Chin with an attitude

[tcraighenry]

Vincenza's always been kind of a particular little brat. Admittedly, we coddled her a little since we were afraid to pick her up and handle her.

She was biting, which stopped.

The thing is, since we got more comfortable, she started spraying! It's only when we try and pick her up to get her in the carrier during cage cleaning or for play time.

Once I get her, she's ok. She doesn't wriggle, she usually just decides my clothes are fascinating and she has to sniff them.

When she's not being picked up, she's still got a tiny attitude but is more lovey. She'll come and jump on my head and nibble at my nose and generally be quite sweet. She was kind of annoyed with me when I was sick and didn't handle her as much (according to my husband, she prefers me.)

I'm hoping the spraying will stop once she realizes it won't get her anywhere.

Anyone else have this problem? She's just a year old (give or take) so she's still pretty young. I'm hoping she grows out of it!

 

[Brittany]

How much time do you spend chasing her before you're able to scoop her up? If I can't catch my girls on the first try or two they 'assume the position' and threaten to spray me.

I've found it helps if I block tubes, houses etc...before trying to catch them. If they're being particularly evasive I'll use a small piece of fabric, t-shirt, etc... to reach and grab them. I'd rather have the shirt get sprayed than my hand.

 

[tcraighenry]

It's usually the first couple attempts and then she sprays!

She's getting better at it too :O

 

[smhluvsmh]

Luckily, Gizmo only sprays other chins. Sterling and Micah have never sprayed!

 

[Cuddlebug]

I have a girl here that sprays if she believes that you are even thinking about picking her up. She's a real sweetie once you have her, it's just the whole picking her up thing that is a problem. Since she is an adult and has done this for a few years, I don't think that she will ever outgrow it.

 

[melbur10]

I have four girls, one that had to be separated... When she's in her cage I let the other three out... She watches from her top level and when she sees one on the others next to her cage she races down to the bottom level, clicks at them and sprays them several times in the face :tease:
Occasionally I get in the cross fire, but I can pick her up and interact with her while this is going on and she will never purposely spray me...
She gives me this 'what mom? I was totally being a good girl' look when I pick her up lmao!

 

[tcraighenry]

Oh dear, she's a little princess, isn't she?

 

[melbur10]

Yup!
She went through stasis close to death and bonded with mommy through the 3 months of hand feeding meds tummy rubs and a whole lot of one on one time... Princess is an understatement lmao