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[Mannybilly1030]

I cant find anything online on how to hold a chinchilla properly because i have heard there rib cages are super delicate and it holding tightly there ribs can fracture so im trying to learn the proper way to hold a chinchilla.

Another thing to is for a cage do i put bedding on the bottom? I have seen cages where they put little cushions on the steps and floor of the cages. I want to find a place or find a way to do that cause i wouldnt want there feet getting stuck.

I have learned a lot about them and i continue doing research and learning about them.
Hopefully i can learn more from the forums

[Jasonred79]

I'm really scared to "hold" my chinchilla, so I never really held him until he got tame...
Instead, what I mostly do is "scoop" him up... so I'm not so much grabbing him as I am supporting his weight. I find if "surround" him with my hands, in a cupping shape, it takes advantage of how chinchillas don't stay still, and he steps on my hands... then I just lift him.
I see some people have success with cushions, but my little guy chews just about anything and everything, so, no for my guy. I got one of those rabbit/chinchilla toys, it's a bunch of logs connected by wire, and I bent it into a tunnel, and he likes to hang out there... the reason for covering the cage floor is not cause they'd get their feet stuck (you'd have to cover the walls of the cage too then), but it's for them to rest their feet... imagine living in a chinchilla cage every day, without shoes. It'd hurt the soles of your feet, right?

[GrayRodent]

The thing about a chinchilla's ribs being incredibly fragile is pretty much a myth. I would be much more concerned about protecting their legs and abdomen. With that being said, understandably, chinchillas are more fragile than cats and dogs and should be treated with great care because their bones are very tiny. The ribs are quite flexible and embedded in a layer of muscle so it's not they're just going to crack if you touch them. You don't hear too much about chinchillas having injuries to their ribs but usually their feet and leg bones and sometimes severe muscle and tendon injuries in their hind quarters if they are flailing around and trying to jump away when they are partially restrained inside their cage. Sometimes you might also hear about chinchillas that are injured if they are held around the middle where their organs are. If they are pregnant extreme care must be taken and late term it's probably best not to handle them at all.

So for a chinchilla that is not tame you should be all or nothing when it comes to restraining them. I recommend grabbing them around the chest with one hand and have their back feet under the other hand. Or under the arms and feet with one hand and securing the base of the tail with the other, and hold that tail base firm enough that it cannot slip down. If your pet is threatening to bite you and flail when you have him release him immediately if he's in the cage. Outside of the cage you can actually dangle him by the tail base for a brief moment to reposition your other hand away from his teeth. It's harder to describe it than it is to experience it. As you get more experience you'll be doing a lot of things through trial and error so it's always important to think ahead and look out for danger.

On the other extreme my pet, Kulu, is so tame that he trusts me too much and I've almost had him fall. He just gets be so relaxed that he senses no danger and rolls off my arm at times. To remove him from his cage I'll usually scoop him up and sometimes he'll just jump on.

When handling your chinchilla try different things. Put your hand in front of his nose and face and that pretty much stops him from going forward. Hold him by the base of the tail and that isn't quite as secure but if you are consistent you can train him to recognize he isn't allowed to move away when being held there. Do not ever hold a chinchilla by its back legs or feet since they are very fragile.  Never try to hold one by its scruff like a cat or kitten because its fur can slip out easily. These animals slip their fur under stress and it comes out in clumps so beware. They can move faster than you ever will so you have to think in terms of general directions and if you're like me he'll probably get away from you fifty times before you figure out how it's done right. On occasion you'll still be surprised at how chinchillas are at evading you while you are holding them. There is a reason that Houdini is a popular name for a chinchilla. I use a net that has very fine mesh to help me catch mine in my room. Lately though I learned I could chase him into the bathroom (and always with the toilet closed since chins drown easily in those) if I close the doors to the hallway he'll usually let me scoop him up. For some reason he always chooses the same path.

Using bedding on a wire floor is not necessary but having solid wood shelving in the cage is. If the cage is built properly there won't be any gaps between the floor and the wall that its feet can get into. Floor wire spacing must be a maximum of 1/2" x 1/2".

[Mannybilly1030]

I'm really scared to "hold" my chinchilla, so I never really held him until he got tame...
Instead, what I mostly do is "scoop" him up... so I'm not so much grabbing him as I am supporting his weight. I find if "surround" him with my hands, in a cupping shape, it takes advantage of how chinchillas don't stay still, and he steps on my hands... then I just lift him.
I see some people have success with cushions, but my little guy chews just about anything and everything, so, no for my guy. I got one of those rabbit/chinchilla toys, it's a bunch of logs connected by wire, and I bent it into a tunnel, and he likes to hang out there... the reason for covering the cage floor is not cause they'd get their feet stuck (you'd have to cover the walls of the cage too then), but it's for them to rest their feet... imagine living in a chinchilla cage every day, without shoes. It'd hurt the soles of your feet, right?

Thank you and the sides of the cage dont seem to have a big deal its just the flooring from level to level. My aunt said to get fleece blankets and tuck them in on the levels. So i think i will most certainly do that. And for the bedding i have a small card board box that i will put the bedding in as a liter box. Thank you though

[Mannybilly1030]

The thing about a chinchilla's ribs being incredibly fragile is pretty much a myth. I would be much more concerned about protecting their legs and abdomen. With that being said, understandably, chinchillas are more fragile than cats and dogs and should be treated with great care because their bones are very tiny. The ribs are quite flexible and embedded in a layer of muscle so it's not they're just going to crack if you touch them. You don't hear too much about chinchillas having injuries to their ribs but usually their feet and leg bones and sometimes severe muscle and tendon injuries in their hind quarters if they are flailing around and trying to jump away when they are partially restrained inside their cage. Sometimes you might also hear about chinchillas that are injured if they are held around the middle where their organs are. If they are pregnant extreme care must be taken and late term it's probably best not to handle them at all.

So for a chinchilla that is not tame you should be all or nothing when it comes to restraining them. I recommend grabbing them around the chest with one hand and have their back feet under the other hand. Or under the arms and feet with one hand and securing the base of the tail with the other, and hold that tail base firm enough that it cannot slip down. If your pet is threatening to bite you and flail when you have him release him immediately if he's in the cage. Outside of the cage you can actually dangle him by the tail base for a brief moment to reposition your other hand away from his teeth. It's harder to describe it than it is to experience it. As you get more experience you'll be doing a lot of things through trial and error so it's always important to think ahead and look out for danger.

On the other extreme my pet, Kulu, is so tame that he trusts me too much and I've almost had him fall. He just gets be so relaxed that he senses no danger and rolls off my arm at times. To remove him from his cage I'll usually scoop him up and sometimes he'll just jump on.

When handling your chinchilla try different things. Put your hand in front of his nose and face and that pretty much stops him from going forward. Hold him by the base of the tail and that isn't quite as secure but if you are consistent you can train him to recognize he isn't allowed to move away when being held there. Do not ever hold a chinchilla by its back legs or feet since they are very fragile.  Never try to hold one by its scruff like a cat or kitten because its fur can slip out easily. These animals slip their fur under stress and it comes out in clumps so beware. They can move faster than you ever will so you have to think in terms of general directions and if you're like me he'll probably get away from you fifty times before you figure out how it's done right. On occasion you'll still be surprised at how chinchillas are at evading you while you are holding them. There is a reason that Houdini is a popular name for a chinchilla. I use a net that has very fine mesh to help me catch mine in my room. Lately though I learned I could chase him into the bathroom (and always with the toilet closed since chins drown easily in those) if I close the doors to the hallway he'll usually let me scoop him up. For some reason he always chooses the same path.

Using bedding on a wire floor is not necessary but having solid wood shelving in the cage is. If the cage is built properly there won't be any gaps between the floor and the wall that its feet can get into. Floor wire spacing must be a maximum of 1/2" x 1/2".

Thank you for those tips and yes the flooring seems to be a little bit bigger but im going to get fleece covers and im going to tuck them into the floors and i have to find a way to do that to the stairs

[Jasonred79]

They can move faster than you ever will so you have to think in terms of general directions and if you're like me he'll probably get away from you fifty times before you figure out how it's done right.

I actually wrote on how my chin is saving me a ton in gym memberships, he's my personal trainer. Since getting him, my fitness, reactions, and hand eye coordination have improved tremendously.
... One of the benefits of being an overindulgent parent, whose chin's favourite playtime activity is playing tag.   

[Mannybilly1030]

They can move faster than you ever will so you have to think in terms of general directions and if you're like me he'll probably get away from you fifty times before you figure out how it's done right.

I actually wrote on how my chin is saving me a ton in gym memberships, he's my personal trainer. Since getting him, my fitness, reactions, and hand eye coordination have improved tremendously.
... One of the benefits of being an overindulgent parent, whose chin's favourite playtime activity is playing tag.   

thats amazing i want to teach them that

[Jasonred79]

They can move faster than you ever will so you have to think in terms of general directions and if you're like me he'll probably get away from you fifty times before you figure out how it's done right.

I actually wrote on how my chin is saving me a ton in gym memberships, he's my personal trainer. Since getting him, my fitness, reactions, and hand eye coordination have improved tremendously.
... One of the benefits of being an overindulgent parent, whose chin's favourite playtime activity is playing tag.   

thats amazing i want to teach them that

... you seem to have got that backwards.
Popsicle taught ME that.
I have not taught my chin a single thing... he's stubborn, naughty, and badly behaved. Grrr!!! lol...

[kageri]

Don't worry too much about the ribs on a chin that isn't pregnant.  You do want to aim more for the shoulders though because a chin scooped around the middle only will pop through your hands like a big furry cork and be long gone.  They can release fur at will to make themselves even more slippery.  Most of the time we try to scoop them and wrap them up against our body with one hand going underneath to the outside of the hips and the other hand going over the top to the outside of the shoulders so their whole body is restrained with the most pressure at the shoulders and hips while they rest on one arm.  Then I grab the tail of the more wiggly ones as a precaution.  The tail has less feeling and is more durable than you think as well.  A pretty common way that some who breed and show handle chins is to grab the tail base with one hand and the shoulders with the other.  I've found young chins though will be confused by this type of restraint and may get overly stressed and start crying for help.  They are also fully capable of putting together that if crying about their tail stuck gets them let loose crying about other restraint might work also.  Sometimes they are too smart.