Chin doesn't know how to jump

[Euphoric]

No, I am not kidding.

Backstory:
I been rehabiliating reptiles and rabbits mostly, but got a female Standard female about three weeks ago. She is in good shape, the owners just could no longer care for her.
They have had her for 2 years.
She was eating junk food (Dried veggies and fruit, along with oreos (Yes..oreos) and other bad treats) and no hay.

The food transition is going well. I also took her to the vet who said she checked out fine health wise, which is great considering her diet and plastic eating habits.

She is extremley friendly and sociable..one of those rare chinchillas.

She was in the standard "petsmart" chinchilla starter cage with ramps from shelf to shelf.

I am keeping her in her original until I get my 1 level Ferret Nation fixed (While transporting it, a leg broke..long story)

WELL I took out the ramps because we all know there is no need for ramps for a Chinchilla. Then I noticed something. She didn't move all day (Like in a 12 hour period) from her upper shelf.

At first, I thought she just might be scared and proceded to place her on her food/water shelf

She quickly drank a little bit of water (She was obvioulsy thirsty) and ate an insane amount of hay. She obviously wanted it!

And then proceded not to move from that shelf for the entire night..then morning..then afternoon.

I then tried to coax her by pushing her little behind to jump to the next ramp (The cage isn't big..the shelfs are a small leap away) and she wouldn't do it.

Then as soon as I put the ramps back in, she was up and down her cage exploring and doing the normal chin thing!

I did this for the past 3 weeks..she will not move w/o the ramps!

Worse is that it is the same in playtime..she doesn't jump around like my other chinchillas do! She just walks! I put her on my bed, couch, ect..and she will not jump down from them..or jump up to any other place.

What on EARTH do I do here!?

I mean..the shelves are not even that far away!

She is really eager to come out for playtime..but won't jump from the upper door..she will follow the ramps down, and walk out of the bottom door.

Here is a picture of her...only 3 of her shelves are still wire..the other 3 are wood (I have other wood ones but they are too large since they are cut for the FN)

 

[obcsed]

Check her eye sight. Maybe she is blind and needs the ramps to find her way around. Also, if she can't see, it would make sense that she walks rather than runs. She may be afraid of running into things or falling off of stuff.

 

[Euphoric]

I did at the Vet..she checked out just fine. When I asked why she wouldn't jump, the vet told me it was just a behavioral modification.

Plus, when she is out for play time, she knows exactly where she is going. I should say she DOES run..I jsut meant she doesn't do the normal chin "jump run" if that makes sense.

 

[Riven]

Unless she has had a previous injury that prevents her from jumping, she literally just doesn't know how to jump. She will learn.

I've gotten chins like that before, eventually they learn. Especially if they have another chin to show them how. Puppy mill dogs are the same way.

 

[Euphoric]

Do you reconmend i just take out the ramps then?

 

[Tagna]

I would add a couple of wooden ledges to make the distance smaller until she learns how far she can go. I used to have that cage and had a couple of lava ledges and small wood ledges.

 

[Euphoric]

That is the thing..I am at work so I can't take photos..she has 3 large wire ramps and 3 smaller wood ramps..

It would literally take a small jump to get from shelf to shelf..and I mean small. If I put them any closer, she could just use them like she uses the ramps because they would be so close together.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

I have a couple that for some strange reason do not like to jump and rather have a ramp. What I did with those dangerous type of ramp is wrapped them with the wide duct tape so the ramps were covered. It is actually easy to clean too - just wripe down the tape

 

[GRose]

It might be tedious but if she is that bad maybe you could try something like putting them together so they are pretty much a ramp. Then steps like putting them just a smidge farther apart for like a week or so. Then a little more, etc. If she starts backing off a step then go back to where she was comfortable and give some more time at that level and then try to move forward again. Another thing I learned about training, not sure if this would work for a chin but, maybe when you do put the levels just a little farther apart put a treat on each level step so she follows it like a trail. Since chins shouldn't have so many treats whatever you would give her cut it up. Like break A cheerio into fourths so it's just a taste and she wants more and has to go on to get it. You dont have to do that part everyday but she might be motivated to try the levels. You might have to find the treat she would be willing to climb for...cheerio, wheatie, rose hip, etc. Whatever she goes crazy for, use that. Just make sure to place it farther back on the step if possible so that she is kinda forced to go one up or at least streatch way far for it, if its too close to her reach she probably won't try for it.

 

[Lynn & The Chins]

^^^^ GREAT idea!!! :thumbsup:

 

[CJR]

I had a chin who liked ledges (she had ramps also) but jumped very oddly. It turns out she had a broken pelvis, and I'm really hoping that it's just a behavioral thing for the chin you have. The ideas presented by everyone sound awesome, I would try them out. Good luck!

 

[mishellyshel]

i like Grose's idea and i agree with barb, those ramps should be wrapped in fleece or tape of whatever works, cause those wire ones are rough. i have ramps in my one boys cage, but they are plastic and he is moving to a FN, hopefully today, so i may be in the same boat as you!

 

[Halo]

Wally had a bit of a hard time jumping at first as well. She could do it but was a little afraid of distances. Her cage also had a ramp and hardly any leaping room. We started off slow by adding small leaping ledges near the bottom of her cage and left the ramp to the second level where her food is. We taught her that if she wanted a treat, the ledge is where she had to go by holding the tiniest piece of raisin through the bars. The smell made her nuts and she quickly learned to hop up.

The same trick was used in order to teach her how to hop out of her cage and into my lap (because I'm in a wheelchair and can't reach down to grab her, she needed to learn to come to me). Teeniest, tiniest piece of raisin (we cut one raisin up into at least 10 little pieces) and I'd hold it to coax her to hop down. This was the scariest bit for her, jumping down PLUS a new human but she learned VERY quickly. Soon, raisins were no longer needed and I'd just have to say "Where do the raisins live?" and into my lap she'd go.

Bribery goes a long way.

Another trick I did was: I was trying to wean her off raisins but had to bribe her into hopping somehow so instead I ripped up a raisin and squished it on my fingers so I would smell like it and would stick my fingers through the bars and coax her upwards toward the ledges keeping my raisin fingers JUST out of reach. Of course I don't recommend this if your Chin is more than happy to gnaw off your finger. Wally is a polite little girl so this wasn't an issue for us.

Her cage is now totally ramp free and she's a jumping machine, especially when it's outside play time.

Try ledges in step formation and slow bribery. She'll get there! Encouraging words help as well, I noticed. Nothing makes Wally happier than hearing what a good girl she is.

 

[Kansas City Chinchillas]

Lots of good suggests have been made. My only suggestion is make changes very slowly. She has only been with you 3 weeks and getting used to a new environment. I'm sure she will become comfortable jumping someday.

 

[Euphoric]

It might be tedious but if she is that bad maybe you could try something like putting them together so they are pretty much a ramp. Then steps like putting them just a smidge farther apart for like a week or so. Then a little more, etc. If she starts backing off a step then go back to where she was comfortable and give some more time at that level and then try to move forward again. Another thing I learned about training, not sure if this would work for a chin but, maybe when you do put the levels just a little farther apart put a treat on each level step so she follows it like a trail. Since chins shouldn't have so many treats whatever you would give her cut it up. Like break A cheerio into fourths so it's just a taste and she wants more and has to go on to get it. You dont have to do that part everyday but she might be motivated to try the levels. You might have to find the treat she would be willing to climb for...cheerio, wheatie, rose hip, etc. Whatever she goes crazy for, use that. Just make sure to place it farther back on the step if possible so that she is kinda forced to go one up or at least streatch way far for it, if its too close to her reach she probably won't try for it.

Sorry I haven't replied guys! Have not had time to log on.
These are all great ideas! I already moved the shelves closer and only put in two ramps (The third is gone) and she still won't move down w/o the ramp, even though the shelf from the bottom is only about 6 inches!! I will def also cover them in fleece.

I have one question though, my vet told me because of her previous diet that was full of sugar, she is at high risk for developing problems and is already showing slight signs of sugar intake problems (stomach digestion) and is on a no-treat diet. I give her only pellets and hay..no oats, rosehips, cheerios, ect. So is there a no sugar treat? I am not sure how much sugar there is in rose hips, but I was given pretty strict instruction for no sugar or treats.

The putting the raisian on my finger will probably work..but I would feel so bad! lol! But I will definatly try it.

Thanks for all the ideas!