Playtime Problem

[Paws4Chins]

We have had our Chins for 2 weeks and the get playtime every night. When it is time to put them back in cage it is quite an ordeal as the run away. I know natural behavior. I can't really rely on them coming up for a pet to catch them and if they do and I go to pick up they scurry away. I hate chasing them around the room and when I do make a grab I am always afraid the fur will slip or I hurt them. I don't want to continue this game of chase as I am sure it is scary to them and with the repeated chase session it wont help our bonding. I give them a small piece of safe treat once I return them to cage so that maybe they will be conditioned so to speak to want to be caught because they might get a treat...also I love on them when I catch them too so they associate a positive experience with being caught. How do you get the Chins back in your cage after play time? Or maybe it will just take them time to get used to the new routine?

 

[GorillaJTA]

I usually put their dust house down and they go to that.

If you are having trouble with them coming to you, you might want to leave off play time for a while until they have bonded and trust you more.

 

[Paws4Chins]

The dust bath sounds like a good idea I will try that but first I will do what you suggested about holding off play time for a while so they get more bonded. I will feel bad however as they are used to getting out every night. They do have a FN142 so I guess it would not hurt to do this for a while because the have plenty of cage space.

 

[Chubi32]

If you feel bad about about not letting them out at all maybe you can find a smaller space to let them out so you arn't chasing them as much as just being able to lean over and pick them up. Maybe block off half your bathroom, or wherever you have playtime.

 

[Pikaia]

Dust house is a good idea. They always get tricked into that Sometimes I give them a small pinch of oats and hold my hand in the cage. They are getting a little too smart for it now though. LOL.

What kind of cage do you have? When I had the smaller cage, I could roll it into the living room and Chichi would go back into her cage on her own. With the FN142, that is a little harder to do.

We are able to get our chins pretty easily, some days they do give us a little problem. Most days are easy though. My boyfriend can catch them a lot better than I do, they don't seem stressed much at all. I guess they are used to him. Two weeks isn't long, so they probably just need to get used to the routine- like you said.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Anticomma]

I had the same problem after about a week of fustration trying to chase them down.

I just chin proofed the room with the cage and placed a box at the base of it (I have a FN142) so they could come and go as they please.

Chins would run around and play both in and out of the cage. If I was lucky after about 45 min's they were both resting in the cage and I could shut the doors. If not I just follow the chins around till they "hide" in their cage from me. Now ending playtime is easy they go for the cage when I start following them around. No more chasing / trying to grab them.

 

[Paws4Chins]

Thanks to all the great suggestions. I am hesitant to use bathroom because of all the chemicals and personal care products used in the bathroom. I would be afraid that the residual of these things might cause a problem to these sensitive creatures. However, I might use this technique for a short while while we are still bonding and getting the Chins used to being caught without anything bad happening. I also really like the idea of using a step for them to go back in cage on own. This seems the best solution so far...don't know why I did not think of this:duh: I hate the thought of not letting them out to play even though we have a FN142. Will try this tonight and let you all know what happens.

 

[Paws4Chins]

The box step worked great tonight. They went right in. So glad to have found a way that wont seem traumatic to them. Thanks for all the great suggestions.

 

[Jazicat]

I'm glad you found something that works. Our boys each have a FN 142 too and it's plenty of room for them to play if the don't get an out. We use a play pen and are lucky the boys let us scoop them up when it's time to go back to the cage. However we don't force them to come out of the cage for play time and will just hang out with them for the time they'd be out. This doesn't happen very often but they sometimes just want quiet time with us.

 

[SamiJami]

I'm glad you found something that works. I let my boys out for an hour or so on the weekends while my boyfriend cleans their cage and the liners are getting washed. I use an organic, chemical free liquid soap to scrub the bathroom floor, tub side, toilet side and baseboards. Then I rinse it off and wait an hour to be sure it's super dry. If you do need to go do the bathroom to make it a bit easier, I hope that helps Just so you know, you shouldn't use the dust bath every day since their skin will get super dried out.

 

[Paws4Chins]

Yes I kinda of knew that using a dust bath daily leads to dry skin but it is good to be reminded and that the dust bath trick would not be that effective for me anyway. Thanks for all you input.

 

[rutherford]

i actually don't experience any difficulty getting rutherford back inside his cage now that he has grown to become comfortable with me and my girlfriend. before, i used the dust bowl trick to get him back inside his cage. now, he just climbs onto my shoulder to go back inside his cage. no matter how much fun he wants to have outside his cage, he loves going back inside his cage. sometimes if my knee is up, he'd climb atop my knees to jump inside, or use my arms as a ladder. he also climbs around my girlfriend's shoulder to get back inside. he's a cutie

 

[chichismama]

i find that it's easier to switch techniques because they are so smart, and as soon as i think i have them outsmarted, they figure me out. as far as holding off on playtime, i tried that with my girl cahlee and i swear i think she was having a nervous breakdown! she moped and moped. barely moved from one spot in the cage. when i finally let her out--boy, oh boy, when i put her back in, it was like the end of eternity! she hopped from every angle of the cage looking for an outlet! gnawing on the bars and everything.

a lot of times she slips her fur on me. and i feel sooo aweful. and when i'm taking her back to the cage she squirms because she knows it's coming. she's a wild, restless one. perhaps there are those chins that just naturally want to be out at all times.

like it was said, ensuring that they can get back in will help. she hops back in for water and i shut the door. when that doesn't happen, i'm sorry, but i have to chase a little. good luck!

 

[Paws4Chins]

I have been using the leave cage open with a step for a few days now. It works out great and the really neat thing is that they will hop in and out of the cage during playtime. I think they like doing this and gives them a sense of security. So glad I don't have to play chase the Chin anymore. I think it is a good idea to switch up routines on how they go back cage as you said they may learn to stop going into cage if they figure out they will be shut inside. However, I think by me not closing cage the first time they hop in and letting them play this way will lessen my chance of them catching on.

 

[GorillaJTA]

i find that it's easier to switch techniques because they are so smart, and as soon as i think i have them outsmarted, they figure me out. as far as holding off on playtime, i tried that with my girl cahlee and i swear i think she was having a nervous breakdown! she moped and moped. barely moved from one spot in the cage. when i finally let her out--boy, oh boy, when i put her back in, it was like the end of eternity! she hopped from every angle of the cage looking for an outlet! gnawing on the bars and everything.

a lot of times she slips her fur on me. and i feel sooo aweful. and when i'm taking her back to the cage she squirms because she knows it's coming. she's a wild, restless one. perhaps there are those chins that just naturally want to be out at all times.

like it was said, ensuring that they can get back in will help. she hops back in for water and i shut the door. when that doesn't happen, i'm sorry, but i have to chase a little. good luck!

This is why I never let play time be established as a regular thing. They do not feel like it something they are entitled to or must have so neither of us feel sad or get antsy if they do not get to run outside the cage tonight (or this week). They have a wheel to let out pent up energy, but they are just as healthy never leaving the cage (maybe more so since there is no chasing involved). Tik does not seem interested in play time, and Flea, when I open the cage, will lean down and look at the floor until I hold out my hand for a ride down to the floor, or nudge him back into the cage.
Cut playtime back some or limit what would be free run time to time getting to know you and she might mope initially but in end, she will learn that playtime is a treat, not an expectation.