A thank you and a question

[Bridget]

My boyfriend and I just adopted two delightful chins last night. They are both cute as a button, and social.

I just wanted to thank Whimsy, since our boys were two of her rescues. We spent more than our fair share at her place, looking at chins and trying to find a good match for us, and asking bunches and bunches of questions. She was so incredibly kind, understanding, and helpful to us, and will undoubtedly be hearing from us again and again.

My question is, since they are new to our house and to us, should we just keep them in their cage for a while until they acclimate, or can we let them out to run around if they want to come of their cage? I've read that some people will do this, but I wasn't sure if this was a hard and fast rule, or if it was more dependent on the personalities of the chins.

 

[Pikaia]

It is a good idea to let them adjust to their new environment for a few days. Some chins are faster at adjusting than others. Chichi was kinda nervous when we first got her, but in a few days she was used to her new place.

Good luck and congrats on your new babies! They will bring such joy into your lives. Did your chins come from the recent group of 25 she took in?

Oh- don't be afraid to post pictures! We love to see other member's babies!

 

[alli713]

I'd give them a few days at least to acclimate. Then it would depend on their personality. My first chin was so sociable I let her out after about 3 days. Because she was fine with me handling her. If you find that your chins are skittish, I would wait longer until they're used to your voice and you moving around them before you let them out. It may also help if you're able to place their cage on the floor so that you don't need to chase them around to get them back in their cage.

I always tried to keep my playtimes with my new chins confined to a small room so that they were forced to be near me and then I didn't have to chase them around to catch them, which can really set your bonding back.

 

[Jazicat]

I've always let the chinchillas decide if they wanted to come out at first. I sit by the cage and just let them get used to me. If they aren't freaked out I'll place an arm in the cage so they can smell me. Eventually they've all gotten curious enough to come out. We were very lucky that our first two took almost no time to adjust but true trust takes time.

I also keep play time to a minimum in the beginning because all of my boys loved play time. Both Oscar and now Jackie didn't get play time to my knowledge and need to get into shape so I don't risk them over heating. Keeping the first play space small is an awesome idea because they can be hard to catch if they are wary of you.

 

[Bridget]

Thanks for the responses! The boys seem to have no problem popping out of the cage for tiny bits of time, all on their own. We're letting them make the decision as to where they want to go, and letting them get used to our voices and smell.

They are not from the large batch that she got in yesterday. They're actually the pair called Weebles and Wombat, though we are probably going to be changing their names. They are the sweetest chins, and we are delighted to have them.

Thanks again!