High Pitch Squealing in Chinchillas?

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spindove

New member
Joined
Oct 18, 2018
Messages
1
Location
Canada
So my female chinchilla has been abruptly squealing extremely loud and high pitched. It only lasts for a second or two and tones down like a squeaky toy near the end of the squeal.

I have read a few posts on here and blogs etc. on other sites but nothing seems to be fitting for what my chinchilla is doing. I have taken her to the vet twice and nothing has been found to be wrong with her.

I got her about 5 years ago as a rescue, she was presumed to be young maybe 3 years old, so possibly now around 8. I think she was fixed as I got her from the SPCA but I honestly haven't been able to tell over the years. She is always energetic and I do not have a male around her.

So what has been happening has been for about 2 years now. Its not often, maybe once or twice a month if even that often. Sometimes though it will happen a few times pretty close together, within 10 or so minutes. It mostly happens when she jumps down from one ledge to another.
What confuses me is it sounds like she is in pain, but doesn't act like it at all. She will just happily jump around afterwards. She hates her hips being touched but also doesn't seem to actually be in pain, more like it tickles and bothers her. And the vet said with xrays nothing appears to be wrong with her and she has fine mobility.

I read it can be because she wants attention but that also doesn't seem to be the case. A lot of the time she will just jump around or go sit in one of her houses afterwards. Anyways it appears to be common but I don't know if I should still be as worried as I am after all this time.

Thanks for any info :)
 
Reading your post I was at first thinking alarm call, she hears something, but I would think you would have found that doing searches online.

My next guess, especially since you say it happens when she is jumping around, is it's a bit of a scream of fear. Basically running around too fast and thinking she is going to fall or miss the jump. My guys do the same thing, run around like a mad chin, jumping from ledge to ledge and let out a high pitched squeal, then act like nothing happened. It sounds like that is what you are describing, if so there is nothing wrong with her.
 
My guy does the exact same thing. Scared me so much the first few times. Goes absolutely wild for a few seconds or more, and then SCREAMS like he's dying. I rush over to his cage and he is just like "Oh hey, can I have some pets?"
I've come to find with my Chin that it just means he wants some attention.
He also hates having his hips (and butt) touched, makes little aggravated barks when I do and hops away, though loves having his head and chest area scratched.
 
I wish that someone was able to record this sound, but it makes sense that no one's been able to capture it as it's so short and can't be predicted. I've heard it a handful of times... squeaky toy deflating is the closest sound I can think of too! I have no proof of this, but it sounds too much like its a pain-related sound than anything else. I theorize that they've stubbed a toe, or landed a bit funny after a jump, and it's shocked/hurt them a bit. My chin, like yours, always goes right back to normal... and interestingly, it's my more vocal chin that I've heard make this sound. Glad your chin is OK!
 
One of my boys does this especially at night. I think he sometimes scares himself. I can be totally asleep and hear a chew stick fall from the top shelf and hit his house and just think “..wait for it...” and then the squealing. I’ve jumped up dozens of times, but he just looks at me like I’m the crazy one. I think I have one recording I’ll try to find.
 
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