A New "Home Sweet Home?" No, thanks!!

shieldmaidenjen · Apr 28, 2013

Hi everyone,

All six of my chinchillas are in Ferret Nations now (all boys, two to a cage). I know I LOVE the cages and have put a lot of working into setting up three of them; the chins have had various reactions to moving from Quality Cage Chinchilla Mansions to Ferret Nations.

The two "baby" chins love their new home. My second pair of males seem to have accepted it and are exploring and enjoying their fleece tubes and new toys.

... and then there is my oldest pair. They have been in their new home since April 18th. Pair #1 is not impressed. They are both about seven years old and have lived in Chin Mansions practically since I've had them (that's been six years).

Pair #1 have both gone to the top level, thumbed their noses at the new fleece tubes and hammock even though I put treats around and in the new stuff, and now they stay on the bottom level 98% of the time, sitting on the back shelf with pouty faces (you all know the face). Sometimes they will run their Chin Spin (that's on the bottom level) and they are eating, drinking, taking treats, chewing toys, and taking their dust bath just fine but they do seem depressed.

I've noticed my oldest chin's fur looks rather frazzled with small tufts of loose hair sticking, and I am finding little clumps of his fur every once in a while. He doesn't have any bare patches on him or a ton of fur loss... but this is *just* enough for me to notice.

I'm concerned because I know they aren't happy, and I'm rather exasperated that they aren't adjusting after all the work I put into it (they don't know that but still).

Then I remember that it's not even been two weeks, and that the chins are having a stressful change that will just take some time. I pray that after a little time, Pair #1 will come around and enjoy their new environment (it's 100% superior than their old one in terms of fleece items, play things, and things to keep them occupied although you wouldn't know that by looking at them as they sit and pout on the bottom ledge).

So I just have some questions for everyone:

A. Is there ANYTHING I can do to make Pair #1 settle in more easily?

B. Have any of you experienced your chins being depressed after a big cage move? How long did it take them to come around?

Thanks all,
Jenn

Asha · Apr 28, 2013

Honestly, my best guess would be to just give them more time. Every chin is different as far as settling in after major changes. I have six chins myself. For some of them, when I first brought them home they adjusted in a matter of a couple weeks. For others, they took much longer to become comfortable with my presence and handling of them in addition to usual household noises that they had not been previously exposed to.

Since the chins are older than your others, perhaps their age is also a factor. They have been used to the same environment for several years and now all of that has changed. Even some of my chins take time to get used to new toys/hidey houses that I buy for them! I have one stubborn boy who did NOT like his wooden house that I bought him when I first got him. He almost acted intimidated by it and didn't wanna go near it! Slowly but surely, after a few weeks, he started to sit on top of the house.....and eventually decided it was safe enough to sleep inside of it! But it took time. Sounds like you are doing everything right, maybe they just need some extra time. Perhaps they are intimidated by all the new accessories? Maybe because its new they can't smell their usual "scent" that was on the older items. I've never done a major cage move, but am going off of my best guesses and some experience I've had with cage "remodeling" lol (new items)

Amethyst · Apr 28, 2013

The only thing I can think of that could help is as Asha said they may feel uncomfortable with all the new stuff and lack of their scent. If you still have any of the old stuff put it in their new cage. When I moved my boys from their old cage they came into a FN I moved all the old ledges, hammocks, chew toys and hay bins with them. You can replace them once they get more settled in if they need replacing. Chinchillas can be territorial, so new smells could mean to them unknown territory that could be dangerous. You can also try just having the food on the top level to encourage them to go up there. If you don't have any of their old cage stuff, or you already moved some in just give them time, I'd say at least a month. Change can be more scary to some then it is to others.

Zoaea · Apr 29, 2013

Amethyst has good ideas. Using fleece or toys that are familiar with their smells can help ease the transition. My girl always pouts at big changes for at least a month but my boy transitions within a week. Each chin is different (although my girl is 5 years old while the boy is 2 so maybe age affects this too...)

shieldmaidenjen · Apr 29, 2013

Thanks for the reassurance, everyone. I have some of their old things in the new cage and I guess I am just going to have to give them time.

I did notice one of the treats hanging in front of a scary new fleece tube had been eaten on so someone apparently braved going into the tube to get that. I bet it was the beige as my oldest one is still too mad to even go after treats on the new stuff.