First time owner

[Jay22]

Hi everyone,
I got my first chin on Friday. So far I've gotten her to be okay with me petting her. She even asks for chin scratches in a way. I've been reading a lot to try to learn what I can do to take care of her properly. I've already realized I made a mistake in my cage choice( since it's plastic). My questions are: 1. She doesn't seem like she's exploring her cage that much. I have found some evidence that she goes to the top shelf of her 3 level cage but I never see her exploring it. She's always hiding under her bottom shelf. 2. How can I be sure that's she's eating her pellets? I know she's eating her hay and I just marked the water bottle yesterday to be sure that she's drinking. 3. I don't know if her wheel is making her cage too cramped and I can't tell if she's using it should I take it out or leave it in? 4. I want to make sure she gets exercise how should I go about getting her out of the cage? She doesn't bark at me anymore and isn't scared of my hand approaching her she just doesn't really approach my hand. Only if I have a treat( a few flakes of oats). Any tips will help! She was a gift so she wasn't a really expected member of the family but now that she's here I want to make sure she's taken care of properly.

 

[kalani.anela]

1. I do not see the question in this number...
2. What I would do is measure how much you put into her bowl and then the next day (or however often you check) measure again, if there is any. Also see if she's making a mess of her pellets.
3. I would recommend to leave it in, if she has enough floor space and/or shelves to stay on. What are the dimensions of your cage?
4. Most people give about 1-2 hours of play time for their chins, but if you have a wheel in the cage some chins do not necessarily need playtime.

As for the plastic cage, replace it ASAP. Most people have a Ferret Nation or Critter Nation, but for those you also have to replace the plastic pans (most use bass pans). Another good quality cage is the Chinchilla Mansion from Quality Cages.

Anyhow, congratulations on your new chin! Hope you have the best of times with her!

 

[Amethyst]

If you could post pictures that would help a lot in terms of helping you get the cage set up properly.
1. You have had her for a very short amount of time, it normally takes at least a week (sometimes longer) for a chin to fully settle in to a new home.
2. The easiest way to make sure she is eating her pellets is to measure them, either weigh the bowl with pellets in it, see if the weight changes or just put a couple tablespoons worth at a time and then you can see if the same amount is still there.
3. What kind of wheel is it? and how big is the cage? The minimum cage size is 2'x2'x2' (bigger is better) which should be big enough for a normal wheel, which should be at least 15" in diameter to prevent back injury. If the wheel is plastic, smaller then 15", is wire mesh, or has spokes remove it, it's not safe.
4. I'd wait at least a week before taking her out for play time, is she a kit or an adult? Kits under 6 months shouldn't have playtime or treats. I'd just work on bonding inside the cage for now, talking to her, letting her climb on you, read to her, sing, stuff like that. The best way to get her out is to get her to climb on your hands and gently lift her out, holding the base of the tail (where the tail meets the butt) to prevent her from jumping out of your hands. I advise waiting until you can easily catch her before allowing out of cage time, chasing her is going to make her scared of you. The easiest way I've found to catch an unwilling chin in the cage when it needs to come out like for cage cleaning or emergency, is to scoop it up using a box.

I think one of the best pieces of advice though is don't stop reading about chinchilla care, people are coming out with new better info and new studies are being done every year.

 

[Minccino]

I think Amethyst pretty much covered everything... I just wanted to say congrats on your new chin! and I think it's really wonderful that you're doing your research now and wanting the best for this surprise baby. :clap:

 

[LYChinchillas]

The more time you spend with your chin, the more you'll have a better understanding of how much she's eating, what hay she prefers, and what levels she enjoys being on. I got a hammock for my babies and the only evidence for weeks that they had even been on it was a few poop pellets. Chins have a way of doing things on their own time, and exploring in a manner that matches their personality. I'd say, monitor as best you can her comfort level and overall consumption, but honestly, it takes time to know your chin and figure her out. Feel free to visit my blog and read up on some of my personal beginner experiences I know that as long as you care, you'll make a great chinchilla parent!