Male chin being fostered , and he's not happy !

[Nickv0195]

Wasn't sure what section to post this under, but my friend meghan is fostering my male chinchilla for a few months until i move into a different house. He went about a week ago , she said that he's been freaking out like running around and doesn't like anyone near him. I know that he is very scared and he is in a new environment with new people. His whiskers are quite long and i heard that it makes them feel dominate , so should she trim his whiskers even though he's not living with any other chinchilla ? And if i should how will she be able ot hold him if he wont let anyone pick him up.

 

[Bostongirl'sChin75]

Like you said, he is in a new environment under a great deal of stress and doesn't understand why this is happening to him. She needs to give him time to settle in and settle down. Tell her to sit by his cage and talk to him or read to him. Singing to them sometimes works too. I have one chin that will settle down by me singing to her. Direct her to this site, as well. When she is sitting by his cage talking or singing to him, she can just rest her hand on the cage or inside it, not touching him. He may come up and sniff her and investigate what she is doing but this will show him that he not going to be eaten. This is going to take time and patience on her part but he will come around! It may help of you go over and spend time with him, if it is possible for you to do this. He knows who you are and if he sees that you have not abandoned him, he may start to act better.

 

[Nickv0195]

Okay thank you i was thinking about going to see him but i wasnt sure if it would confuse him. Thank you.

 

[meghan]

im already on here but i talk to him alot and hes getting kind of used to me. i stick my hand in there and he climbs up my arm to get out of the cage. he doesnt want to be held, and i respect that because this is all new to him. hes only been here about a week so he has some adjusting to do

 

[Laurie]

His whiskers do not need trimming, you only do that to help chins get along with one another and not a chin to a human being. Meghan needs to be very patient with him because it will take time for him to understand what it is going on. He is a rodent, he does not understand she is caring for him for a short while until you can be together again. And you will have to understand when the time comes for him to be with you again he may exhibit the same type of behavior.

 

[Nickv0195]

OKayy , thank you

 

[ticklechin]

I know this is not the place for this thread, but does the foster person have any chin experience? One inexperienced owner turning over a chin to a inexperinenced foster owner is not in the best interest of the chin.

 

[Nickv0195]

She has read A LOTT about chinchillas and has been over multiple times to see my chinchillas , and she will be taking one of my kit's once there old enough and she always asks me questions before she does anything with him that she doesn't know or isnt sure about doing. She is very good even though she hasn't owned a chinchilla yet.

 

[ticklechin]

Then perhaps she should be posting here for help since she has the chin rather than you posting and giving her the information? She is a member and if she was worried she should post for help. If she has that much experience she should know he is going to be upset and know what to do about it, that is what foster owners do. I have fostered many many chins from pets to rescues to post surgical chins and I know it takes chinchilla experience to make the chinchilla feel the least amount of stress during their stay.

 

[Nickv0195]

I forgot she had a membership on here so when i was talking to her i decided to post this

 

[Ash]

Treating a chin being "fostered" is no different than treating a chin like a new addition to a family. It still needs time to adjust and the proper actions need to be taken to let it do that. If Meghan has any more questions, she should feel free to ask them from us instead of asking you and getting possibly the wrong information (you are still VERY new to chinchillas) or having you ask for her. We don't bite. Well, maybe except for Laurie...