Author: Jo Ann
of Luv'n Chins
Do Chinchillas Have Emotions?
Do chinchillas really have emotions? You better bet they do!
I am a breeder and a web site owner with an open invitation to 'ask me questions' about chinchillas. By doing this, I have received numerous questions about a chin's reactions to different things that happen. Why is my chin doing this? What does it mean?
Do chins understand what you say to them? I believe they understand much more than we give them credit for understanding. I can tell my chins I am going to feed them as soon as I finish what I am doing and they will stop their chatter and wait patiently. (For a little while anyway.)
Do chins like to play practical jokes for their own amusement? I think so, and I think you would to, if you could see what 3 of my chins will do for, what I think, is their own amusement. Chin poop is pure protein ... dogs like protein and will eat chin poop every chance they get. (YUCKY!!!) Three of my chins (I guess when they get bored), will, literally, throw their poop on the floor ... first one place, then another ... and stand at the front of the cage watching the dogs chase around to gobble it up before the other dog gets to it!
Will chins do things to demand attention? Yes, very much so, don't you? They will come to the front of the cage, hold on the wires with their tiny paws and look at you like a little kid in a jail. Who can ignore a face like that? Or teach themselves to play dead ... this really gets your attention ... and the little stinkers know it! Sometimes I think I even see a smile on their little faces. They will learn to do back flips in the air, over their huts or over their wheels, just to get your attention. Isn't this an emotion? If you are unlucky, one will learn a very 'attention getting' way to get you to pay attention to them, as Precious has learned, works to assure Bill gives her attention each time he enters the room. If he does not call her specifically by name and acknowledge the fact that he sees her before sitting down at the computer with his back to her (about 5 feet away) ... she will promptly spray the back and top of his head! She is very accurate and has not missed once. Believe me ... he rarely forgets to say good morning to Precious!
Do chins really miss you when you go on vacation? This should be obvious by the way they show their affection to you when you return, or the way they ignore you as 'pay-back' for leaving them.
Do momma chins get tired and need a break from their kits the same way human mothers do? Yep, they will try their best to get out of the cage or up on a leaping ledge to get a temporary break from the little ones that seem to permanently attach them selves while feeding. One I have, will squeeze her self into their PVC play tube to where they can not get to her, for short rest periods.
Do momma chins discipline their kits when they are fighting? Yes, but in different ways ... usually they will ignore them for a while, but when they have had enough of it, they will promptly place themselves between the two with a few chosen sharp chattering sounds at them ... this usually works. I had one mom that finally had all she could take and sprayed her little ones to get them to separate!
Are chins picky eaters? Sometimes, especially if you mix their treats with their pellets ... they are like little children and will 'fill-up' on treats as they throw the pellets to the floor, rather than eat the pellets that are good for them. This to me is a sneaky temper tantrum to get what they want. If the treats are continued to be mixed into the food, the chin will soon learn, if he holds out long enough, you will add more to the bowl and he will get more treats ... bad habits to get into!
Do chins learn from other chins? Most definitely! And usually it is the bad habits they pick up ... why not ... those are usually the ones that are the most fun!
Do chins throw 'temper tantrums', literally? According to a chin owner I know, they do. Her chin will show it's displeasure when she has to leave town by running to the back of the cage, stomping the cage floor and chattering sharply at her when she returns. He will also turn his back to her and not look at her for almost an hour after she returns.
Do chins get jealous? Yep, they do that too. If you don't believe me, try giving all your attention to another chin or another animal and ignoring it ... they will find a way to let you know they want the attention you are giving the other one.
Is the 'male ego' present in the chin world? If not, then why do the males fight over the females? Why will a male chin fight or show dominance over another male?
Do male kits sometimes try to be the dominate one over any male in the cage? Yes, they do, even to their own fathers. I have to tell this one ... it is hilarious ... Timmy decided (when his father Storm came back to join them) that he was still going to be 'the man of the house' by challenging his father with a harsh chatter ... this, of course, was returned my a harsher sounding chatter from Storm. This led to Timmy standing up on his hid legs (raising his head above his father's head - a sign of dominance) and chatter again. This was answered by Storm standing up, making himself taller and returning the chatter. Timmy would not hear of this, so he stood on his tip toes and chattered again. To this, Storm promptly stood up straight, showing Timmy how big he really was and chattered ... Timmy quickly ran to momma and to save face and have protection, and began to nurse.
Do chins feel the loss when another chin dies? Most definitely! Two occasions come to mind as soon as I thought of the question. The first is the death of a chin one of my momma chins adopted and cared for for 4 months. It was a tiny chin and was given to me by a rancher. It had a birth defect we did not know about ... the wall of her uterus was thin and ruptured, causing her intestines to prolapsed into her uterus ... she died and the momma chin who had adopted her mourned herself to death by not eating or drinking ... nothing I could do would bring her out of her mourning for the lost kit and she, too, died. After a vet check on both of them, the adoptive momma chin was found to have nothing wrong with it, but she still died. The second instance that comes to mind is of a tiny kit I bottle fed for 4 days, every hour around the clock. I ate and napped in the chin room, only leaving it to go to the bathroom. Little did I know all the chins were rooting for this little kit as much as I was. It was about 7:15 a.m. and all the chins were playing as usual, when the little one squeaked and took it's last breath. One of the momma chins that had helped me by keeping her warm and cleaning her let out a sound I had never heard before or since. Suddenly it was dead silence ... no chirping, no playing ... all the chins (all 98) went silent for about 30 minutes. No one can make me believe they did not know what had just happened.
Watch your chins carefully, learn their reactions to different things that happen ... I think you will discover how many emotions they do have ... most, we sadly mistaken as being reserved for humans only. Chinchillas are not just soft furry creatures that make us laugh ... they can also make us cry ... and make us feel guilty for ignoring them to watch a favorite show or movie. They do have emotions and the strongest one is love, which they give to us freely. Please remember this when you think of your chin as 'just a pet' ... they are not that, they are a part of your family and if taken care of will be around for a long time to keep all your secrets and listen to all your problems, with out telling another soul ... to help laugh away the burdens of all the problems of the day and to keep you company so you will not be lonely. All this, the little creature called a chin can do. Cherish him in return.
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