...am I doing this right?

[Momo]

Hi,

I adopted a 5 year old chinchilla last week, and he has been living with me since Tuesday. He's my first pet in several years, and I'm hoping that I'm not doing anything wrong in introducing him to his new home.

His former owners said he didn't get along with any of their other chinchillas, and tends to bark when humans hands get too close to him, but was otherwise curious and sweet when running around or even being held. Since getting him, I've been trying to talk to him while he's in his cage and letting him explore his new home. Sometimes - not all the time - he'll eat hay or a pellet out of my hand, or rather.. he'll sniff my hand, grab whatever's on it, and then eat it in his hiding hut. He is eating and drinking the food in his cage, thankfully, and is nibbling on his chew toys when I'm not in his room. He's sleeping at weird times for chinchillas... he was passed out last night at 6PM (out of his sleeping hut?) when i got home from work, suddenly waking up when I gently opened the door. He did the same thing this morning at around 8AM when I left.

He's pretty much hides in his sleeping hut when I'm in the same room as him or huddles in a cage corner, which worries me. He has the apartment to himself when I'm at work, and I try to stay out of his room (checking up on him every hour or so) so he can eat and explore without stress. He's barked at me a few times when I tried to hand him food or a treat, but is otherwise not making any noises. I heard that they take a long time to warm up to humans, but I'm afraid that I'm scaring him so much that he won't be able to settle down..

As for his environment, he's living in a 30" x 18" x 24 cage from Martin's cages, eating oxbow timothy hay and pellets (um.. rabbit pellets right now, which i heard can be used in a pinch, because the oxbow chinchilla food I ordered isn't coming in until Tuesday and I didn't like the food the previous owners gave me since it had treats in it). He seems to really like the hay.

any advice?

 

[tunes]

Sounds like he's being a normal chin. Don't tippy toe around him or he won't adjust to the rhythms of your house, and you're not going to want to tippy toe around him forever. Don't stand next to his cage beating a metal pan with a spoon, but by all means, carry on as usual.

As far as the food, I would be really careful with that. Too many food changes in too short of a time can cause real problems. I would have just left him on the crappy food until the new food gets there, rather than three food switches in rapid succession. Also, it's not "all" rabbit food that works, just a few particular ones. Oxbow is a good brand of chinchilla feed, but I have never read it to see what the ingredients are for the rabbit pellets compared to the approved rabbit feeds.

If it was me, rather than doing all the food switches, I would just pull the pellets and give nothing but hay until the pellets you intend to use get there.

 

[Ash]

Some rabbit pellets are perfectly fine to use as a normal diet for the chins. What kind are you using?

It sounds like you're doing things right, and he'll get adjusted in time. It sounds like you have him in a room away from everything else? Once he's a little more adjusted, maybe in another week or so, try moving him to somewhere that's a bit more trafficked, as long as you don't have anyone that's going to harass him when you're not home. This way, he'll see you more when you're NOT bugging him, and know that you're not going to hurt him or anything. So far, it sounds like you're doing well, though. Some chins just take time to adjust.

Also, chins are more crepescular than nocturnal. They tend to be more active at dawn/dusk and here and there in between, although many chins will adjust themselves to your schedule. So for him to be asleep at 6 or 8 is normal and fine. Mine are starting to get active around 9 now, stay up til about 2, then calm back down. During the winter, they were up and awake around 6 and quieted down around 11. They get up again a few hours later(usually around 6 or so, but I now sleep through it) for another game of tag around the cage, and then settle down for the day. They wake up to eat or drink through out it, but that's about it.

 

[Momo]

Thanks for the advice. I thought I was preparing myself with a lot of research, but it's always different in practice.

I didn't think the food switches would harm him so much. Should I just pull the pellets now? He's definitely eating a lot more hay than pellets.

 

[Ash]

Most people do cold switches and nothing bad happens. It usually only happens if the chinchilla has a VERY sensitive digestive tract. If the Oxbow pellets are coming within a day or so, then you can pull the pellets if you want to. If not, leave them in. He'll be fine. Most of my chins have been cold-switched onto foods with no ill effects.

 

[Rickman]

She'll warm-up, it just takes time.
I have a violet wrap female that was run-raised by Jags, that barked at me for 2 months, every time I walked in the room!
She gave me a birthday litter yesterday, and for the first time let me give her 'skritches' today - I think she wants to be my favorite now!
Funny little critters!

 

[Momo]

Some rabbit pellets are perfectly fine to use as a normal diet for the chins. What kind are you using?

I have a friend with a rabbit who uses Purina rabbit food. I borrowed a small amount from her to manage until next week, but he mostly eats hay, anyway.

It sounds like you're doing things right, and he'll get adjusted in time. It sounds like you have him in a room away from everything else? Once he's a little more adjusted, maybe in another week or so, try moving him to somewhere that's a bit more trafficked, as long as you don't have anyone that's going to harass him when you're not home. This way, he'll see you more when you're NOT bugging him, and know that you're not going to hurt him or anything. So far, it sounds like you're doing well, though. Some chins just take time to adjust.

He's actually in my bedroom - I'm usually in living area for most of the day after work, and I live alone. We do sleep in the same room, but he hasn't woken me up. But yes, I think I'll hang out with him tonight, even when I'm not trying to get him to like me. Thanks!

 

[tunes]

Ash - Read what Momo said. She's talking about THREE food switches in a very short time. That is not the same as doing a cold switch from one to another. If you force a chin to go through three food switches in such a short time, you may end up with a very sick chin. Heck, some chins can't handle one food switch.

Momo - Again, I would just pull the pellets and leave the hay. He will be just fine with the hay until the pellet you plan to use permanently arrives.

 

[Stackie]

I agree, I wouldn't give him a temporary pellet until you get the Oxbow. I would feed hay until you get the good pellet in, like tunes has said. I had a pet store chin who was fed 4, yes 4, different feeds in the span of him being at the store because they really had no idea how to care for a chin. I got him out of there because he was having severe diarrhea, and attempted to treat him at home. Unfortunately he prolapsed and died 4 days after I brought him home and I attribute it to the pet store bouncing him around on so many different feeds. It was a lot of stress on his digestion system.

Cold switching and feeding different kind of pellets in such a short span of time in a pinch are two different things. He will be fine on just hay until you do get the Oxbow. I have had a chin eat hay for a week before and he was just fine )