Getting my chin more used to me?

[chris1858]

It's been about 3 days now. He's still not too social, but he is getting used to me. Is there anything I can do to make him trust me more? He's 4 months old. Or should I just be patient and sit by him every day?

 

[caiti]

To give you the short and simple version (I'm kind of sleepy at the moment, heh): yes, just be patient. He'll warm up to you, all he needs is time.

 

[chris1858]

Ok thanks! He's so adorable I hate leaving the side of his cage lol

 

[ChinnyMom]

read out loud to him, or just natter away about nothing in particular. put your hand inside the cage and let him come to you to check you out. patience is the key )

 

[mistywaterwoman]

Does he come out for playtime? The best way to make him comfortable quickly is to fix his cage to where he can come out and get back in on his own for playtime. Get some doggy steps if the cage is tall, or simply put it on the floor if it has no stand. This will give him a measure of security and encourage him to be braver in his surroundings.

Also, during playtime, if you grab a book and sit quietly on the floor reading, HE will come to YOU. You will become the mountain that he can have fun exploring!

 

[Carleigh]

How big are the doors on your cage? I recently noticed, after getting an FN, that my chinchillas reacted much better to sticking my hand in their cage when the doors are so large as opposed to my other cage with tiny doors.
But aside from that, definitely give him time. Offer scratches through the cage bars when he starts coming close to you and let him sniff you. I wouldn't feed him treats through the bars though, so he doesn't get into the habit of biting you. While all of my chinchillas are friendly, the one I got in February is now just starting to willingly jump into my hands when I open the doors.

 

[Laurie]

Yes you need to be patient and sit by him everyday. At only 4 months and you having him less than a week his surroundings are still very new to him. I think new owners should not try to handle their chinchillas for at least a week but really longer so they can become familiar with their surroundings and you. I would definitely not be doing playtime until you've had him a few weeks. Sit by his cage talk to him, try putting just your hand in the cage for him to come up to you and smell you and get used to seeing you and your hand in the cage.

You can ruin a bond with your chinchilla by yanking them out of the cage before they are ready.

 

[danilinn]

Laurie & Misty: there seems to be some conflicting views as to the age that out-of-cage playtime is a good idea. do you think Chris's kit is old enough? if so, i'm guessing he's a little young for that hour a day, at least at one time.
and Laurie, thanks for that blunt statement on yanking someone out of his/her cage--i know i'm going to be just dying to hold my girl when she comes home, and i'll feel like an excited little kid. you are so right--the bond needs to happen on the chinchilla's terms and timeline, not ours!

 

[Laurie]

Playtime is not recommended for chins under 6 months and sometimes even older than that. Chinchillas under the age of 1 year are still growing, they should not have a wheel nor should they be let out for excessive playtime. I would say it's all right to have a young chin out to hop on the bed for a few minutes or possibly hop around a closed off hallway for a few minutes once a week but nothing more than that. Young chins need all their calories and energy to grow.

I know new owners are tempting to hold their chins and pet their chins but you have to remember the chin is scared and wary of both you and it's new environment. Holding a chin daily does not always mean bonding. Yanking a chinchilla out of it's cage when it is frightened is not going to get produce a long time love and bonding experience, but rather make it hate you and always be afraid of you.

Patience is the key in anything chinchillas--getting it to bond with you and getting it to bond with a cagemate--you cannot rush chinchillas!

 

[Jenn]

time and patience is the key. It took my (3 year old) chin around a month to get used to my crazy household. I think a quiet area helps your chin become more comfortable with his surroundings sooner, and the more time you spend sitting beside his cage, talking to him, interacting with him, socializing with him, the faster he'll warm up to you.

 

[chris1858]

Thanks guys!

 

[danilinn]

i'm decided--i'm setting up a pile of euro pillow next to her cage and just hanging out. i'll tell her who the good guys and the bad guys on Vampire Diaries are (low volume, for sure), and we can watch tv together while we get to know each other. (i've read that they will watch tv sometimes, and that it calms them--anyone have any experience with this?)
basically, we are bringing home babies, and we want them to be toddlers or five-year olds, but the main thing is to make them feel safe.
i like the idea of a few minutes of playtime when the chin is ready--i hate to think of my girl feeling cooped up until she's 6 months.
thanks again!