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UnhappyRefrain

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 9, 2016
Messages
63
Location
Pennsylvania
I've had my male chinchilla, Perkins for about 12 years now and it seems peculiar that he doesn't like going outside his cage very often. When I first got him back in 2008, I would try to get him out of the cage at least once a week, but he never seemed to enjoy it for more then 15 minutes. We have dachshunds in the house, so we would put him in a closed room where they couldn't get to him. He hops around and peeps while inspecting his surroundings, but then he quickly gets bored and wants to go home (He tells me by burrowing inside my shirt). And yes, I tried different rooms.

I know chins are supposed to have time outside the cage, but my Perkins simply doesn't seem interested. I open the cage doors before I'm ready to go to bed and try to coax him to come out (on the rare occasions when he wants to, he will jump on my chest). I do not want to just pull him out of the cage when he clearly doesn't want to. Despite this, he doesn't seem unhappy in the slightest. He runs in his wheel, has fun destroying his toys and he loves throwing hay around his cage (as well as inhaling the occasional dried apple slice or raisin). He has quite the feisty personality.

Which brings me to my question, does anybody else have a chin that prefers staying in their cage? Is there anything else I could be doing to coax him out of the cage, or is he simply just an odd duck? Thank you in advance.
 
If you have a good size cage and a wheel he doesn't actually need out of cage time. Some chins just prefer their cage, especially if they have a good setup. If that is how he feels comfortable it's likely just his personality, just like humans some chins are just homebodies. It would be more of a concern if he use to like coming out and then suddenly didn't but since he has always been that way since you got him, I wouldn't worry about.
 
Whew, that is honestly such a relief. I have always felt super guilty about not getting him to leave the cage more often. I would like to add that he does have a cage with three floors, so you are probably right that he has everything he wants already. Thank you!
 
That is a huge relief. He does have three floors in his cage, so you're probably right. Thanks! (I'm writing this again because I don't think my last reply got through)
 
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