Chinnie OCD?!

[designer chins]

I have a 7 1/2 month old female that was perfectly normal before her first show, but now that she is back at home she is cultivating the habit of bouncing floor to top corner, floor to top corner, floor to top corner in the back corner of her cage. Always the same corner, exact same motion over and over. She does it whether I am in the room or not (I can hear the bounce, bounce, bounce), more in the evenings and at night than mornings or during the day. I know the shows are stressful for the chins (and me...) but I've never had one come home and develop a repetitive behavior like this! Its not good for her, and its driving me nuts trying to figure out how to intervene or calm her or SOMETHING to stop this! Any suggestions??

Thank you for any help you can provide!

 

[EveningChin]

How long ago was the show?

You could try rearranging her cage to interupt the pattern. Or give her some extra out time in the evening to help her work off the stress and extra energy. Or perhaps just give her time to relax back into her home routine.

 

[tunes]

I had one that would spend all day doing back flips through her house. Another one that would sit on the bottom shelf and leap up and bounce his head off the next shelf. He'd do it all night long, earning the name Thumper. I don't think either of them had any long term ill effects.

Not sure how you would stop that if it was happening, but wanted to let you know I've had them here.

Maybe try putting her in her cage, inside of a show cage for little bits of time?

 

[designer chins]

We got home March 1, so its been a month.

I put her PVC tube in the back corner, she moves it out of her way to bounce. Tonight I am moving her pine shelf to that corner to see what happens.

Do you think a hammock would help?? Hummmmm.

Thank for the suggestions--keep 'em coming!

 

[designer chins]

PS--we posted at nearly the same time, Peggy, so thank you for letting me know I'm not alone! I worry about her sanity & mine, mostly, but don't want her dropping weight or anything due to this. So far she has not, but I think she may drive her neighbors LOONY!

Show cage in her cage---ooooo, I bet THAT would piss her off! LOL--she is pretty full of herself in general. Might be worth a try--I could put her in the show cage when I hear the first bounces of the evening?! See if she gets the point. Or I may give up the idea of showing her again and just give her a friend to hang out with. A nice calm, sedate, non-bouncy companion!

 

[starleomach]

You could give her to me lol--then no more bouncing for you I have never seen it happen. Do you have a larger cage you can put her in? Maybe she needs more space?

 

[TillyChinchilla]

I think using a small pine shelf to block her path might help, but she may just pick a new spot or new pattern. I've had a couple that would do the exact same pacing motion for a few minutes at a time, many times a day.

The show may not have had anything to do with it - some chins are just a little off.

 

[blacksettingsun]

If you're concerned about her hitting her head or anything, maybe put fleece above where she bounces.

I've seen several chins that just bounce and bounce and bounce repetetively. Lots of others that just make rounds over and over their houses or hammocks. I've never seen any ill effects from it.

Hope that helps

 

[Lynn & The Chins]

Chinnie Prozac??? Hey, don't laugh -- it works for some dogs and cats with anxiety issues!!! :thumbsup:

ETA: Was this one of those gorgeous, award-winning chins that I drooled over in St. Louis???

 

[Laurie]

Wendy I have to agree with Kristy and say you can always give her to me!!! The only thing that seems to really calm my chins is watching tv!

 

[designer chins]

Thank you for all the supportive comments!

Yes, she was one of the ebs at ECBC Nationals. No Prozac necessary: I gave her a buddy & they are snuggled up together. No bouncing in nearly 24 hours!! I am hoping it stays that way. The cage they are in is bigger, and on a different level than she was on. Whatever makes her happy (I have nothing but a bunch of DIVAS around here!! They all think they are so darn fancy...)

But how sweet of a few of you to offer to take her off my hands!

 

[starleomach]

No problem any time you need someone to take a beautiful chinchilla off your hands I will do that....but just to help out LOL