Playtime (Outside of cage)

[Cheech]

My chinchilla is about 9 weeks old now, and I was wondering how long his playtime should be? For the past few days I've been letting him roam around for about 30 minutes to an hour. But I just recently read it's not good for him to have excessive exercise since he's still young :c ?

Is it fine or should reduce his time outside of his cage ?
Cheech loves his playtime and he knows exactly what time it is, cause he'll be hanging from the side of his cage wanting to come out haha.

 

[Pikaia]

Yes, it's not good for chins under six months to have excessive playtime. They need that energy to grow. You really have to be careful, because young chins can over do it really easy. I would keep his playtimes very short (like 10 mins) if you give playtimes at all. I don't see anything wrong as long as you keep them short and have a very watchful eye. Most members on this board say no playtime outside the cage until after six months of age.

 

[Cheech]

Oh alright, thanks Pikaia.
I'll keep his play times short for now.
Any tips to keep him busy and happy in his cage? So far he has a ledge, a tube and a little wood ball chew.

 

[becky12883]

Lots of things to chew on (like sticks/twigs or lava ledges), different types of hay, and maybe some toys (check the classifieds for vendors). You can also still interact with him while he's in the cage. Your hand in the cage should keep him occupied for at least a few minutes.