New 8 Week Old Male Mosaic Chin

[misslush]

Hi everyone,

I am the new owner of an 8 week old male mosaic chin.

http://oi49.tinypic.com/35ktwt1.jpg (That picture was taken when he was 5 weeks old at the breeder's house)

He seems to be adjusting well - Drinking plenty of water, eating plenty of Timothy hay and I'm slowly switching him over to Oxbow pellets at a 75% (old pellets) to 25% (Oxbow) ratio.

How much do young chins sleep normally sleep? Do they need more sleep than older chins? He doesn't seem lethargic, just seems to love his sleep.

He also doesn't seem to be much of a chewer - he ignores his chew toys and doesn't chew on the wooden shelves/ledges/hidey house, but loves his timothy hay.

Anyway, I'd love to hear from you guys - thanks

 

[addictedtochins]

Hi and welcome! I think they sleep a lot at this time of year, I'm sure he misses his Mom and old home. Spend a lot of time talking to him, he may be a little depressed. They are awake the most at dusk and dawn, but will get used to your schedule soon. Where are his sticks from? A pet store? Does he have bark? The stuff at the pet store is old, stale and prob from China. Get some wood from one of the vendors here. Ronda's chins is great!

 

[misslush]

Thanks for your response.

He has some lava dots, cholla and manzanita pieces.
The breeder also gave me a big untreated apple tree branch from her parents place.

He also appears to be itchy quite often. I see him scratching himself with his feet a lot. Is this normal?

 

[Anna35]

I have a chin that isn't much of a chewer and I found that she loves the softer wood like balsa so you may try that...

 

[Jenn]

Sorry, I'l let the others pipe in with the great info to share with you, but I just wanted to share that I am instantly in love with your little guy! He is beautiful!

 

[misslush]

Anna - I'll try a softer wood like you recommended and see if he likes that any better.

Jenn - Thanks! He is super adorable. I can't wait to see how his coloring will change as he gets older.

So, he's been home for 3 days now and although he was eating his pellets and drank a lot of his water the first day or so, he hasn't seem to have touched either of them for the past 24 hours - He is still eating a ton of Timothy Hay, though.

He is only 8 weeks old and he may be a bit depressed from leaving his mommy and sister behind - Do you guys think getting another male chin kit as a companion would make him more happy? Is it easier to introduce another chin while they are still both so young?

 

[Cuddlebug]

Like people, chins sometimes itch. As long as his skin does not look irritated, he should be ok. How often do you dust him? If it is too often, it can cause dry itchy skin. You could try cutting back on the dust baths and see if that helps.