Cage Biting/Shaking

[attilasmama]

recently my chin Attila has been biting the bars of his cage and shaking his cage. he only does this at night after i turn the lights out and try to go to sleep. He runs around and makes little noises like he wants to get out so I pet him and I have taken him out a few times around 3am. I was wondering if anyone knows why he does this or how i can get him to stop!! :hair:

 

[EnslavedByNinjas]

I would make sure he has more than enough stuff to do in his cage, a wheel, chews, etc, and also not encourage him by giving him what he wants.

With my Nibbler I tried blowing in his face, snapping my fingers at him (my little auditory disapproval thing) and all that good discipline. It only got worse until I started ignoring him. If he does it when I'm looking at him, I'll get up and walk away. It's gotten a lot better since then.

 

[Mystic]

My one chinchilla, Toby, almost always does this when he knows I am in the same room as him. Like last night I was trying to sleep and had him near my bed in his cage and he just rattled his cage bars until I gave him attention. I think they do this because they know we are there and they want attention, since at night time they are most active anyway.
I'm not sure of another way to get him to stop besides moving him out of your room.

 

[littleprinterty]

my chin does this too especially around 10 when everyone is in the living room where his cage is. i too am having this problem, but after a while he quits because i have ignored him.

 

[ann1]

Aww it just means he loves you. He's just trying to get your attention.

If you really dont like it tho, its best to just ignore the behavior. Taking him out is just what he wants.....

 

[Easterpiggy]

dusty only does that what he is really pissed (usually when I put him in a small cage for cleaning) after a while he will stop

 

[Terbear24]

A couple of my chins do that almost everytime i come down to feed or give treats.... they know its coming and I always took it as they were excited to see me or i wasnt giving them treats fast enough

 

[Chinchichi]

my boy was doing that so much i mixed chili powder with water and put it on his cage bars, he stopped for a couple days, then i think he decided the chili powder wasnt so bad and started again XD he's calmed down alot tho that was more when i first got him.

if he really doesn't stop and you can't sleep maybe try some bitter apple spray on the cage bars. research it first though cuz i dunno if its good for them, i know there are some safe natural ones though.

 

[Tillygizmo]

The sad truth about cage biting: It is the animals frustration over being caged. No matter how domesticated we make them, animals will always know that they are meant to have more room then they do in a cage and more freedom then we allow them. We do it for their own safety, yes, but that is why they do it. It is bad for them to do and some can even get harmed from it and I agree with the different ways to stop it.

Otherwise, my reccomendation to people who can do it is to let them out as much as possible. Whenever you have time to supervise, do it. Also, our one boy was so bad that he had sores on his nose. We tied small pieces of fleece on multiple areas of the bars where he bit and he got mad that he couldnt slide his teeth up and down them and stopped. We also added a TON of chew toys to that area so he has things to let his frustration out on. It worked pretty well, he doesnt do it anymore.

 

[designer chins]

I have one male who is biting his cage right now, but never has before. I attribute it to him being blocked off from both girls in his run, as they are nursing kits right now. He is getting all sorts of chew toys, but what he wants is access to his girls. I'm guessing after the kits are weaned & he is allowed back in, he will give up the cage biting! Ah, men...:kiss:

 

[TillyChinchilla]

I've got one boy that chews pretty much the same spot every night. The powder coating is coming off on it. I've tried hanging toys over the spot but he just pushes them aside. It pretty much just means I cannot sleep downstairs after midnight or so. It is the worst around 2-3a.m. and he does it in 2-3 minute intervals. I've tried a wheel with him before and he wouldn't do anything but sit on it. I may need to put another one in their cage.

 

[attilasmama]

soo i took everyones advice and i leave the room and go sleep downstairs every time he starts up. Hes not really biting the cage just grabbing it with his teeth and shaking it like crazy. He has not let up, in fact i even think it may be worse. I have nooo idea what I can do.

 

[Ippo456]

My chinchilla used to do this when he was bored and he was in his previous smaller cage.
Now he rarely ever does it & only does it when he knows its his playtime.