I was going to be a rat owner, did hours and hours of research and when it came to rescuing a couple, i just couldn't get hold of any. Amidst my search I found a 9 month old mozaic white/grey boy who needed a home. I had pondered Chinchillas before, but rats seemed initially more appropriate....however i went to visit the Chinny and fell in love immediately (well of course i did!)
From what the previous owner said, he liked strokes and banana chips, but this is as much info as she provided; his cage was also void of many entertainments for me to figure out what he liked.
Ether way i did hours of research on here and around the place and gathered the cage ready for ''Starrkey''s arrival.
He is a fast learner, in the fact that i expected it to be a few weeks before he'd be comfortable with me, but within hours he was nibbling at my fingers (though was slow on the uptake i wasn't edible hehe), comfortable enough for me to stroke him and so well behaved and settled in his new cage i let him explore what will be his run around area. Obviously tired from all the newness he slept well after!
Later in the night he got a bit squeaky, he looked like he had hiccups or something and let out tiny little squeaks, he's stopped now, but i'm clueless what caused him to do that, at one point i worried because he's eating his bed (wood based cat litter), though he's moved towards the pellets now, he's probably just chewing everything around his new house to see what it is.
Later that evening he got a bit squeakier, but noticably so. As my friends were leaving he made a few squeaks like sweep from sooty puppet series! I listened to the provided noises on recommended sites and it sounds SIMILAR to the talking to other chinnies noise, but there are no other chinnies....he's on his own! It didn't sound aggressive so i can only assume he's happy!
Today he's doing even better, but after yesterdays playtime (and failed use of a flying saucer) i got him a proper wheel as he was very active at night and woke me up trying to rip out his 'toilet'.
He is the laziest thing ever! Either that or i'm exhausting him...I read all these things from people saying they're active....he sits pretty still when out the cage, occasionally darting about as if he's seen something, but not overly active. I take him out at about 9pm as he's a pretty late riser! The wheel...he just uses that to jump off, still can't get to grips on how to make it spin...any tips on encouraging wheel use?
I've noticed as well he really doesn't drink much...how much does the average chinnie drink? Same for eating too, his is eating, but i suppose he grazes throughout the night when i dont see.
Lastly (i'm sorry this is sooo long) Is it normal for them to be so in love with mirrors? Temporarily his cage is in front of a mirrored wardrobe (until he moves with me back to liverpool). He stares at it aaaaaaalll day, and when out of his cage he spent a good 15 minutes pressed up against it. Does he think its another chinny? will he get lonely when this chinny doesn't cuddle him? But mostly, will he be upset when he is no longer by a mirror?? He has even dragged his box to the middle of the cage and turned it to face the mirror (very impractical on cage spacing!)
Oh yeah and what treats do your chins go wild for? Banana chips just isn't cutting it for bribary (one crushed into many peices), and there is no way for me to reward him for good behaviour at present, or to tempt him back in his cage after his run. I keep seeing way too many contradictory information on them, i may just completely leave fruit out of the equation due to the sugar content. Is there any veg or leaves that they get excited for? or is it possibly my chinchilla is not only a bit lazy, but not open to bribary also?
He's got such a lovely personality, so i want to make sure he's so happy in his new home and aware of attention, love and good behaviour, as at present its just ear scratches from me!
Thanks so much for any responses to this essay of a topic!!
Leah
Starrkey
From what the previous owner said, he liked strokes and banana chips, but this is as much info as she provided; his cage was also void of many entertainments for me to figure out what he liked.
Ether way i did hours of research on here and around the place and gathered the cage ready for ''Starrkey''s arrival.
He is a fast learner, in the fact that i expected it to be a few weeks before he'd be comfortable with me, but within hours he was nibbling at my fingers (though was slow on the uptake i wasn't edible hehe), comfortable enough for me to stroke him and so well behaved and settled in his new cage i let him explore what will be his run around area. Obviously tired from all the newness he slept well after!
Later in the night he got a bit squeaky, he looked like he had hiccups or something and let out tiny little squeaks, he's stopped now, but i'm clueless what caused him to do that, at one point i worried because he's eating his bed (wood based cat litter), though he's moved towards the pellets now, he's probably just chewing everything around his new house to see what it is.
Later that evening he got a bit squeakier, but noticably so. As my friends were leaving he made a few squeaks like sweep from sooty puppet series! I listened to the provided noises on recommended sites and it sounds SIMILAR to the talking to other chinnies noise, but there are no other chinnies....he's on his own! It didn't sound aggressive so i can only assume he's happy!
Today he's doing even better, but after yesterdays playtime (and failed use of a flying saucer) i got him a proper wheel as he was very active at night and woke me up trying to rip out his 'toilet'.
He is the laziest thing ever! Either that or i'm exhausting him...I read all these things from people saying they're active....he sits pretty still when out the cage, occasionally darting about as if he's seen something, but not overly active. I take him out at about 9pm as he's a pretty late riser! The wheel...he just uses that to jump off, still can't get to grips on how to make it spin...any tips on encouraging wheel use?
I've noticed as well he really doesn't drink much...how much does the average chinnie drink? Same for eating too, his is eating, but i suppose he grazes throughout the night when i dont see.
Lastly (i'm sorry this is sooo long) Is it normal for them to be so in love with mirrors? Temporarily his cage is in front of a mirrored wardrobe (until he moves with me back to liverpool). He stares at it aaaaaaalll day, and when out of his cage he spent a good 15 minutes pressed up against it. Does he think its another chinny? will he get lonely when this chinny doesn't cuddle him? But mostly, will he be upset when he is no longer by a mirror?? He has even dragged his box to the middle of the cage and turned it to face the mirror (very impractical on cage spacing!)
Oh yeah and what treats do your chins go wild for? Banana chips just isn't cutting it for bribary (one crushed into many peices), and there is no way for me to reward him for good behaviour at present, or to tempt him back in his cage after his run. I keep seeing way too many contradictory information on them, i may just completely leave fruit out of the equation due to the sugar content. Is there any veg or leaves that they get excited for? or is it possibly my chinchilla is not only a bit lazy, but not open to bribary also?
He's got such a lovely personality, so i want to make sure he's so happy in his new home and aware of attention, love and good behaviour, as at present its just ear scratches from me!
Thanks so much for any responses to this essay of a topic!!
Leah
Starrkey
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