Hey guys, this is my first post here, but I have been reading a lot on this site over the last week since I found it to try and learn as much about proper Chinchilla care as I can. I actually just got my four month old Chinchilla, Mathilde, a week ago today, and I am obsessed. I have been doing the absolute best I can to take care of her and make sure she has everything she needs, almost to a fault, as my friends can tell you.
My question is just about some new behavior I have been noticing, though I am hoping you guys will assure me it is probably normal and that it only seems "new" to me since Mathilde is in fact new herself. Over the last week, I have really enjoyed watching Mathilde as she seems to trust me more and more. I have been allowing her to play a little each day and she bounces all over me when she isn't busy exploring something else. She has also allowed me to hold her twice over the last week and, though she seemed slightly nervous, I think it went well. My worries started Tuesday though after I got her a new cage (I am returning the Petsmart one, having heard how great ferret nations are and finding one for $100 on Craigslist). Now, since Tuesday, she seems to be sleeping almost all the time, including when I get up to leave for work and when I get home. She is always on the top floor behind her house. When I had her in her smaller cage, she was always really active and running around. I did let her come out for a couple of minutes yesterday and she seemed fine, but I have read that even sick Chins can be really playful when you let them out.
When I got home just now, she was sleeping behind her house on the top floor. I began to get more worried (since this has been happening for two days) and moved the home to see if she seemed ill. She looks fine, and walked around a bit. She even let me hand feed her, but she has yet to come down from the top ledge. I am looking at her right now and she is lying back down, not yet asleep though.
If anyone has any thoughts or advice, it would be very much appreciated. I am already very attached to Mathilde and want to make sure she is healthy and that everything is normal. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you in advance!
-update. She just jumped down from the ledge, and down again to the lower level. Maybe it is normal for Chinchillas to sleep as much as I am finding that she does?
My question is just about some new behavior I have been noticing, though I am hoping you guys will assure me it is probably normal and that it only seems "new" to me since Mathilde is in fact new herself. Over the last week, I have really enjoyed watching Mathilde as she seems to trust me more and more. I have been allowing her to play a little each day and she bounces all over me when she isn't busy exploring something else. She has also allowed me to hold her twice over the last week and, though she seemed slightly nervous, I think it went well. My worries started Tuesday though after I got her a new cage (I am returning the Petsmart one, having heard how great ferret nations are and finding one for $100 on Craigslist). Now, since Tuesday, she seems to be sleeping almost all the time, including when I get up to leave for work and when I get home. She is always on the top floor behind her house. When I had her in her smaller cage, she was always really active and running around. I did let her come out for a couple of minutes yesterday and she seemed fine, but I have read that even sick Chins can be really playful when you let them out.
When I got home just now, she was sleeping behind her house on the top floor. I began to get more worried (since this has been happening for two days) and moved the home to see if she seemed ill. She looks fine, and walked around a bit. She even let me hand feed her, but she has yet to come down from the top ledge. I am looking at her right now and she is lying back down, not yet asleep though.
If anyone has any thoughts or advice, it would be very much appreciated. I am already very attached to Mathilde and want to make sure she is healthy and that everything is normal. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you in advance!
-update. She just jumped down from the ledge, and down again to the lower level. Maybe it is normal for Chinchillas to sleep as much as I am finding that she does?
