She don't like her hidy house

[sheltiefan]

Since I have had chi chi which is about 2 mo now. She has never gone in her hidy house. Iv seen her poke her nose in it every once in a while but never goes all the way in and never sleeps in it. Does anyone else have a chin that don't like there house.

 

[Sandi]

Where is the house located in her cage? Is it big enough for her? Do you have a picture of it? LOL, all the questions but maybe she's using it when you're not around?

 

[Siylvat]

Is it too small maybe? Peach didn't like his house, so I put in one of those colored bendy bridge things you can get at the pet-store. (we had an extra one laying around so I just made it into a house and tossed it in.) He sleeps in there every day now.

Maybe it wasn't that the other one was too small...maybe he likes that this one is open on two ends instead of one? I'm not sure.

 

[AZChins]

I have several that do not go in the houses. It's okay...and I am glad that they don't hide and feel comfortable to stay out in the open. I've taken houses out of cages many times because the chins don't go inside.

It doesn't mean that there is anything at all wrong with a chinchilla for just not wanting to go into a house.

 

[leni]

Jemma didn't like hers either, then after about six weeks she rearranged it one night where she wanted it and now she uses it all the time haha. It depends. Zim likes his bed more than his hidey house so they're all different.

 

[sheltiefan]

I don't have a picture of her house at this moment. But I have tried moving it around and she just isn't interested. As far as is it big enough I belive it is. I put a treat in there she will get it and get back out. She mostly uses her house a a ledge. But if its normal for some chins not to like it ill stop worring about it

 

[AZChins]

Hey, using the house as a ledge is fine! Most of mine do that....you can leave it in or take it out.

 

[caiti]

Yes chins have definitive preferences. I have, let's count...4 hammocks in my chin's cage and she has never once hopped on one of them for more than 2 seconds. Some of them she's never even been in. But one of them is there as a net in case she falls, one could be used to help her up to another ledge if she needed it and the other two she ignores or she'll sit underneath them so they cover her. She also had phases of using her house and her tubes. Sometimes she'll sit on top of them or go inside one and not the others...it must be hard to be a chinchilla...heh

 

[StevieP]

One of my chins used to never go in hers until I put a scrap piece of folded up fleece on the bottom. It is like 4 or 5 layers thick.. She loves sleeping in there now. If you have a scrap piece of fleece laying around I'd give it a try.

 

[KristinC1983]

my chinchilla likes grass houses better...

First he had a solid wood house, but once I put a roll-a-nest in to see if he'd play with it, he started sleeping it that. Once he tore it apart, I got him a hut thing made out of hay (sorry, can't remember the actual name). Now he's working on that to tear apart, but sleeps in it too and often sits on it. I'm going to see if he'll go back to solid wood soon because the grass (hay) hut collects his dust bath! I'll get him a small roll-a-nest to tear apart instead! He doesn't eat it! Just rips it apart! Every night I clean a million peices out of his cage, lol! And his dust goes all up my nose

I've read many times that they all prefer different things. Some wood houses, some grass huts, some hammocks, some beds...Whatever makes them feel safe and comfy. And if they feel safe and comfy out of a house, that means you're doing something right-if they don't, doesn't mean much, lol!