New Chin Baby

aportwood17 · Mar 30, 2015

Hi! My name is Amber and I just got my first chin, a 7 week old standard grey named Meeko. I brought Meeko home 3 days ago and he seemed to really love his new home almost immediately. He's already mastered his cage and really taken to a few accessories I have in there. He always greets me when I open his cage door and even hops up on my hand/ legs to explore a little. He seems to be eating fine (pooping a lot) but prefers hay over his pellets and he's been peeing but doesn't seem to drink very much water. Is that normal for a chin in a new environment? My main question is, he gets in these night and day moods where he'll be bouncing off the walls hyper, then will get in a somewhat lethargic mood and gets really still. I know they can sleep with their eyes open but it worries me when he gets really quiet. Is that normal too? Is he just get tired from romping around so much? Sometimes it looks like he's breathing kind of hard too. I know he isn't overheating because I have it 70 degrees in his room. I'm probably just worrying, but any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

-Amber & Meeko

Pepperpot · Mar 31, 2015

Welcome to the forum. Your chin is adorable. I have nine chinchilla boys and regarding drinking, every one consumes s different amount of water each night, and very little through the day when resting. Your little chin is very young, and will have bursts of energy, followed by periods of rest. Try and keep out of cage exercise to a bare minimum, if at all as kits can easily overheat and possibly fit. When Zulu, one of my rescue chins is sleeping, he will lie down on his fleece next to his food bowl. I can remove this to top up his pellets, refill his water bottle and tidy round in his cage and he doesn't even stir or notice. Hay consumption may vary between individual chins also. It's really good that Meeko loves his. Try not to worry too much and enjoy bonding with your beautiful little Furball.

Godofgods · Mar 31, 2015

are you sure this chin is 7 weeks old? Because that would raise a number of concerns. Chins are usually only starting to be weened around that age. Usually around 8 weeks old. Then they need time to observe the chin to make sure they are eating and drinking on there own properly. All before getting them a new home.

Also chins that young (small) can get through those 1 inch spaced bars like they don't exists. Which i can assure you from personal experience, will lead to a whole mess of problems and/or injuries.

The chin in the pic does look young for sure. Im not sure about 7 weeks old tho. (Tho its impossible for anyone to say for sure through a pic)

Minccino · Mar 31, 2015

Awww, your new baby is adorable!!! Congrats.

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preslor · Mar 31, 2015

When I got my chin she was 10 weeks and would do the same thing. As long as they are eating and pooping usually they are ok. She would run around the cage for a few minutes and then plop on her side and go to sleep for a while. Some days she will drink a lot, others hardly any at all. Now I'll take her out to clean her cage and she never wants to go back in, she will jump back to my arm and climb up to my shoulder. Can't wait until she's full grown.

Amethyst · Mar 31, 2015

I wouldn't worry about him preferring hay, that's a good thing, hay should make up about 75% of his diet. A chin normally only drinks a few ounces a day, much less then most other rodents. Some drink more some less, and it can also vary based on how dry or humid it is in the room. As said with a chin that young (and 7 weeks is really young) there should be little to no out of cage play time, 5-10 minutes a day at most. Also even if it's 70 in the room the humidity also needs to be below 50% too or he can still overheat, the higher the humidity the lower the temp needs to be. A good indicator of overheating is their ears turn red.