HELP!

[marinamayhem]

I let my chinchillas out the cage so that I could clean it out and now they won't go back in. I've sat on the floor and tried to get them to come to me, but nothing. I've tried to trick it with a Cheerios or piece of wood and they'll sniff it but when I try to scoop it up it runs away. I don't want to scoop it up while it's eating because I don't want it to slip fur. What am I supposed to do?

 

[tunes]

Put the dust bath down. When it jumps in, scoop up the bath.

 

[Burnt Offering]

I have one chin that just runs around like a missile until she gets tired then she runs like crazy up to the top of her cage. From the time she decides she wants to go back in till she is fast asleep is about 10 seconds. Its hilarious. Then I have another one that needs a little encouragement to go back in her cage. I just gently "herd" her towards her cage door. She knows it is time to go back in and she jumps in. But both my cage doors are at ground level so this helps. I try to not catch her. If she runs by the opening, I just herd her back around until she goes in and I do it slowly. Usually on the first or second time she is back in. But both of them actually really like their cage so this helps.

 

[Smidgeyy]

I just fought with mine earlier today. I have a CN cage and he just won't go back in it. I put his house down so he can get back in easier but he wants no part of it. I always end up having to catch him, which doesn't go well either.

The dust bath works sometimes though, so Id try that.

 

[Narcissus]

You catch them... don't worry about slipping fur. Try the dust bath, if that doesn't work then you just catch them.

 

[akane]

We have ours dust bath in the bathroom while cleaning cages so we have to catch each one twice. The odd fur slip is no big deal and even when they've been hyper and hard to catch they are just as friendly once back in their cages.

 

[Burnt Offering]

We have ours dust bath in the bathroom while cleaning cages so we have to catch each one twice. The odd fur slip is no big deal and even when they've been hyper and hard to catch they are just as friendly once back in their cages.

Same here. I hate having to catch them, but occasionally there is no alternative. Even then I am as easy on them as I can be. They are always forgiving and happy to see me even a few minutes later.

 

[marinamayhem]

Thanks guys! I was finally able to scoop them up. I put a long pillow in my room to block off under my bed and one got curious enough to climb on top of it so I cupped my hands together and caught him. The next one I just set down the bath house without any dust bath (because I let them have a dust bath when they first got out) and it eventually went inside.

 

[sarah2000]

One of mine is particular hard to get back in the cage, and every time i find a new method it only works for a few days and then he works out what im up too. I am currently putting my chins nest box on the floor when they are running about, when he gets tired he will get in it, then i just put it back in the cage

 

[jags]

Never had that problem here, I just grab them by the tail and put them back in.

 

[CRG7]

How long are they out for? When I first started letting my little guy out, he didn't want to go back in. He would be out for about an hour, but only about half of the time was spent playing. He would eventually climb on top of his cage and take a nap, and then climb on my leg and take a nap. Some time after, he would go in his house and I would close him up for the night in it. I always made sure that it wasn't the first time he went in his house during playtime, until weeks after I'd had him, because I didn't want him to think he was going to get locked up for the night any time he went in; wanted him to know it was okay to go get a snack or water or just go check things out if he wanted to, and that he could still come out to play.

Eventually, I began to give him a Cheerio after playtime. I would also put some extra food in his dish and refill his hay if it was needed. He quickly caught on to this, and got to the point where he would decide when playtime was over by going in his house and begging for his Cheerio.

If you have the time, I'd say to try to just see if they will go back in on their own, then maybe give them some kind of treat (food treat or a chew stick or something) if you want them to associate playtime ending with getting a reward (or fresh food, etc.).