Hello, i'm new to this forum and I have had my Chinchilla for only 2 days. I bought him from a pet store (i probably wont do that again) and he seems to be doing well! I had to chin proof my room since that is where i am keeping him, cardboard around my bed and sofa. Anyway so he was able to jump up onto my bed and he got down under my bed which he had already done once before, although this time he just didn't want to come out. I tried leaving food and then his dust bath but he wouldn't come out so i had to lift up my bed and grab him which was my last resort. I felt bad since I have not handled him much, I was trying to give him time to get used to me he is very timid. Anyways he ran out from under the bed and I had to grab him and put him back in his cage. Will this affect the way he acts around me since he is already very weary and skiddish?
Questions about my Chin
- Thread starter meninnoa
- Start date
Help Support Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum:
TaylorMadeChinchillas
Well-known member
Chinchillas are a lot like kids, they never want to stop playing. He will be fine. I would advise that you leave him in his cage for a bit more and play with him in there. The more he trust you the better playtime will be for you. Good luck and enjoy your little guy.
thanks!
Thank you for the reply, I have one more question. In the mornings he does bark and the only reason I could think of would be because he is stressed out in his new home. Do you have any ideas why he might be barking in his cage? He may be lonely or something i'm not sure. Thank you!!!
Thank you for the reply, I have one more question. In the mornings he does bark and the only reason I could think of would be because he is stressed out in his new home. Do you have any ideas why he might be barking in his cage? He may be lonely or something i'm not sure. Thank you!!!
They can bark for a number of reasons. There might be something that is annoying them, they might hear sounds out side, they might have had a bad a dream, they might even be doing it just for the heck of it.
When my dad would talk while they were trying to sleep they would often stick there head out of the hut and start barking at him lol. There way of saying 'be quiet!!'
When my dad would talk while they were trying to sleep they would often stick there head out of the hut and start barking at him lol. There way of saying 'be quiet!!'
When I first got my chin, he would bark on and off during the night. This lasted maybe three or four days, then it stopped for the most part(I noticed he would bark when I had it too dark in my room, I don't know if that was coincidence or if he just didn't like it). Now he only does it if something outside spooks him or if he's sleeping. It's not often that he does though.
It seems people say not to let them out for playtime until 1-2 weeks after having them home, but I let my boy out the night after I got him -- supervised in the bathroom after it was chin-proofed. For the first week or so, he never wanted to go back in to end playtime, and would even just climb on my leg or lap and fall asleep. Eventually, this passed and he now decides when he's done playing. Of course, over time I started to give him a Cheerio after playtime and would also refill his food and hay when playtime was ending or just after I got him settled back in, so he became used to the routine. I think mostly you just have to give him a little time to get settled into the new environment. Mine now plays for anywhere from 20-30 minutes to an hour or a little over.
