a few questons

[ahitchcox]

I apologize for the long post...

My wife and I just got our first chinchilla, we've had him for about a week and have a few questions. We got him from our friend who had gotten him for her kids. The kids didn't take care of him so after several warning she asked us if we wanted him. She got him from a breeder and only had him for about a month. We aren't sure how old he is about is probably a couple years old. Anyway, here are my questions:

1. We have him in a large metal wire cage that has 3 levels and 2 ramps. The ramps are made of metal and he uses them. I've read that some people remove the ramps. Is it ok to leave them in or would he prefer the cage without them?

2. We put a house and a tube in his cage for him to sleep or hide in, but we never see him go in either one. When usually sleeps on the bottom level in the corner. He doesn't make a nest or anything, is that normal?

3. When he's awake he usually is sitting on the top level looking out. He will let us pet/scratch him but won't step on our hand yet, I know that will take a long time if it even happens at all. He's also starting to come to the door when we open it to feed him or clean up his cage.

4. We gave him some apple wood sticks but he doesn't really chew them. Instead he prefers to chew on the lava ledges and pumice stones. He also bought some other wood toys that he doesn't chew. The only wood he really chews was a ball made out of willow wood twigs. Any reason why he is so picky?

5. We have let him out of his cage for 45-60 minutes every night. The first couple nights he explored the room, walked all over us and went in and out of his cage. The past 3-4 nights he seems a lot more confident and jumps more and doesn't go in and out of his cage. While he is out, he doesn't really let us scratch/pet him when he comes up to us. Any reason why he lets us when he's in his cage but not when he's out of it?

6. After making several adjustments, I think we finally have the room chin-proofed. He's much smarter and stronger than I thought. I had a folding metal wire fence around the bed and we would pull it with his teeth to move it out of the way. The only thing he can really get into now is the wood on the bed frame. We have given up trying to keep him off the bed since it gives him something to jump on/off of. But he will jump on the bed and then jump up onto the bed frame and try to chew it once and a while. I don't expect to be able to train him to not chew it and I know not to punish/scold him, but how do I get him to stop chewing something without scaring him?

7. Since he can't pick him up yet it's taken some work to get him back in the cage. I've read that plain Cheerios are ok to give him. If we gave him 1-2 every night to lure him back into his cage and no other treats is that ok?

8. When he is out of the cage he doesn't pay any attention to his exercise wheel or the pvc pipe we put out for him. The pipe is big enough for him to easily fit in but he doesn't show any interest. Any reason? He seems to spend most of his time bouncing off walls and trying to get into places he's not allowed in.

9. Last night I made the mistake of leaving a zip-lock bag of Cheerios on top of his cage. When I went in before bed I saw that he managed to pull part of the bag into the cage and ripped a small hole in it. I'm guessing he ate anywhere from 1-2 all the wayup to 10 or more Cheerios. Will he be ok?


Thank you in advance.

 

[ahitchcox]

One last question...what do you do with your chin if you go on vacation for a week or so? We normally have a cat sitter stop by the house twice a day to feed our cat, so I'm sure we could get her to give our chin fresh food/water. But I just worry that the chin would be stressed out being around a new porson, not getting much attention, and being stuck in his cage for a week. how does everyone handle it when you got out of town?

 

[CRG7]

Are the ramps solid metal, mesh, or bars? My starter cage had "mesh" metal ramps (about 1/2" x 1/2" bars). My CN has metal bars, but came with fleece liners so I use those now, and that's an idea for you to cover yours in fleece if you're concerned. Your chin may or may not like using the ramps. Mine uses them a lot of the time, other times he just jumps on or off the shelves.

I had gotten a timothy hay tunnel from Petsmart just before picking up my boy, and he loved it. I didn't have any other hideout for him at the time (which is why I had to run out to Petsmart and grab it for him), so he would opt to sleep in there unless he was scared, in which case he would hide in the corner behind the wheel. Other times he would sleep on his little wooden ledge. I got him a hammock a couple of weeks later, and he loves that as well. I just bought him a chin hut the other night. He went in it a couple of times that I saw, but I haven't found him in it otherwise so he might not prefer it as much as his other options. That may be the case with yours.

I would just leave my hand inside the cage, and he would eventually come up to me and check me out. Usually he would nibble at me. Sometimes he would sit on my hand, or just chew and leave. My boy doesn't want to be held (unless it's on open palms), but I'm fortunate in that he lets me pet him (most of the time) and climbs on my hands/arms. Just be patient and give it time.

My boy really liked the apple wood sticks when I first got them for him. Now he chews them less often, but I still leave a couple around his cage for him. He has a lava block that he loves to sit on top of, but only occasionally chews. I've gotten timothy hay balls that have been chewed apart overnight, and others have lasted at least a few days. So long as your boy has enough to chew on, and is chewing on something, you should be okay.

He feels safer in his cage, it's his territory. When he's out playing, he isn't yet used to it and that's probably why he won't let you pet him when he's out... or he just has better things to do, as I like to say about mine haha (sometimes he will let me pet him while he's out, sometimes he just wants to be left alone to do his own thing).

My little guy has free reign of the bedroom, aside from the corner where the TV is due to the jumble of wires. I set up a blockade every night, but it seems that every few days or so he finds a new way to get back there. When he does get back there, sometimes just calling him out works. Other times I clap my hands (not loud) and say "no". Something to try when your boy chews on the frame... or you can maybe call him over and offer him something safe to chew on. Another option is to cover the frame up so he cannot access it.

I give my boy a Cheerio treat every night after playtime. It got to the point where he would decide when playtime was over, and would be inside of his house begging for his Cheerio. I always refill his food and hay when playtime is over, too, so he knows the routine. I have started to refill the food and hay now while he is still out, around the time playtime would be over (about an hour, although sometimes he'll call it quits after half an hour).

I'm also a new chin owner, so I'm not an expert but this is from my experience so far.

 

[Godofgods]

1. Ppl prefer ledges over ramps because it allows a chin to hop from one spot to another which is more natural for them. Also many wire ramps are dangerous for chins. They often can get there foot or leg caught on them. This can lead to injuries from something minor up to death itself if it goes bad.
Also wooden ledges are something else the chin can chew on safely which is always good!


2. They often like houses or huts for the safety feeling it provides. How big is the hut and what kind of floor is it on? It could be that the floor is uncomfortable for him. Or maybe hes just not used to it yet. Can you post a pic of the cage here?

3. The five chins i currently have, i have had anywhere from 3-7 or so years. And they are only now started to walk into my arms on there own sometimes. But they will still freak out if i try to pick them up. Each chin has there own likes and dislikes.

4. All of mine are a bit picky too. Almost the opposite of yours tho. They will go for the apple twigs but don't touch the lava or pumice all that much. They also have certain 'flavors' of the wood twigs they wont rly touch either. You could try ordering a small amount of twigs of each different kind and seeing over time what your chin likes the best.

5. He is still getting used to a new envirnment and new ppl. In his cage he probably feels more safe and secure as opposed to outside. Chins can take a while to adjust to a change like that.
Also it could just be the way they are. I have one chin that has fallen asleep in my lap when he was out, But my one girl wont come anywhere near me.

6. They are very very smart. Do not under estimate them - you will regret it.
They are good at getting around things, or getting things out of there way. They can also jump high distances and squeeze through small openings (especially when they are young!) Always keep an eye on them when they are out.

I never found a way to get them to stop chewing on certain things. I tried a few things but it was to no avail. Stopping my chins from chewing is like trying to stop a dog from wagging its tail.

Some ppl will cover up w/e it is they dont want chewed with cardboard that way they chew that instead. But you have to be careful. My chins would chew it up and then try to eat it. And if they try to eat it then it needs to be taken away.

7. Dust baths seems to be most effective. If you chin knows the sight of his dust bath house they often times will run over and hop into it. And you can then use it as a transport back into the cage.

Some can be trained to go back in with a treat as a reward afterwards. I had 3 or 4 out of my 5 that did somewhat well with it. But since they didn't like being picked up i had a ladder (covered in fleece) from the floor to the cage. when they went up and in, they got there treat.

8. Hes out. He probably wants to play, run, and explore. Most exercise wheels are in the cage.

9. A mistake we have probably all made. Heck, i even left a book on top of the cage and came back some time later to find half the cover eaten off.
Im not sure about eating 10 cheerios tho...

 

[ahitchcox]

Thanks for the replies. I think we are finally getting into a routine with him. It's much more relaxing now when he is out of the cage since I don't have to worry as much about him getting into something. And last night I was able to get him back in his cage pretty easily once I bribed him with a couple Cheerios. The floor of his cage are small bars about 1/4" apart so maybe he just doesn't like laying on the bars. The platforms and ramps of the cage are solid metal, he does use them but he also jumps from level to level too.

Two last questions...last night I caught him a couple times sniffing the wall outlet. Nothing was plugged into it but he was sniffing it and looked like he was about to start chewing it. I'm terried he is going to stick his teeth into the actual outlet holes. I know they make plastic safety caps but he would probably chew that too. Is this a problem for anyone else?

Also, what do you guys do with your chins if you go out of town for a few days? Like I said, we could have someone come by to feed him but I would feel bad leaving him since he wouldn't get to come out of his cage or get much attention for a week.

 

[saphire]

I don't know the age of your chin, from what I read he is most likely under 6 months old. You may want to limit his time out to max 15-20 min. allowing him to save his energy to grow.

Withold any treats also. No treats before 6 months.

I personnally tell my customers that chins do not need to come out every day. They are fine in their cages. He will run it off when he gets out.

This said, my reason to say this, is I don't want people to feel bad when they can't let them out. They don't need it. I have chins when I had put them in larger spaces, they would actually freak out. They didn't like the space, they felt insecure.

Many people say they find them new homes because they feel guilty not letting them out daily because of changes in their lives.
Well, that is no longer a reason for my customers, because they know the chins do well not coming out daily.

As for the wall outlet. Doubt he will put his tough in. But, for your own peace of mind, put black tape on it when he is out.

You will find on the forum some threads "Show me your Ferret Nation", that will be a nice place for you to go for ideas for cages and if I am not mistaken safe play area.

Things will be fine, you have come to the perfect place for into.

 

[nightnurse]

So, I've had my boy for two weeks now. I went out and bought him a timothy hay hut to hide in and he only just started using it. He had been sleeping on a ledge in a corner before that and kinda keeping his eyes open. He's finally using his hut and seems to go into really deep sleeps. Just give yours more time to adjust. I've been letting mine out in the bathroom- I found the computer room too large. In the smaller space he is more inclined to crawl over us and sit on my shoulder.
I'm guessing if he didn't have diarrhea after his treat binge he will probably be just fine- just not a good idea to repeat.
Good luck!

 

[CRG7]

So, I've had my boy for two weeks now. I went out and bought him a timothy hay hut to hide in and he only just started using it. He had been sleeping on a ledge in a corner before that and kinda keeping his eyes open. He's finally using his hut and seems to go into really deep sleeps. Just give yours more time to adjust. I've been letting mine out in the bathroom- I found the computer room too large. In the smaller space he is more inclined to crawl over us and sit on my shoulder.
I'm guessing if he didn't have diarrhea after his treat binge he will probably be just fine- just not a good idea to repeat.
Good luck!

I let mine out in the bathroom as well for the first few months (bringing his old cage in with me). He eventually got to the point where he was cutting his playtime down from an hour or more to about half an hour. One night, the light in the bathroom wasn't working properly so I let him out in the bedroom. He is back to wanting to be out for about an hour. The bathroom definitely gives the smaller space to allow for more bonding with him, but he is really enjoying the larger space to run around and the change of scenery. He also loves when I sit or lay on the floor; he climbs all over me or just comes and sits on me.

 

[Godofgods]

So, I've had my boy for two weeks now. I went out and bought him a timothy hay hut to hide in and he only just started using it.

is that a edible hut with a hay roof like this?

I only ask because i used to have one of those ^ and it was a long time before i realized that they are made with honey and can play havoc on a chins digestive system.

 

[nightnurse]

this[/URL]?

I only ask because i used to have one of those ^ and it was a long time before i realized that they are made with honey and can play havoc on a chins digestive system.

Oh, not really. It's oxbow's timothy bungalow. Figured the timothy hay would be okay. He doesn't seem to chew on it. He likes the fresh stuff I give him. I had looked at that one though so I am glad for the heads up. I thought this would be more temporary and he would destroy it within a few days. It was the only one my local pet stores had. Figured when we went to the bigger city next week I'd grab him a wood one but he seems to like it. I hope this one is safe.

 

[CRG7]

Oh, not really. It's oxbow's timothy bungalow. Figured the timothy hay would be okay. He doesn't seem to chew on it. He likes the fresh stuff I give him. I had looked at that one though so I am glad for the heads up. I thought this would be more temporary and he would destroy it within a few days. It was the only one my local pet stores had. Figured when we went to the bigger city next week I'd grab him a wood one but he seems to like it. I hope this one is safe.

My boy seems to love the Oxbow timothy hay tunnels. I purchased one just before going to pick him up, so he would have something to hide out in. I had his first one pressed against the back of the cage, so he ended up chewing a hole on the top so he could climb in and out that way, too. He has since shredded that one to less than half of its original size, but still sleeps in it sometimes. I bought him another that he also started chewing the back hole in, until I changed him to a bigger cage (put his original on the top level, and he prefers hanging out up there for the most part). I read on Oxbow's site that it is 100% timothy hay. My boy mostly likes to destroy his, leaving large clumps of the hay.

 

[ChinChiq]

One last question...what do you do with your chin if you go on vacation for a week or so? We normally have a cat sitter stop by the house twice a day to feed our cat, so I'm sure we could get her to give our chin fresh food/water. But I just worry that the chin would be stressed out being around a new porson, not getting much attention, and being stuck in his cage for a week. how does everyone handle it when you got out of town?

The first time we went on vacation, I took Luna to a friend's house. She got excellent care there, but ended up with an upset tummy when she came home because of the stress of being out of her home environment.

When we went out of town again recently over the holidays, I had my daughter's babysitter and her girlfriend come over to our house every day to give pellets, hay, sticks and skritches. This worked out much better! The girls fell in love with Luna, and Luna wasn't stressed out at all when we got home. I'm going to stick with this routine when we go away from now on.