Chinderella
Member
My fuzzbutt MJ is almost 2 years old. He is a standard gray and as of his last vet visit (Last October) is healthy and his behavior has been steady throughout.
At first I thought that I had gotten lucky and found myself an extremely docile pet, however, over time I have watched videos of other chinchillas online and have realized that MJ is abnormal.
MJ naps throughout the day and night for 15 minutes at a time. When awake and in his cage, MJ is practically statuesque and motionless, standing on a perch or a ledge or even on his house for extended lengths of time. I might even call him lethargic. He eats normally (roughly 2 tablespoons of Oxbow chinchilla deluxe) and timothy hay a day.
When I let him out of his cage he becomes incredibly active, running around and hopping on things in his play area.
But as soon as he gets back in the cage, he sits still and stares. Rarely chewing on the toys I have given him- if I hand him a treat and hold it, he will chew actively, but as soon as I let go, he will drop it.
Please help, If he is sick I will do anything. If he is unhappy I will do anything. I even just got my Ferret Nation 181 in the mail and set it up yesterday (still needs liners and to be cleaned, and am waiting to transition him). If you have any ideas or advice let me know. It is all appreciated.
At first I thought that I had gotten lucky and found myself an extremely docile pet, however, over time I have watched videos of other chinchillas online and have realized that MJ is abnormal.
MJ naps throughout the day and night for 15 minutes at a time. When awake and in his cage, MJ is practically statuesque and motionless, standing on a perch or a ledge or even on his house for extended lengths of time. I might even call him lethargic. He eats normally (roughly 2 tablespoons of Oxbow chinchilla deluxe) and timothy hay a day.
When I let him out of his cage he becomes incredibly active, running around and hopping on things in his play area.
But as soon as he gets back in the cage, he sits still and stares. Rarely chewing on the toys I have given him- if I hand him a treat and hold it, he will chew actively, but as soon as I let go, he will drop it.
Please help, If he is sick I will do anything. If he is unhappy I will do anything. I even just got my Ferret Nation 181 in the mail and set it up yesterday (still needs liners and to be cleaned, and am waiting to transition him). If you have any ideas or advice let me know. It is all appreciated.
What kind of toys does he have? Does he have a wooden hut? My chinchillas love to chew and hide in it! But if he's active and running during play time, but lazy in his cage, I'd just say he's bored! Once you get him in that new cage, I'm sure you'll notice a change! I hope that helped! 
