns you aren't going to be grabbing at it whenever the door opens it will become curious and check you out.  Once you are bonded you can take it out of the cage.  Then if you have to chase it to get it back in you won't be scaring it because  you have already earned its trust.

I don't recommend those balls for chinchillas.  Even the ones with holes don't have enough air circulation so as the chinchilla runs its body heat will make it hotter in the ball and it is very easy for a chinchilla to overheat in one and possibly die.  Its best to just chinchilla-proof a room, like your bathroom (don't forget to close the toilet lid).  Then your chinchilla can play without fear of overheating and this will become a special time to interact with it, which you can't do when it is in a ball.  Try laying down on the floor so your chinchilla can climb all over you..or get on your hands and knees so it can crawl under you.

With a little patience I bet you two will be best friends in no time!

[Jo Ann]

Hi Johnathan (that's my grandson's name, but he spells it Jonathon)

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Chinchillas!
    When you do get to the point he is willing to let you pick him up be sure to support both hind legs at all times!  If you don't, he will think he's going to fall and become scared and wiggly.

   Now ... After he seems comfortable with you holding him, then all of a sudden he seems to want down ... he may be telling you he has to go pee pee and does not want to do it on you ... but if you don't let him down, he will have no choice.     

 
Jo Ann[/i]

[hyrdra]

Hi,

Well I am happy to report he is making great progress in the short few days I've had him. It still takes some coaxing to get him out of his cage without just grabbing him (he goes to his wheel and starts "running away from us"), but once out he is getting very friendly, and now enjoys being pet and even comes to me when it's time to go back in his cage. We let him out on the floor and he enjoys exploring around while we watch TV and go about (don't worry room has been chinchilla-proofed) and comes up to us to be pet or for treats.

I really feel sorry for the other chins back at the pet store. We purchased him from Jack's Aquarium & Pets, a local pet store chain. It's better than Petsmart but still has a very corporate feel and the attendants didn't know much about the chins, and were very young and didn't seem too interested in their jobs. The chins were kept in a glass cage near the floor with only pellets and a water dish, no place to hide, no fun, and nothing to chew. 

In a few weeks we're going to see about getting another one. There were four chins in that little glass cage, and the chin we bought has been spoiled with a cage about three times the size as the one at the pet store.

[tinabeana]

We bought a ball for Maggie too before we figured out it would prolly be too warm in there. She'll hop in it on her own but always pees in it... I mean every single time.

She is usually very good. She pees only in one corner of her cage (execpt for twice when she went in the dust bath).

I take this as a sign to mean a) she hates the ball and even though she jumps into it willingly is so afraid she pees in it or b) I didn't clean the many crack of it well enough to get the smell out and she now just thinks its the place to pee. In either case she doesn't seem to enjoy her time in it and we don't put her in it.

I do sort of wish they were safer, cooler because then she could have more range over the house.

[FluffBall]

tinabeana,
here is an idea if you have a dishwasher through it in there with a bit of clorox if not fill a bucket with clorox and submerge it in that and for the to hot thing just take a drill to it and drill many extra holes in it and that would vent it some more
i think that is what i am going to do cause I can't afford one of those flying disc wheel thingies and I always let my chins out but I think that they miss thier wheel but for temp till I can get one of those flying things I am going to try it
just use a small drill bit too big will crack the plastic you could also burn holes through it

[chinchillagrl06]

The other danger to these plastic roll about balls is that chinny toes can get caught in the vents. 

[FluffBall]

oh
even if you drilled the vent holes a bit bigger?

[Jo Ann]

Hi Y'all,

We let him out on the floor and he enjoys exploring around while we watch TV and go about (don't worry room has been chinchilla-proofed) and comes up to us to be pet or for treats.

     Chin-proofing also includes unplugging all cords and getting them tucked away and/or putting them inside of a flex pipe, tape it at both ends so that the chin can not get into.  :-[   When chins are out playing, it needs to be one-on-one time with them (no distractions)  ... this is a time for them to get to know you and visa versa. 

 

She'll hop in it on her own but always pees in it... I mean every single time. ... I take this as a sign to mean
 a) she hates the ball and even though she jumps into it willingly is so afraid she pees in it or
 b) I didn't clean the many crack of it well enough to get the smell out and she now just thinks its the place to pee.
In either case she doesn't seem to enjoy her time in it and we don't put her in it.

 
Both answers could be correct, but most likely ... IF you are letting her stay in it more than 10 or 15 minutes, she can't hold her peepee and has to go. 
Unless you have one in a JUMBO 15" or larger in diameter, I don't like to see them in one of the balls.  It can affect the spine and...
 the smaller it is, the smaller amount of room to release the body heat ... body temperature definitely increases with activity.

if you have a dishwasher through it in there with a bit of clorox if not fill a bucket with clorox and submerge it in that ...
and for the to hot thing just take a drill to it and drill many extra holes in it and that would vent it some more

 I doubt that the ball is dishwasher safe ... if it is small enough to fit on the top shelf, it's to small ... if you put it on the bottom shelf, it will probably melt. 
 Plastic will absorb bleach and you can never get rid of the smell ... the fumes would be VERY UNHEALTHY for your chin ... Bleach will kill anything living. 
With hard plastic ... drilling will either crack/shatter or melt the plastic.   

I am going to try it just use a small drill bit too big will crack the plastic you could also burn holes through it

Burning plastic is a definite NO NO ... burning plastic is toxic to animals and humans ... also, if a drop of the burning/melting plastic accidentally falls on your skin ... it leaves a horrible scar, not to mention, being VERY PAINFUL (I did it when I was 8 and still carry the scar.)

other danger to these plastic roll about balls is that chinny toes can get caught in the vents

even if you drilled the vent holes a bit bigger?

If a toe or foot can fit in the hole, it can get broken by it ... especially if it gets caught when a chin is trying to run.   

 
Jo Ann [/i]

[tinabeana]

We used to just leave the ball (it was the huge one) wedged in a corner, we though maybe she would get used it, if she saw it everyday but occasionally during her exploring she would just hop into it and pee she never spent more then 2 minutes in there. 

Naturally after that happening a couple times we just put the ball in the closet and since they don't appear to be a good idea, it'll prolly stay there.

We're working on getting her a saucer wheel instead. I'm hoping that its she's able to work off more energy at night will make her a happier and calmer. Just recently she's started biting... mostly when she wants out, like after we put her back in her cage at night I'll try to hand her an oat or even hold her lava chew for her and she will bite (and not the kind where she thinks my fingers are food) or push my fingers away with her little hands.  She'll just sit at the door and begs for it to be opened.

If her cage were a dirty, mess with no toys I would understand but I keep her cage very clean and she has plenty of toys/chew block things. Sometimes lately even the cold tile doesn't interest her so I think she may just need to burn off more energy.

[FluffBall]

 
sorry Jo Ann. What about those clorox wipes? They are bleach free. I use those to wipe down my cage under the shavins and paper and thier shelves and well everything.  As for the dishwasher I have a temp thing on mine were you can turn off the heat dry and I always put plastic and stuff on the bottom that won't fit on top I usually have more top shelf stuff than bottom stuff.  I was just thinking of a way the chins could run around more places and be even safer.  But I guess that is not possible to have the best of both. 
I am still going to brain storm on the ball thing and I will run by any ideas I have by you first
 

[Lauren_201]

I use a product called "Healthy Habitat" I got it at petco (around $10). It is formulated to be safe for small animals and reptiles for cleaning their cages. I also work at Petco, (grooming dep) and they have never had any animals get sick from using it in the habitats, nor have I had any problems and I have been using it for 8 months. It's a spray and wipe away product, but at home I always rinse after I spray. It works great. I hope that helps. 

[FluffBall]

thanks

[hyrdra]

Well he has started something new...at night around 4 am he starts making a squeaking noise, sounds kind of like a squeak toy and he repeats it five times, pauses for about 15 seconds and repeats again. He only does this in the dark when there are no noises/lights etc. I turned on a TV and put the volume on low and he stops, so I left it on last night. Is he just trying to get some attention or is it something else?