boardinggamer
Well-known member
Well I see leashes for ferrets and other small animals so I was wondering could you do that with a chinchilla? I think it would be pretty awesome to take mine for a walk one day.
taking my chinchilla on a walk?
- Thread starter boardinggamer
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Lirana
Well-known member
I'm not an expert (I've had mine for less than a week), but I remember reading that you can't because their rib cages are far too fragile for harnesses.
Shooper
"Ellie Mae"
Most people stay far away from harnesses and leashes when it comes to chins. Their little ribs are way too fragile to have a harness on and a collar would hurt them if they lunge.
boardinggamer
Well-known member
I saw videos on youtube of people doing it and some comments said no but others said yes but the ones in the video seemed fine, a little annoyed, but fine. but I guess if there is that risk of it hurting them then I wont even try with mine
Dreamlite
Well-known member
Some people get lucky and others have killed their chins with harnesses. Its not safe cause chins can get out of them easily and will chew them. You can put anything on youtube, doesn't mean its safe or even a good idea.
AZChins
Pro Cage Cleaner Champion
Leashes are a bad idea. I always flash back to the time that Thor ran up a drain pipe and I thought it was gone forever after he wriggled out of the little harness and leash I bought him. ugggg....
boardinggamer
Well-known member
yeah I decided I wasn't going to even try
I am sorry. I can't even imagine how you must have felt =O
Sandi
non-stop poop sweeper
I agree with Dreamlite about not trusting what you see on youtube BUT it's great you came here and asked first. I really think you saved yourself some heartache for asking before you attempted to try it with your chin.:thumbsup:
Not only is the harness idea not good but taking your chin outside and letting them on the ground where they will probably eat/chew on the grass, which could be fertilized, and pick up all sorts of other things that may not be good for them and you could end up with a sick chin.
Not only is the harness idea not good but taking your chin outside and letting them on the ground where they will probably eat/chew on the grass, which could be fertilized, and pick up all sorts of other things that may not be good for them and you could end up with a sick chin.
tcraighenry
Well-known member
I think there are a couple other problems too. They're so little they might get stepped on and they love to chew everything, lord knows what's on the ground. Plus, cats.
Cats.
Cats.
boardinggamer
Well-known member
Oh my I didn't even think of all that :O it's a good thing I did come here before trying.
addictedtochins
Socially inept
They are prey animals and because of that they area usually afraid to be outside, unlike ferrets who love it.
SeeleyAnne
Buddha & Moose (:
I bought a little harness and leash once. The leash was stretchy, so if the chin lunged forward, the leash would just stretch, so I thought it would be ok. I only tried it with my chin Buddha (before I ever got Moose) and he pretty much hates it. I only tried it INSIDE the house, also. I wouldn't take him outside. In fact, I never even put the leash on it, I just let him run around in the bathroom with the harness on him, to see if he would get used to it, but I could tell he didn't care for it much. It was a struggle to get it on him too, and then he would just end up wiggling out of it. Not worth it in my opinion 
I can tell you from personal experience, that ferrets and leashes do not work well together. Iv never met a ferret that couldn't get out of one.
My husband and I really wanted to try a harness and a leash for our Chinchilla because it would be so cool to walk them. We tried to put the harness on her but she refused and we didn't wanna torture the poor thing so we took the harness back to petco. Then we researched it more and found out if you're going to you're going to have to start them out at a young age so they get used to it. But we also learned if anything scares them and they run away and get caught up by the leash they will pretty much struggle and more than likely "choke" themselves to death. Or die from breaking bones from struggling. So I think that chins are not meant to be walked and they do much better running around the house free. haha
