Bonding With A Baby Chinchilla

[ChinsForLife]

This lady:
says playtime is how you typically bond with them but according to @Amethyst, playtime can make chins under 6 months overheat...
How else can I bond with them? Im gonna have 6 siblings, 5 which are under 6, including one that will be newborn...I've heard to not handle them at all the first week but my mom doesn't understand that you can't play with them the first week. She says they have been socialized and handled alot by our breeder so it's fine, is she right? She will be 8 weeks old when I get her..What should I do? If I can't handle them, how do I convince her?

 

[Amethyst]

You can play with them in the cage, sit and let them crawl on you, you can also hold the chin. You can also sit by the cage and talk to them give them chew sticks or bits of hay when you come to the cage so they start associating you with good things. You can also read aloud to them, sing (if you can) or play music, they hear in the same range (and beyond) so they normally do like music. The issue is letting them run around freely, they can easily over do it (overheat, have a dangerous drop in blood sugar, etc). If you have to do free play running around try to stick with 5-10 minutes, that means total, not 5-10 minutes then try to catch the chin. The easiest way to do that is have them on a bed or couch so you can easily pick them up when it's time.

It takes most chins at least a week to settle in to a new home, but it all depends on the chin, some are outgoing others are more shy and skittish. Even if the breeder handled them a lot you are still a stranger so it can take time for them to trust you. Kits do tend to be more open to new things and more trusting since they haven't had anything bad happen yet. Basically though go at the chin's pace, if they are wanting to interact, go for it, but if they are hiding, barking, or fur slipping then just leave them alone and let them settle in don't force them or you are proving you can't be trusted. The only way I can think to convince your mom would be for her to see the chin is stressed out, it'll be pretty obvious.

Ok, I know this may not go over well but chins are not for little kids, they are very fragile so personally I don't let anyone under about 12 even touch them without someone else holding them. Even then the kid has to know how to be gentle. They are way way less sturdy then a guinea pig for example. They have very thin bones (one again think birds only chins don't have hollow bones) so if dropped more then about a foot (less for a kit) they can break bones, and if picked up or squeezed around the middle you can easily puncture a rib and kill the chin.

 

[ChinsForLife]

You can play with them in the cage, sit and let them crawl on you, you can also hold the chin. You can also sit by the cage and talk to them give them chew sticks or bits of hay when you come to the cage so they start associating you with good things. You can also read aloud to them, sing (if you can) or play music, they hear in the same range (and beyond) so they normally do like music. The issue is letting them run around freely, they can easily over do it (overheat, have a dangerous drop in blood sugar, etc). If you have to do free play running around try to stick with 5-10 minutes, that means total, not 5-10 minutes then try to catch the chin. The easiest way to do that is have them on a bed or couch so you can easily pick them up when it's time.

It takes most chins at least a week to settle in to a new home, but it all depends on the chin, some are outgoing others are more shy and skittish. Even if the breeder handled them a lot you are still a stranger so it can take time for them to trust you. Kits do tend to be more open to new things and more trusting since they haven't had anything bad happen yet. Basically though go at the chin's pace, if they are wanting to interact, go for it, but if they are hiding, barking, or fur slipping then just leave them alone and let them settle in don't force them or you are proving you can't be trusted. The only way I can think to convince your mom would be for her to see the chin is stressed out, it'll be pretty obvious.

Ok ill do that!

Ok, I know this may not go over well but chins are not for little kids, they are very fragile so personally I don't let anyone under about 12 even touch them without someone else holding them. Even then the kid has to know how to be gentle. They are way way less sturdy then a guinea pig for example. They have very thin bones (one again think birds only chins don't have hollow bones) so if dropped more then about a foot (less for a kit) they can break bones, and if picked up or squeezed around the middle you can easily puncture a rib and kill the chin.

I don't plan to let any of my younger siblings hold her. Just pet her while I am holding her... i will let my 12 year old best friend and my 10 year old sister hold her though. I really trust them. They are very careful. But besides that, not many other people at all under that age. Maybe one other girl. We are all homeschoolers and so I've told her about her and she would be a very unhappy camper if I didn't let her hold her!

 

[petran79]

Yesterday I let them roam free in the hall while I cleaned their cage since they were rusty being shut inside and were in the mood to explore.

I had to chase them after that though. I grabbed the first one as I had him cornered . Though whenever I see resistance on their part during the ground hold, I do not insist and release them in order not to cause damage due to squeezing or sudden movements on their part.

The other exhausted went to the cage by himself. They are still young fortunately.

 

[ChinsForLife]

Yesterday I let them roam free in the hall while I cleaned their cage since they were rusty being shut inside and were in the mood to explore.

I had to chase them after that though. I grabbed the first one as I had him cornered . Though whenever I see resistance on their part during the ground hold, I do not insist and release them in order not to cause damage due to squeezing or sudden movements on their part.

The other exhausted went to the cage by himself. They are still young fortunately.

Thank you! How old are your babies?

 

[petran79]

Thank you! How old are your babies?

They are 10 months old but I only got them few weeks ago and they are still adapting .Also I am at the stage of constantly arranging their cage, waiting for new ramps.

So they are still shy but they grew accustomed to me since I am a quiet guy and never try to touch them except to put them in or out of the cage or carrying box

 

[ChinsForLife]

They are 10 months old but I only got them few weeks ago and they are still adapting .Also I am at the stage of constantly arranging their cage, waiting for new ramps.

So they are still shy but they grew accustomed to me since I am a quiet guy and never try to touch them except to put them in or out of the cage or carrying box

Mine is gonna be 2 months old when I get her.

 

[Sabrina]

We had joy of having 2 chillas for awhile. They greeted each other by smelling breath... I breathe into the cage like I'm trying to fog glass. Precious barrels over and sniffs with head back like she's smelling popcorn popping. Then wants a scratch behind ears. She lays one down then other then switch at a time when she wants me to switch. I'll sit with a finger in the cage watching TV. She comes over for scratch. My niece brought her trumpet and we have video of her squished into bars amazed. She loves jazz and rag and comes alive when I turn on their documentaries I find. Sometimes I carry her around the house. She notices everything! She recognizes daddy's car pulling up and gets excited, but no excitement with mine... They are so amazing I can't believe it myself! I've had chillas for 22 years, one at a time- had 2 for short time but one died. They are sooo sensitive to the heat just as everyone says. My house is at 62°f year round and she can still overheat when playing. You will love your chilla I'm so sure. They are amazing and delicate.

 

[petran79]

I just let them roam free around the living room, having covered any cables they could bite or holes they could crawl into. I dont care cuddling or picking them, as long as they are happy and have exercise.

Problem is because they are two, it is very rare for them to enter their cage both at once. When one enters to eat, I lock the door and have to catch the other one or else the other will leave. He kinda got used to the chase and does not panic that much.

If I leave them, they can make the living room their permanent habitat. They are out for 5-6 hours straight.

I notice though that for the time being they prefer to run and chase each other. They are not eager to jump to chairs, couch or table. They step on my slippers though. Floor has tiles so this helps keeping them cool.

 

[Rin]

This lady:
says playtime is how you typically bond with them but according to @Amethyst, playtime can make chins under 6 months overheat...
How else can I bond with them? Im gonna have 6 siblings, 5 which are under 6, including one that will be newborn...I've heard to not handle them at all the first week but my mom doesn't understand that you can't play with them the first week. She says they have been socialized and handled alot by our breeder so it's fine, is she right? She will be 8 weeks old when I get her..What should I do? If I can't handle them, how do I convince her?

I got mine at 11 weeks, and for the first week she was definitely scared. She's more outgoing now (after 2 weeks with me) and eats out of my hand. But playtime is a restricted space around her cage for 10 minutes. When she tires, I lure her back into her cage. It's important for them to know they have that safe space to get back to so try not to let her have a play area that's too far and inaccessible from her cage. She needs to know she can go back in there if she's scared.

 

[ChinsForLife]

Thank you all!!

 

[borwin98]

Yesterday I let them roam free in the hall while I cleaned their cage since they were rusty being shut inside and were in the mood to explore.

I had to chase them after that though. I grabbed the first one as I had him cornered . Though whenever I see resistance on their part during the ground hold, I do not insist and release them in order not to cause damage due to squeezing or sudden movements on their part.

The other exhausted went to the cage by himself. They are still young fortunately.

I have ramps leading up to my two Ferret Nation cages and my chinchillas go to their homes on their own.

 

[petran79]

I have ramps leading up to my two Ferret Nation cages and my chinchillas go to their homes on their own.

I kinda sorted it out. No need to grab them, I just gently move my hands to direct them to their cage and they eventually get in. If one of them enters on his own, I close the door and he climbs on the top ramp where their food bowl is. It is from heavy glass so they cant push it down.

When the other sees him in the cage, he is most likely to enter himself too. I open the door for a few seconds and guide him in front of the door ,so he enters. I watch so the other does not get out at the same time.

As a result they are not as afraid anymore and approach me more.
They vent out this way because if I leave them the whole day in the cage, they start bickering