Daytime activity

[JohhnyBishop]

Hi All,
I hope you are well.
Do you know if a daily activity of a chinchilla owner and related noise makes the chinchilla more tired and then less active at night or it does not matter?
e.g. young kids who will not let the chins sleep. They normally wake up around 6-7pm. Kids won't wait that long.
Or if a chin is in a living room and TV will wake it up sooner.
In my case chins are in a quiet room and sleep very well throughout the day only wake up for some snacks usually when I eat.
Best

 

[Amethyst]

I don't have any kids so I can't specifically comment on that, but for the most part chins get use to the noise and activity of where they live. My chin is right by my computer desk where I spend the day. I watch movies and shows on my computer, play video games, etc, as well as I listen to music and he is completely fine with it all. He does wake up when I am watching some stuff and will watch it with me, but most of the time he just sleeps through it. So I would assume if you just mean the kids are being kids and playing and stuff the chin would likely learn to just sleep through it.

However if you mean kids that are constantly screaming and crying all the time and/or taking the chins out all day long that could probably make them tired and less active at night though. Kind of like if your kid keeps you up all night you are likely going to be tired and less active during the day. I also know that chins can adapt somewhat to your routine, so for example if you normally get home at the same time in the afternoon they can learn that and be awake when you get home. They may even be up for being taken out and having playtime at that time too if that is when you have the time to do that. They are really more like a cat, so although they are mostly awake during the evening and early morning they can be up and about during the day too.

 

[JohhnyBishop]

Thanks Amethyst
I have to put it to a test. Of course males are the most active and their activity is from 6pm to about 5am.
I reckon they don't distinguish weekdays from weekend when it's more likely someone can take them out during the day.

 

[chinchoo]

They definitely get used to different noises especially if they hear them daily.

We used to have a chinchilla that enjoyed watching TV. She was in the family room where the TV was always on. When the TV was off she was more on edge and alarm called more frequently. Her favorite show was Meerkat Manor!

 

[JohhnyBishop]

They definitely get used to different noises especially if they hear them daily.

We used to have a chinchilla that enjoyed watching TV. She was in the family room where the TV was always on. When the TV was off she was more on edge and alarmed called more frequently. Her favorite show was Meerkat Manor!

Meerkat Manor LOL I have to look this up.
Mine listen to classical music and occasionally they watch a movie with me but this is like once a week.
I set the music daily for them as I realized sitting in this silence must be very boring. I just try to limit music with a lot of violin in it as the scratching noise can be unpleasant to them.
In the wild they would experience natural background noise (e.g. wind etc). Definitely music mesmerises them. I think they are more into listening than watching.

 

[Amethyst]

Meerkat Manor LOL I have to look this up.
Mine listen to classical music and occasionally they watch a movie with me but this is like once a week.
I set the music daily for them as I realized sitting in this silence must be very boring. I just try to limit music with a lot of violin in it as the scratching noise can be unpleasant to them.
In the wild they would experience natural background noise (e.g. wind etc). Definitely music mesmerises them. I think they are more into listening than watching.

Mine actually enjoys heavy metal music, lol. He will get up and sit by the side of the cage ears perked up to listen when I play things like Megadeth and Metallica. He does not like Marilyn Manson though, he freaks out and alarm calls when I play that. It's probably like humans though they have their own taste in music, but definitely throws out the idea that all chins need soft quiet music and to be kept in a quiet area of the house. It would make sense that they would be more into listening though, they can hear in the same range as humans (and beyond) so they are actually used as lab animals in hearing studies. Their eyesight isn't really that great though, which makes sense since they are normally living in low light conditions in the wild. Mine seems to be most interested in action movies and shows, as well as wildlife shows, but will also sit and watch anime. It's probably the colors and movements that catch their eye.

 

[JohhnyBishop]

Mine actually enjoys heavy metal music, lol. He will get up and sit by the side of the cage ears perked up to listen when I play things like Megadeth and Metallica. He does not like Marilyn Manson though, he freaks out and alarm calls when I play that. It's probably like humans though they have their own taste in music, but definitely throws out the idea that all chins need soft quiet music and to be kept in a quiet area of the house. It would make sense that they would be more into listening though, they can hear in the same range as humans (and beyond) so they are actually used as lab animals in hearing studies. Their eyesight isn't really that great though, which makes sense since they are normally living in low light conditions in the wild. Mine seems to be most interested in action movies and shows, as well as wildlife shows, but will also sit and watch anime. It's probably the colors and movements that catch their eye.

believe me classical music with mostly violin can be heavier on ears than heavy or death metal
yeah, I agree. I also think that chinchillas should be in the living room where most of the action takes place not stashed somewhere in a storage room with brooms.
Yes, vision is their secondary to hearing. I think their vision is on the same level as scanning with their whiskers. But they still don't trust what they hear or see and like to sniff for confirmation
And I can see when they experience cognitive dissonance when what they hear and see does not match the smell e.g. I just washed my hands.

 

[chinchoo]

Meerkat Manor LOL I have to look this up.
Mine listen to classical music and occasionally they watch a movie with me but this is like once a week.
I set the music daily for them as I realized sitting in this silence must be very boring. I just try to limit music with a lot of violin in it as the scratching noise can be unpleasant to them.
In the wild they would experience natural background noise (e.g. wind etc). Definitely music mesmerises them. I think they are more into listening than watching.

It was a blast watching her because she would immediately turn to the tv to watch the meerkats scury around. And you would see her head occasionally tracing their movements on the tv. She was very invested!

She also did the same thing with the movie White Chicks which we could never figure out why.

Our current little guy doesn’t show the same appreciation for television but we still leave some type of sound on for him. He needs the white noise from the tv/spotify to cancel out everything that he gets spooked by.

E.g. We live next to a busy road and often the sound of cars racing/backfiring scare him enough he will alarm call. The TV covers that and he sleeps to the daytime dramas.

 

[Binki]

I just try to limit music with a lot of violin in it as the scratching noise can be unpleasant to them.

No Stockhausen's Helikopter-Streichquartett for your chins, then, as it is likely to set a world's first: chinchillas huddling together, desperately trying to use their paws to close their ears. I used the quartet against a noisy neighbour once and it did the deed on the spot. Better still, one can be snobby about it.

That said, chins do not seem to mind tuneless singing: mine seems to get energised when I sing the beginning of Carmina Burana at play time. Or now that I think of it, he may not get energised at all; he is using popcorning as a way to run away from the din...