I have such a BAD chinchilla!

AJ Muscella · Jan 4, 2014

So I posted on here earlier about another one of my Chins with health issues - he's all better now btw, just trying to fatten him up a bit. But this time I'm posting about my other Chin. He's a little terror!

Ever since I got him - about two months ago - he's always been a bit more aggressive. But recently he's been awful with nipping, barking, scent marking, kaking, snorting and biting. I don't know if I did something to break his trust but it's getting very frustrating. I give him and my other little guy an hour of play time every day - separately mind you, since they don't get along. Should I stop giving him play time for a while or will that make it worse? Also, if I go to open his cage, even if I give him lots of play time, all he wants to do is come out. I can't keep him in the cage. And if I try to I end up getting snorting or kaking and he'll lunge at me. And this aggression is present when he's outside of the cage as well, not as extreme but it is there. What should I do to try and train him to stop being such a menace?

ticklechin · Jan 6, 2014

If the chin is between 8 months and a year and a half old, its most likely puberty, they become monsters!

AJ Muscella · Jan 6, 2014

That was my assumption, since he was never this bad. Any idea how long it lasts and if he'll go back to be somewhat sweet?

ticklechin · Jan 7, 2014

Around a year to a year and a half he should chill out.

akane · Jan 7, 2014

2 months is also not that long for a chin to settle in. He's probably just getting comfortable and testing his boundaries. I'd keep handling him and ignore his behavior as much as possible considering the potential to get nipped. If you have to shove a treat in his month before doing stuff in his cage. Hachiro went a bit nutty after having her first litter and I just push her back with 2 fingers above her nose or tap her in the shoulder until she backs off so I can check her triplets and fill her food dish without getting nipped or having her escape. She nipped on occasion when being restrained before having babies but the ebonies we got were never handled after being weaned so they actually aren't doing too bad.

AJ Muscella · Jan 9, 2014

Any tips then on how to break his nipping habit. As of now, I'm just putting on thick wool gloves so that if he nips, lunges or bites (which he's been doing a lot more of) it doesn't hurt. I figured if my hand doesn't pull away when he does any of these things then he would learn that biting is ineffective. Is this a correct assumption or am I just digging myself a deeper hole with the little guy?

ticklechin · Jan 10, 2014

You have the right idea, with biting or spraying urine just dont react, they will fiqure out it does not work and stop. One problem is he might think that glove is a girlfriend and try to mount you, be prepared!