We bonded in the first week. To me it seemed longer but after I realized it took a week, I was surprised because he seemed very shy. With Chili it’s somewhat different for two reasons (1) I want her to get comfortable with her surroundings meaning with Minato before actually handling her on my own and (2) She is a very nervous fellow. The thing with Minato when I first met him was that he was shy, but a lot different from usual chinchillas I would say. He didn’t have any fur slip, didn’t spray, and basically not show any instinct behaviors so it made it easier to interact with him. I also hand fed him most of the time so he showed more affection. As to Chili, she’s used to people touching her because whenever she’s out her cage she runs over me. But since minato is present, she seems more tense. This means that she sprayed and had fur slip the first days. Now, she’s more comfortable and understanding of where she is but she’s still making progress. I hope hand feeding her will get her trust and just being present outside her cage will help as well. If you have any recommendations, I’d be more than happy to hear them!
I hope to get to know other chin buds and answer or ask any questions!
