Chinchilla outside home

[JohhnyBishop]

Hi All,
I wanted to hear your opinion about a chinchillas who manage to make the exit.
Mine has managed to go into the garden area but I don't think she ventured far but as expected she didn't respond to my calls.
I reckon males would behave differently once in the open.
I don't think chinchillas are familiar with dense bushes and trees so I don't think they would just go in there I reckon looking for some rocky features instead.
Best regards

 

[Amethyst]

I would think that they would react similar to an indoor only cat that escaped outside, basically try to find somewhere to hide. Their prey instinct would kick in and they very likely would go for under bushes and stuff like, similar to how many will go under furniture in the house or even under appliances and into holes in the walls and floor if they escape their chin proofed play area inside the house. It would obviously depend on the individual chin's personality, some are just more adventurous then others, but I highly doubt gender would have anything at all to do with how they would react. The more adventurous and brave chins would likely explore and try sampling all the grass and plants they can find instead of hiding.

Just to be clear in case someone is reading this and don't realize, it's NOT advised at all to take your chins outside other then in a secured carrier like when going to the vet or moving. There are way too many variables that you can't control that can end in you chin become sick or even die.

 

[JohhnyBishop]

Mine hid in some concrete blocks but after over 40 minutes she headed back to the doors so she didn't want to go on a proper adventure. I think if I waited enough she would return home on her own but I went out, saw her and directed her back into the house.
She could easily get lost in dense bushes 5 feet next to the blocks but I think chinchilla is not familiar with this type of terrain but rocks so she chose concrete blocks.

 

[Amethyst]

Yeah if they have the option of rocks (or in this case concrete blocks) bushed they would pick the rocks/concrete blocks, I thought you meant they would search out rocks, if there is no rocks, concrete blocks, or other objects or structures to hid in close by they would likely hide in the bushes if that is what is there vs say running across the yard to a pile or rocks. Again it has nothing to do with being a male or female but everything to do with being a prey animal. Not because they aren't use to seeing bushes, obviously they wouldn't have bushes in the cage or likely in the chinproofed play area (though some people do have larger house plants), but being a prey animal they would likely instinctively avoid the bushes if there are other options since a predator could be hiding in the bushes vs something like concrete blocks that they can easily see if a predator is there or not.

 

[JohhnyBishop]

Yeah if they have the option of rocks (or in this case concrete blocks) bushed they would pick the rocks/concrete blocks, I thought you meant they would search out rocks, if there is no rocks, concrete blocks, or other objects or structures to hid in close by they would likely hide in the bushes if that is what is there vs say running across the yard to a pile or rocks. Again it has nothing to do with being a male or female but everything to do with being a prey animal. Not because they aren't use to seeing bushes, obviously they wouldn't have bushes in the cage or likely in the chinproofed play area (though some people do have larger house plants), but being a prey animal they would likely instinctively avoid the bushes if there are other options since a predator could be hiding in the bushes vs something like concrete blocks that they can easily see if a predator is there or not.

but do you think a chin at night would just go into pitch black bushes? I see all sorts of cats coming out of these bushes.
I think at night chins are not that desperate for a hiding spot - they can simply freeze in place like bunnies do. I reckon during the day they would hide pretty quickly.

 

[Amethyst]

but do you think a chin at night would just go into pitch black bushes? I see all sorts of cats coming out of these bushes.
I think at night chins are not that desperate for a hiding spot - they can simply freeze in place like bunnies do. I reckon during the day they would hide pretty quickly.

Well I would hope your chin doesn't escape their cage and get out of the house during the night, but yes I would think if the only options are being out in the open or going under a bush they would choose going under a bush. Regardless of day or night they would likely hide, since they aren't stupid enough (at least most aren't but some might be) to just sit out in the open where a predator can easily see and kill them.