New to C n H and New owner! help :)

[Ilovechester]

Hello

I've had my chinchilla for about a little over a month his name is chester.
I've been to MANY sites and have read about chinchillas and taken in a lot of information about them.

I just have a few questions.

I know when I try to pick him up sometimes he makes the !keck keck! sound, kind of a sneezy sound. He needs his playtime though, I don't want him to fully bite me. Is it because I pick him up from the top of the cage and he doesn't want me to? Theres a small door in front, I don't want him to run out.
When he makes that sound should I just leave him alone for a few minutes and come back?

I want him to be happy and have his play time. It just seems like he doesn't want me to pick him up ever.

Is there any tactful ways I can gain his trust? Like sitting by his cage everynight or talking to him more?

Also, when he runs from me in his cage, when should i stop chasing him?
I don't want him to be scared.

Besides the keck keck, he lets me scratch his chin and rub his paws, but just as i reach to hold him with both hands, he either runs or does the keck keck.

I loves chester and i'll be very patient and do whatever it takes to make him feel safe with me.

 

[Ilovechester]

okay

 

[Ilovechester]

help please?

 

[Ilovechester]

oh and also, its just this evening that he is acting like this. The other times he just runs but i just hold him.. but now hes pushing my hands away and kecking at me and trying to bite me

 

[mishellyshel]

just be patient.........chester will learn your voice and eventually come to you, maybe even hop on your shoulder.
just keep being gentle and quiet and loving and he will get the hint. i alway find it is helpful to sit by their cage with my hand in there and let them sniff around a bit.
if you try and grab him, you may scare him and lose his trust.

with some chins it takes weeks and others months. and sometimes you get a chin that just doesnt like to be handled much.

 

[Ilovechester]

just be patient.........chester will learn your voice and eventually come to you, maybe even hop on your shoulder.
just keep being gentle and quiet and loving and he will get the hint. i alway find it is helpful to sit by their cage with my hand in there and let them sniff around a bit.
if you try and grab him, you may scare him and lose his trust.

with some chins it takes weeks and others months. and sometimes you get a chin that just doesnt like to be handled much.

Is he more scared when I reach down for him from the top of his cage?
Or should i try through the front little door?

 

[mishellyshel]

i would just sit in front of the cage with the door open and chill out there. maybe every night at the same time??? that way he will come to expect it.

well i am not sure what type of cage you have if you are reaching from the top???
most cages have doors that you reach in.

 

[Rickman]

Let him come to you - once he trusts you, he'll get on your hand, and let you carry him out!
Do not pick him up by grabbing his back - chins have a floating ribcage, and can be hurt easily!
Best way is to kinda push him onto your hand, while grabbing him by the base of the tail for control! I kind of put them on my chest, and they calm down.
Nevertheless, give him some time to get to know you, don't force anything!!

 

[Ilovechester]

i would just sit in front of the cage with the door open and chill out there. maybe every night at the same time??? that way he will come to expect it.

well i am not sure what type of cage you have if you are reaching from the top???
most cages have doors that you reach in.

yeah its like another top where i could open up also..
ha.
Yeah i usually come to him around 7

 

[Ilovechester]

Let him come to you - once he trusts you, he'll get on your hand, and let you carry him out!
Do not pick him up by grabbing his back - chins have a floating ribcage, and can be hurt easily!
Best way is to kinda push him onto your hand, while grabbing him by the base of the tail for control! I kind of put them on my chest, and they calm down.
Nevertheless, give him some time to get to know you, don't force anything!!

ok...so the base of the tail?
with my WHOLE hand? I don't want his tail to come off D: ha.
I've held him a lot before and he's getting better and bieng still.
I just need better tactics at GETTING him haha.

I've never seen a picture or an example of a chinchilla bieng picked up liek youve said, only seen HOW to actually hold them.

 

[Ilovechester]

anyone3

 

[Ilovechester]

hmmm

 

[Stackie]

This isn't a chat room. It will take some time for people to reply to your posts.

 

[Ilovechester]

This isn't a chat room. It will take some time for people to reply to your posts.

okay, well do you have any advice at least?

 

[Stackie]

It looks like you have gotten pretty much all the advice you have asked for. Take things slow, sit by the cage with your hand in the cage and talk softly to him. Don't rush things and don't force things.

To pick a chin up, scoop your hand under his body and grasp the base of his tail with your thumb and fingers, firmly but not too tightly. His tail won't "fall off" and as long as you do it right, it won't hurt him. See this thread: http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11857

 

[HamNCheese]

don't worry if it takes awhile for him to warm up to you; mine took quite a few months before he felt okay being picked up out of his cage, and he still kacks and squirms when he's not in the mood to be picked up.

Sit with him for a while every day with your arm in the cage (from the front, helps to lay your hand on one of his shelves) and let him get used to sniffing around and eventually crawling around on you. Scoop him up gently when you need to pick him up- since mine usually manages to hide his tail from me, I find it's best to scoop him up with both hands sliding under his belly from both sides. He'll squirm, but once you've got a firm (but gentle!) grip, they tend to settle down.

It'll take time. I'd recommend that when he is out for play time to let him crawl around on you, just so he learns to be completely comfortable with human contact.

 

[Jazicat]

Edgar is a four month old chinchilla and still is something he is not. We make a shelf with our arms to sit on once he has willingly come out of the cage. In the beginning we let him sniff and nibble us all he wanted. If he tried to bite to see if we were shreddable or edible we move our hand and gently told him no. He seemed to do the best when he wasn't forced and we figured a few days of only playing in the cage couldn't hurt him.

 

[Rickman]

Often, even if you wash your hands, both adults and kits will kind of 'nibble' skin, and bite nails kinda hard! Some think it's a 'grooming' thing - they like you!
You'll quickly know the difference, as a bite will hurt, and can craw blood!
Each chin has it's own personality, and responds to each person differently - depends on who he likes.-
As mentioned, take your time - don't rush it!

 

[lauralynne]

Regarding your question about trying to reach him from the top opening of the cage - chinchillas are naturally prey animals, and are going to be frightened at anything coming from above them. Use the front opening to the cage if possible.

 

[jmess]

we are also having trouble picking up our new chin. he loves for us to pet him and scratch behind the ears. He will occasionally walk out onto my hubby's arm but he does not want to stay there. he is not scared of us when he plays outside of the cage, as he jumps over our legs, runs behind us comes right up to us. but we want to be comfy with grabbing him in case he gets himself into trouble outside of the cage and not have him run from us. we are being patient and have come up with creative ways to get him in and out of his cage without holding him, but we also don't want to miss our opportunity while he is young. Is this truly just a waiting game?