How can I make my chin happier

[Ladydark0]

Hi there,
I have a chinchilla that my family adopted and gave to me last Christmas. He lived his first year of life exclusively in his cage and with no dust baths or hay. Of course I've brought him to a vet and corrected his diet and I give him his regular baths. He gets a few hours of time outside his cage usually from 8pm to 2am. He's still very shy and prefers not to be touched. I know that because he wasn't really socialized as a young chin and that my care is the most extensive he's really gotten in his life. Sometimes he can be very moody (although he has a very stand offish personality to start) and he often has no interest in playing or doing much of anything. I feel bad because he gets his time out of his cage and has free range in my chin-proofed apartment but I have a hard time getting him to interact with me. He knows me and my boyfriend and allows us to hold him but only briefly and I always make sure to give him a healthy treat afterwards. He seems almost bored although he does play almost like a game of tag with us when we're trying to sleep. I just want to make sure he's the happiest he can be

 

[Amethyst]

First of all free running is not going to help at all with bonding, chins tend to be more interested in running around then with interacting with humans when out (aside from using them to jump on/off). Also unsupervised playtime even for a minute is asking for trouble, and you say he's out when you are sleeping? Unless the apartment has only chin safe untreated wood or metal items with no paint/stains/sealant, only fleece for fabric (and your chin doesn't chew fleece), and no cords or wires then it's not chin proofed. Chin proofing can be done for a room (and really even their cages aren't 100% safe really), but I doubt a whole apartment can be chin proofed unless you live in a brick or concrete place with no appliances or electronics. I'm not trying to be mean, it's just there have been people swearing up and down that their chin is fine free roaming, only to have them come on here upset when their chin is electrocuted or squished (one person still refused to accept free roaming isn't safe even after their chin was electrocuted).

Also chins aren't cuddly animals, they only like to be held briefly, you do get the odd one that enjoys being held, but they are more the exception. Honestly it makes sense that chins don't like being held, humans have a hot body temp, and chins are heat sensitive. More then 70 is getting too warm for them, so upper 90s of a human is going to feel really hot. The fact that you can hold him at all is good, if he lets you pet and give him scratches that is good too. Each chin is different though, and being long lived rodents they can take their time warming up to humans if mistreated. Some chins it can take years being in a good home to finally come around.

Ideas for making him happier, make sure he has plenty of chew toys in his cage, and change them out or at least rearrange them regularly. If he doesn't already you can get him a chin safe wheel (at least 15", metal, no mesh or bars), silver surfers, metal flying saucers, and chin spins are the most common. Also plenty of toss toys, things he can pick up and run around and throw around, like willow balls, and wood chunks.

As for interacting you need to try spending more time with him in his cage, read to him, sing to him, give scratches if he lets you, and giving him treats (or hand feed hay and food) and chew sticks. As I said out of the cage he has too much opportunity to get away from you, free roaming does not equal happiness or love. For some chins, especially ones that are use to being in a cage all the time a large area to roam may actually be scary not exciting. I would limit his play area to one room or even get a play pen to play with him in, he may be more interested in playing when he is in a smaller area where he feels secure. You can start out with a smaller area, then gradually make it bigger as he feels more comfortable.