Handling Question For New Chin

[Ganing]

Okay so... I bought me a new male chinchilla . Cutest thing ever. But I've got some concerns and questions. Me and my girlfriend took him into the bathroom for 'playtime' and so he could get used to us and instead of us trying to force him to warm up, he can move at his own pace. It went great, he was hopping from one knee to the other, he even did that funny little wall jump off my chest haha. I think it really helped, but then problems happened.

We really couldn't figure out how to get him back into his cage. His cage is in my room, (which also posed a problem cause we had to freak him out to get him out :/) so basically my girlfriend just kept trying to calmly grab him. He kept running and hiding behind me, but I know it stressed him out cause when we finally got him he bit her pretty hard.

I know you aren't supposed to chase them, and I felt we made really, really good progress in there. But I also feel like we lost some of that progress by stressing him out. I'd let him out in my room, but I am a musician and have guitars, cables, and amps everywhere that I'm not sure how to block off from him.

So here are my questions:

1) How can I safely get him out of the cage without freaking him out? I felt like the play time really helped him warm up to us a bit.
2) How do I finish playtime? I can't really take his cage in there to him, but I don't want to stress him out by having to get him. I read that some people use their dust bath, but I'd have to do that daily instead of the 2-3 times a week.
3) I have a pack of unsweetened and unsalted raisens, is that okay for treats? I read on here someone used cheerios and I thought that was a cool idea. I've read about letting them eat treats out of your hand and slowly move from there so they trust you, but just to make sure I understand this, it's a daily thing right? You would start off small today, and make a tiny bit progress tomorrow, and then keep going until it improves?

 

[ccchins]

Ok let's see if I can answer your questions in order.

1. I usually offer a dust bath to get them out of the cage. They hop in and I pull it out. Some of my chins will come out on their own but I have a few pesky ones that will only come out with a bath.

2. You could also use the dust bath to get him back in his cage. Even if there isn't any dust in the bowl they will hop in if there is residue left from dust. You can also pick up a chinchilla safely by the base of the tail. I use this as a last resort.

3. Any kind of fruit has too much sugar. Rose hips, Cheerios, and unfrosted mini wheats work too. Our chins get 2-3 treats a week. But you could break a Cheerio or shredded wheat and half and give them a half each day.

Good luck with your new chin. This is definitely the place to ask questions. I have learned tons of info just by reading other people's posts.

 

[mgonya]

I waited almost a month before I let my little boy out. I'd put my hand in his cage and soon he hopped right on it. I shut all the doors in my hallway and put his cage down so he could go in and out at will. That worked for me. Trust is everything with a chinchilla. I chased my female and she has never let me pick her up, been over a year. You'll just have to take the best of everyone's ideas and do what works best for you. Good luck.

 

[Newt]

In the early days I used a dust bath, but after a while my chins (I only have one chin now) got wise, and wouldn't get into the bath if they suspected it was time to get back into the cage.

After that I got a long cardboard tube (like the kind that posters get shipped in), and when it was time to go back in the cage I'd wait until the chin went in the tunnel, then I'd quickly block off both ends and carry the whole tube back to the cage.

Then I realised they liked going behind me to hide (like between my back and the wall), so I'd sit in the corner of the room , wait til they went behind me, then slowly lower my arms til they were stuck behind my back. Then they'd climb up my back, and I'd give them a treat on my shoulder.
By the time that no longer worked, I had them trained to willingly jump onto my shoulder to get a treat. Then I could stand up slowly, and carry them back to the cage.

The tube/tunnel thing worked well for a very long time. Also, chins LOVE playing in them and chewing them, so they have a multitude of uses!!!

It's all about patience and finding what works for your chin! Congrats on your new baby

 

[mknoblich1]

It's best to let your new chin settle into his cage and get comfortable with it before you start playtime. Use the time to bind with your chin while he's in your cage by sitting next to the cage and talking to him so he gets used to your voice and presence. You can put your hands in the cage and just wait for him to come to you on his own terms so he's not so afraid of your hands. Remember that they're prey animals and think your a predator until they get comfortable with you. That will make it easier to round up your chin when play time is over. As far as the dust house goes, my girls will hop in it whether there's dust in it or not. The tube idea is also a good idea and I've used similar methods as well. No treats under six months of age as your chin won't be taking in the right nutrients to help him grow big and strong. You can use chin safe twigs that members sell here that will substitute as a treat. My girls to just as crazy over apple twigs as they do, rose hips or oats.

 

[Ganing]

Thanks for the suggestions friends! To be honest, I found out there is a certain thing in his timothy hay that he really likes. I've been using it to get him used to me and now he lets me pet him no problem! He actually was happy to see me come home today! I used the dust bath thing to get him and it worked! He hopped right in and was enjoying play time... but he didn't want to leave lol. He gave me a little "chillatude" but was fine after a little bit. He makes life a lot more fun :3