Adopted a chin... A few questions!! :)

[DynahGirl22]

Sorry this is so long!!
So, I've just adopted a new chin and though I have done a lot of research before getting her, I still have a few questions.
I got Jade, which I have renamed Dynah from a friend of a friend. They had combined households and had too many animals to care for, so they decided to give up their chin. She is between 5 and 6. Her previous owner was not sure on her exact age bc he had gotten her from a teacher he used to know who had kept her in a classroom. My poor girl has been moved around a lot! He had her for 4 years so he was just guessing her age, and he is no longer in contact with the teacher he recieved her from so he has no way in contacting her to answer a few questions I have about her, but that is okay.
Her previous owner said that they kept her in their living room on top on their tv console, so I decided to keep her in my living room as well (i know their ears are sensitive, but I was hoping the sound of the tv would comfort her.) She seems to be doing fine with this. My boyfriend said that I should put her up in my room instead of in my living room since she is in a new environment and will get stressed easier. Which would be better for her to adapt to her new home.
I recieved her this past Thursday and she is slowly warming up to me. I talk to her a lot and spend a few hours a night just next to her cage with my hand inside of it. She always comes up to sniff me and she does take her feed and toys out of my hand which is great! Her previous owner told me she was handled a lot and I do know it will take time for her to bond with me and trust me but how do I get her out of the cage in a way that is not going to stress her out more than she is? Last night she did crawl into my arms 3 times, but it was only for a moment. Earlier yesterday I also tried to get her out of her cage so I could clean it, but she just ran away and she started shedding, so now i'm really worried about her.
I also know that I should be taking her out of the cage for her to play in a chin safe zone (which is my bathroom for now) but like I said, I still cant really get her out. Should I just forget playtime out of the cage for now until she trusts me more? I just dont want her to become sad and lonely in her cage!
Her cage is a good size but Im going to purchase a new cage soon so she has more room to play while im not around and at work and also since she wont let me take her out. The owner gave me all the stuff he had for her, which I'll use for a little while. Should I just scoop her bedding out and put fresh bedding in after since I cant pick her up yet (i dont want to force her out)?
Today I also noticed she was sitting with her right paw up, but I am still not able to handle her to see if anything is wrong with it or not. She is still walking and moving around with it, but I am still a little concerned.
Am I just overly worried about her? I should also mention that I live w my 2 sisters, and i have informed them of all the do's and dont's w my little girl. This is probably adding to the stress too..
One more question! I do want to get another chinchilla at some point for her to have a friend and when I do, I know I need to introduce them slowly.. Does it matter if its a boy or girl? And since she is a little older, will it be harder for me to introduce her to another chin? Her previous owner said that if I do get her a friend, that it should be a boy.

Does anyone have any suggestions or thoughts?
Thank yooouuuuu!! And again, sorry for the length..

 

[caiti]

Congrats on the new chin! They're pretty cute and awesome.

she just ran away and she started shedding

Running and fur slipping are common. Chins are little animals, they are afraid of everything. Not that being afraid of everything is good, but the occasional fur slip won't kill her with stress.

Which would be better for her to adapt to her new home

Depends whether there's a lot of traffic around your living room. It might be too chaotic and with your sisters, Dynah might be more comfortable in a quieter room. Plus, you can bond with her more if she's in your room. You can leave a radio in there when you're gone if you feel it helps with her boredom.

Should I just forget playtime out of the cage for now until she trusts me more?

Many people suggest this. Because play time will just become a source of nervous energy if they aren't ok with their surroundings yet. If she has a big enough cage, maybe even with a wheel, she doesn't need play time. You can wait until she is more comfortable.

Should I just scoop her bedding out and put fresh bedding in after since I cant pick her up yet

Sure. Or use her dust bath to move her into a carrier. To be honest, I still at times have to "force" my chin out. I just grab her firmly but gently and quickly. Sometimes I just don't have the time to wait until she goes into her carrier by herself and I'm not very good at practicing that either! I know it won't hurt her, but it won't make it any easier to get her comfortable coming to me either.

I also noticed she was sitting with her right paw up

Chins often sit with one or both paws up or close to their body. It's a common position. As long as she is using both paws and nothing else seems to be wrong--she's fine.

Does it matter if its a boy or girl? And since she is a little older, will it be harder for me to introduce her to another chin? Her previous owner said that if I do get her a friend, that it should be a boy.

Firstly, you should recheck her sex. There are some threads on here with clear pictures of the outer anatomical difference between males and females to compare your chin to.
Secondly, getting a male chin could very well result in babies. Since you don't know Dynah's medical/genetic background, this would not be a good idea. Her previous owner's advice should not be followed.
Thirdly, some chins get along great, some don't. When introducing two chins all I can suggest is be prepared to have two separate chins in separate cages in case things don't work out. I personally have one chin and have never done intros, so I don't know what works best.

 

[Godofgods]

Keeping her in the living room shouldnt pose to much a problem deping on how many ppl live their and their habbits. If shes anything like my chins, the dont like being woken up in the middle of the day. You can move her to your room if youd like. Its probably quiter their which would be good for a new chin adjusting to a new place.

She'll probably be hard to get out of the cage for a while. New envirenment; their not going to want to leave the safty of the cage much.

All of my chins like to sit with their paws close to their body. Since two have had paw injuries before, it scares the **** outa me every time i see em like that. Then theyll jsut stare at me like... 'what?'

As much as i love my kits, i would not advise getting her a male play mate. Kits would be a gaurentee, and your enver fully preparred for them lol.

I have a male that went through the same thing; passed around so much. I have no idea his actul age, but iv had him around 5 years and he was an adult when i got him. And them first several nights, he would bark like mad if you even tried to step anywhere near his cage. Now hes the friendlyest guy ever.

But i chose to get him a playmate as well. Searched many months and finaly got him a female. Three kits later... hes seperated form the female and living with his son. Its an experence and a half that i wasnt preparred for'.

So id advise getting a female if you chose that path. But remember theirs no gaurentee they will get along. And you need to be preparred to deal with that if it happenes.