Chatty Chinchilla

[Chibigirl]

So I've looked up sound files on chinchilla noises and their meaning but I have yet to hear a sound quite like the one my Beaker makes. Very early in the morning she makes this sound that I can only describe as squawking, I almost thought it was a bird outside until I got up and noticed it was coming from inside her cage. It's so loud it wakes me out of a sound sleep. She does it about once every morning and has never done this directly at me or during her play time. Has anyone else heard a noise like this or know if this is normal? Maybe she just likes to talk in the morning, who knows.

 

[Chinmama]

Sounds like a warning call. Is it like a "kack" sound?

 

[Chibigirl]

Yeah that would probably be the closest I could get to it in words, she does a couple in a row like "kack kack kack." There's no one awake in my house at that time and we don't have any other pets though, do they randomly do it? I've also read they sometimes make noises in their sleep.

 

[Chinmama]

It freaked me out the first time one of mine did it. I ran in to see what was wrong and he was just sitting there looking at me. Mine randomly do it while they are sleeping. Must be having bad dreams!

 

[Chibigirl]

Thank you! That makes me feel so much better. She wakes me up with that noise and I run to the cage every morning fussing over her to see if something is wrong. She probably is like "mom is crazy."

 

[EveningChin]

Petra has nightmares and makes this long hoarse bark noise when it happens. She used to wake up shaking, but she hasn't had the shakes because of dreams in 2 years. I think she dreams of the pet store... It could be that.

 

[Chibigirl]

Thanks! At least I know other chins do it, I always jump out of bed thinking something is wrong. She's very talkative, especially with new toys, she got a new lava ledge today and was chirping happily, I enjoy those noises more lol. And poor thing, I hope they don't dream about the pet stores.

 

[BoundNoFtWaL]

I haven't heard any noises while my chinny is sleeping, but every now and again Stitch will make a squeeking sound kinda reminds me of a dogs squeeky toy. Like this chinny on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXKCmWYMSxM. He's done it super early in the morning and in the early evening, nothing was around that I noticed that was any different than usual. Could be that your chinny heard something that scared her, or that she didn't like. Maybe a neighbor gets up and is out side making noises she can hear at that same time every morning, or one of their animals? Maybe she just wanted attention.

 

[Brittany]

Random noises are definitely normal with some chins I've met. One of ours just randomly starts "barking" for no apparent reason. As long as they're not hurt or being stressed out by something in the environment it's probably nothing to worry about.

 

[Chibigirl]

Well the neighbors across the street have a dog so she might hear him every once in awhile. She doesn't seem too bothered by it, other than a random noise once a day she seems very stress free.

 

[chinsmom]

I'm glad I stumbled onto this site, reading this string made me feel so much better! I'm a VERY new mom, I just got my very first baby about 5 days ago. In the very wee hours of this morning, I was awakend by this noise comming from Chinzilla's cage that wasn't quite a bark, but close. I don't mind admitting that it scared the living stew outta me. I had just put a new wheel in his cage last night. He jumped onto the top of it from the platform just above it, and needless to say, it "ran out from under him", causing him to fall. Yeah, that scared the stew outta me too, I just knew he had broken his ribs and all four legs (my husband says I have a black belt in worrying). Any way, I just knew he had fallen off of that stinking wheel again and was laying there in his cage dying. I got to the cage and there he was looking at me as if I had just won the dumb__s of the century award. A few minutes later he did it again, and again I was at his cage, further bolstering my chances for that award for the next century. After the thrid time, I just stayed in the room with him, not sleeping, just watching. Not much sleep was had last night. Thanks for all the information, I'll probably sleep tonight - you're all great!!