Print

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

[smokie]

My youngest chinchilla won't come out of his cage before 8pm.  I'm not kidding, before 8pm it's like he's terrified of me.  After 8pm he's dancing to come out and jumps into my hands.   

Was happy going back in his cage until I moved and since then never wants to go back in.  I use a box with a hole in it as a sandbath so he's out he goes in and out of that a couple of times and when I want to put him away I just wait until he goes for a bath, put my hand over the hole and move the box to the cage. 

This link below shows a sort of 'human' equivalent of this trick!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVWJmUK1Yc0

[chingirls]

from what I have been reading, chasing your chinchilla is a no no. it scares them, they hate that. as for getting him to be a more handled pet like a dog or cat.  it can be done. I have been reading about it.

[jrod1195]

Chinchillas hate being chased around. If I had to guess about it (And I'm just guessing) maybe it triggers some sort of natural reaction, I mean, in the wild all they have to rely on is they're speed to get away from threats. I would try just sticking my hand in the cage and speaking softly to him, let him come to you if he wants.

[Hoppinchins]

Chasing isn't good and it doesn't make it any easier to catch them. I got smart and would block them off so it got to a point if pogo got out i knew where he was going and i'd block out the other part of my room. I'd wait till he came back out and cought him by blocking the rest of it off with the play fency and also using blankets.

[smokie]

I had one chin originally (she's still my favourite!!) but got her a buddy because it seemed so sad for her to be alone.  Now they are permanently squashed up against each other.  You might find your chin settles once she's got a friend as her cage won't be so lonely!
With regards to getting chins in, well i've got different tactics!
Maggie my rescue chin actually just goes straight into her cage as soon as i want her away (she's a mind reader), smokie insists on circling the room twice to show that she's boss  then goes in and Yuri puts himself in as soon as i put the chair up to the cage (his cage is quite high up).  To get to this stage with them I discovered that it's best not to have to chase them into their cage, i just let them out for hours so that they are happy to put themselves back to bed. I think routine is the secret.  Every night they are out a couple of hours and then they go away to their cage, the safe place where i won't pester them.  With yours, it might be an idea to make his cage a 'safe' zone where you don't chase him out of it or even try to stroke him, make it the nice food zone and quiet place and then he'll love it there.

Good luck!

[sarahlydear]

Something I do is I give rolled oats as the good boy treat(when he comes to greet me at the front of the cage or comes over to me at play time) and then when I hold Herby I take half of a raisin and while I'm holding him I give him little sections of that, then after an amount of time(I run out of raisin pieces) I put him down and give him the other half of the raisin. As the holding times get longer I'll probably start using more oats in between and eventually go down on the amount.
Then when I want him to go back in his cage I have a timer go off and when he easily goes back into the cage I give him another half of a raisin. Now my raisins are pretty small and since we're in a training "season" I see that as being OK.

[sandrajoan22]

My chins do this too... I made a game out of chasing them! (Well... more of a trick. But I think they like it!) What I do is I sit in the middle of the room, and when they come up to me, I tap them on the back. They run away, and then come back, and I tap them on the back again. Eventually they keep coming up just to get a tap on the back, and then I just grab their tail, tap them, and pick them up! Then they get a variety of happy "good chinchilla!" noises from me, and promptly get a treat when back in their cage.

My chin Spice has figured the "game" out though, so what I do now is I open the can of rasins, set it out, lay on my bed, and wait for the little stinker to come try to gourge on the treat! Then I snatch her right up. Hay also works for that. Just be patient and not forceful, and make sure you have plenty of play time for them, and catch time for you. If you get frustrated, they get antsy and stay away. So just stay calm, be patient, and let him have fun! Good luck!  

[Hoppinchins]

That little 'game' is a cute idea. Mine have play time in an enclosed play pen now, so no more trying to catch them.

[GimliAndSalaChinParents]

I was originally only going to get one because even one seemed like a huge commitment, but the more I researched Chinchillas I learned that they are very social creatures, they need at least an hour with their person every day and they are used to living with other chinchillas. The only difference between owning one and owning two (which I now have) is that you buy more food, hay and toys and need a big enough cage for them both. I would caution you though, don't just bring a second one home and throw it in with your first one. Put them in separate cages at first, maybe right next to each other so  they can smell each other and 'talk' to each other. They need to be compatible and bonded before you can put them together. You don't want them fighting because they don't get a long. Mine came together and were already used to sharing a cage, but I have seen you tube videos about the bonding process with two chinchillas. Take it slow, first with proximity then you can try a shared play time and if they seem to get a long great then I would put them in a freshly cleaned cage (so there is no smell giving one chinchilla an advantage over the other) with all new toys and things and keep a close eye on them to make sure it goes well. As for your play time trouble. My baby boys don't let me hold them yet but the more time I spend with them the more they let me pet them and scratch them. I reward them for climbing on me and now they climb all over me and with time they might be more inclined to let me hold them but you need to be patient. You need a safe secure space where they can go in and out of their cage on their own (i set up a play pen they can't escape, your hallway sounds great just invest in a play pen or baby gate to keep them in the hallway) and be patient during playtime too. Put fresh food and hay in their cage and after they've had a lengthy play time they will need food and water and when they go in close the door behind them, maybe slip them a treat after the door is closed so they won't be upset. I find that if my boys have had enough time they aren't bothered by the end of play time and just come rushing out the next day when it is time to play.

[GrayRodent]

Watch out because with a pen or a baby gate they can jump over the walls up to 6 feet tall pretty easy if they learn they can. If it's critical they don't get out you can put a sheet over the top of a play pen (although they might chew it if they climb up to it).

[Debbie.nl.ca]

This is the fun in owning the little darlings.
I use a timer as I have so many, and put treats on their shelves while they are out.They are smart and soon learned when the timer went off their treats were ready and they go back to their cages.
This can take from weeks to months of doing it though. No rush they live a long time.
Mine won't stop long enough when out for their runs for a scratch, that's an in the cage treat.

[kathy5]

our zippy is held 2 to 3 times a day so he is used to us holding him he will not let us hold him for long tho he gets wiggily & that lets us know it is time to be placed back in the cage also when a chin gets to be around 7 months of age to a year and a half they get hormonal teen agers so you might notice he is not so keen on being held & bites/nips a bit more

[NatanHaim]

Thanks to everyone who has posted to this thread so far.  Great suggestions abound!

I adopted a pair of chinchillas this week (sisters from the same litter, six months old), and I love them! I have had similar issues to all of you with regards to petting them, and getting them to go back to their cage when playtime is finished.  They just want to continue running around my room, chewing on things and hiding.  So far I have used their dust bath as a lure - when they go to take a bath, I cover the entrance to the bath house with my hand and bring them back to the cage.  Clearly they don't like this, however, as they are starting to become skeptical about taking a bath.  I will discontinue this tactic.

My concern so far with getting them back to their cage is that they stay away from it during their free time.  My bedroom is rather large, and they'd much rather run under the bed, run around or hide somewhere.  I could move their playtime to my bathroom, although getting them to/from the bathroom doesn't seem possible without using the bath house trick.  There's no way they trust me enough yet to let me pick them up and carry them between rooms.  Any suggestions?

[GrayRodent]

Yeah I did this with both my chinchillas (did not have two at the same time but you can do this for both). First you work on each one in the cage to get them used to being touched then proceed to petting, then start putting your hand under them and let them crawl on your arm. Then start picking them up and putting them down. Do this in steps and don't go to the next until the first is mastered. Do it in short sessions several times a day. Try to do it at night when they are the most alert and active. It will take a few weeks if your chinchillas don't tolerate being touched at first. Once you can hold them for a few seconds at a time you can put them into a carry cage. (You should have one anyway for emergencies).

You should develop a technique to hold them at the base of the tail and under the front legs with two hands and do not give them room to wriggle away which can be dangerous for them. Then you can play with them in the shower stall where they cannot avoid you and handle them for short periods each night. After a couple of weeks of that you should be able to hold them long enough that you won't need the carry cage. My first chinchilla was very wild and it was hard to tame him. My second was from a breeder and was used to people but not used to being held or handled. The first chinchilla would let me carry him around for about 3-5 minutes in a hold. My second will let me carry him around until he gets overheated which can take about 10-15 minutes. That chinchilla will now come to me to get scratched and petted through the bars and will hold still to be petted when held. It took about 6 months before he got to that point but he started out as a very hyperactive individual. It's a process but you'll find these animals are extremely trainable and have good memories. And I am also talking about holding them in your hands which chinchillas don't like. Mine has always liked to crawl on me and perch on my shoulder. It took me a week to train him to be carried around on my shoulder and he'll stay up there for up to 30 minutes without getting upset. You just have to be patient and consistent. The timescales will vary depending on the animal.

[melgo66]

Getting down to "his level" with him to talk or reach into his cage will make him far more confident that you’re not going to hurt him. Use slow, gentle movements and keep talking calmly.

Also this is a good video with some more bonding tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEBThrk_Ibg

Sounds like you are putting a lot of effort into bonding with him; i know how frustrating it is so don't become discouraged....It'll come!