Petstore chin

[Ashleykatt]

I am getting my first chinchilla next weekend, and I have seen him a couple times.
The last time i went to see him he seemed pretty scared and was running all over his cage when it was opened. He was woken up from his nap, people were staring at him and dogs were barking, so I do take that into consideration. But my question is, since I have never had one, will he always be this way?

 

[tunes]

Some chins come home from the pet store and perk right up and are happy just to be out of there. Others it takes a while to settle them in, and still others never get over the experience of people poking and prodding, the darks barking. What you need to realize is that each chin is unique, no matter where he comes from. So the behavior he exhibits when you bring him home, may just be how he is.

With time and patience, most chins becoming accepting of their humans. But if you're expecting a miniature dog who is going to be all bouncy friendly, wanting hugs and lots of interaction with you, that's just not the average chin. You're great for food, release from the cage, and to be used as a jungle gym. Other than that, chins are very independent for the most part can be more like chinavision than an interactive pet.

 

[Ashleykatt]

Does waking them up make them angry? because when I went to see him the other time it was later in the night and hardly anyone was there. When they opened the cage they got him out easily without a fuss and he was pretty calm being held

 

[Kawaii_Hedgie_Chin_Love]

Again, that depends on the chin. Some don't mind being woken, some will give you the famous "stink eye" and won't want anything to do with you. I have some chins that don't care if I wake them up, as long as they get either playtime or food. And other chins that seem to think I have no business waking them up, no matter what the situation. I have yet another chin that would rather me wake her up than not, she loves any type of interaction, no matter what time of the day. It just depends on this chins personality. He was most likely scared and nervous being woken up, you have to consider everything he's been through. Being taken away from his mother, and either shipped to, or dropped off at this store, left alone in a tiny (most likely aquarium) cage and only being woken up to be held by another stranger who, more often than not, has no background in chinchillas, and may not even know what one is. He's probably been poked and prodded, handled wrong, given low quality food, plastic in his cage, and absolutely no free time to run around and just be himself. I'm assuming they didn't have him in a chin cage, most pet stores keep them in aquarium-like cages, like they do with hamsters, guinea pigs, etc. The store employees probably had no idea what they were doing, or the proper ways to handle a chinchilla.
Once you bring him home, and he settles into his new home, he may not mind being woken, as most chins learn to deal with it. My guess is that nothing good has come of being woken up in any of his previous homes.

*I also want to add that it may have been the way he was woken up. He may have been disoriented or scared if they just reached in and grabbed him while he was in the middle of a nap. You would probably react the same way if you were on display, and finally managed to fall asleep, only to be nabbed by a pair of hands many times larger than yourself.

 

[Ashleykatt]

Yes, he was in an aquarium cage. I know that their personalities to vary, but I was just wondering if that was a common thing. I have done a lot of research on chins and this forum has helped me out so much, sorry I have a ton of questions!
Does it matter whether to get a male or female, for personality that is? because i've seen some sites that say females can be more agressive and i know it all comes down to personality, but i was just wondering

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

Questions are very good especially before buying a chin. As for male vs females, it is a matter of the individual chin (just like people) not the sex. Yes, females can be aggressive but toward another chin (mostly males) rarely toward their humans. Try looking for a breeder in your area, a much better place to get a chin. Pet store RARELY, know what they are doing and give you a lot of bad information about chins. For instance, they are keeping the chin(s) in an aquarium cage. That alone can upset a chin. Breeders usually charge less for a chin than pet stores also and a careing breeder will help you for the life of the chin when needed

 

[Ashleykatt]

Alright , everyones information has been really helpful, final question for now:
when I bring him home should i handle him, leave him to explore his cage or what? every site has something different to do like some say handle them right away, some say ignore them for the first few days and some say just sit by the cage i dont kow which is accurate so i need help with this

 

[Brittany]

Give him some time and see how much interaction he wants. When I took in my arlington chin I was anticipating that she would be shy, timid, and wanting to be left alone. I found that the opposite was actually true. From the beginning she was very interested in me, and wanted to be scratched and played with. I took her out for play time after 3 days because she seemed ready. I've brought home other chins who needed lots of time to warm up to their environments before wanting anything to do with me. Start out slow and see how much interaction he wants. When you stick your hand in to feed him does he come sniff you or run and hide? When you stand near the cage does he run away or run up to the bars to investigate? You can watch for these and other clues to see how well he's adjusting to being around you. Good luck with your baby!

 

[Ashleykatt]

Thanks so much to all of you, it's helped sooo much!

 

[kimbt622]

for the first few days you should leave him in his cage to get used to his new surroundings but it is a good idea to sit by his cage and talk to him, read him stories, anything to get him used to your voice. after a few days when he starts to explore the cage itself, you can try letting him out; put your hands down and let him smell you. many people have different advice for bonding with your chin, it depends on their own personalities but most chins with bond very closely to you. before letting him out for free playtime though, make sure the room is chin proofed, chins will chew EVERYTHING they can get their hands on, that includes wires, etc. be sure to post pictures when you get the little guy! hopefully he is in okay condition when you bring him home since most petstores are not too knowledgeable about their care, but im sure hes adorable!

 

[Ashleykatt]

thanks!! now I need to just think of a name!!

 

[kimbt622]

oh thats the fun part! what color is he?

 

[Ashleykatt]

Grey, I named him Alfredo!
I heard the name somewherei and it just stuck!

 

[Ippo456]

Tubby, my first chin, came from a chain petstore.
At first, he used to bite my hand & was timid when approached. Now he's very very comfortable with me.
So good luck with your first chinchilla.

 

[Brittney]

Grey, I named him Alfredo!
I heard the name somewherei and it just stuck!

Maybe as in Alfredo Sauce?

 

[Stackie]

Yum, alfredo sauce is probably one of my most favorite foods ever. Better watch out...combined with cuteness and a yummy name I may have the urge to eat him up.

 

[mishellyshel]

i love the name alfredo! how cute. now we just need some pix!

 

[Jill of Beans]

Great Name!! Photos PLEASE!!

 

[Ashleykatt]

Alfredo is my favorite food also! but dont worry, I won't eat him!! ..it fits him really well
As soon as he's more comfortable with me i'll definitely take pictures!!

 

[Ashleykatt]

Here's a picture of him. I don't hve a working camera right now so I used the camera on my phone, unfortunetly it made everything dark so I had to edit it quite a bit.