The Chin That Ran Away

[tunes]

Rick - Seriously. People have commented over and over about how you give unsafe advice, and this is just MORE of it. You don't offer a chin peanuts, peanut butter, motor oil, or 20 raisins a day.

Use a live trap. It's going to be hard because you have to worry about people coming and going, but odds are he's going to hide during the day and only come out when he feels comfortable. Unfortunately, that's going to be at night when you go home. The humane society should have a live trap you can borrow. Put a dust bath in it, put out a raisin or two, put food in it, and set it someplace dark and quiet. He's going to be scared and he's not going to want to come out in the open. If you put it in the middle of an open area, he's going to ignore it.

 

[oxchincerelyxo]

I agree with the no peanut butter...


Live trap, keep the doors shut if possible and try to make sure that there are no open spaces where the chin could get into the walls, ceiling and back rooms full of deadly stuff to chew...


Keep us posted!

 

[Jenn]

sorry to hear you have such a big place for the chin to hide!

If possible, get a few traps, that way you can put one in different areas of the building. Again, put food, hay, applesticks, raisins, etc, in each trap to lure the chin. One trap may work but may take longer, depending where the chin is and how much roaming she does.

 

[Essentia]

I know the humane society around here "rents" out live traps for a $50 deposit for each one. When you bring the trap back you get the full $50 back. If you guys have anything like that there, I would rent as many as you can and set up several around the store.

 

[equusus]

I accidently killed a groundhog with a peanut butter cracker in a live trap once. Poor thing choked on it.

 

[Rickman]

I only mentioned a "smidgen" of peanut butter as a aromatic attractant, not as a food or treat, or any other reason! I don't use peanuts, peanut butter, motor oil, or raisins with my chins!! [motor oil?] Nor would I suggest them!
IMO, a smidgen is like a wipe across a surface, not a Tbs. to choke on!!
Guess there's a difference of definition of smidgen!

 

[Lil_Branchette]

tunes- Do you think it would be ok if we rent 2 traps and put one in an open area at night? I totally get why we shouldn't leave a trap in the open when there are customers around and such, because that will seem even more uninviting to the chin, but I know where her fav places to hide are. One place is very quiet at the back of the store, and the other place is a low ledge. Unfortunately, to get at the ledge means to leave the trap in the open. But when the store is closed, and nobody is in there, would leaving the trap near the ledge work? I hope my question makes sense...

Essentia- Really? You get a deposit back? I heard that you have to pay $40/hr and nothing back. Where did you find that? On a website or something?

Another question, do I have to leave anything strong smelling in the trap? I'm not gonna leave peanut butter in, but anything else that will work?

 

[Jenn]

I would just put food in the trap, especially if the trap does work, the chin needs something to eat and drink while trapped through the night. I would definitely leave the traps out wherever you have seen him, during the nighttime hours. Probably wouldn't work anyway during the day with him sleeping and people frightening him into hiding. Again, the more traps the better for a speedier recovery.

 

[tunes]

Put the traps wherever you think she would be. I always try to think like a chin when one escapes. Where are the places they are most likely to go, and that's where I look or set traps. Also, try and find where there are larger deposits of poop because that is where she will most likely hunker down for the daytime rest hours.

Remember also that chins have a very heightened sense of smell, so what you think of as not being aromatic, they will. She will smell the dust, which all chins love, food, water, and raisins. She's also going to start getting really hungry because she's been out a few days. She needs to get caught.

 

[Rickman]

The small animal traps I used to relocate some squirrels that had found a way into the attic, had a galvanized "paddle" on it, with a punched-out hook for fastening the bait. The "paddle" had to be pushed down, from either side, [doors on each end] to trip the doors closed! Yes, for the squirrels, I used crunchy peanut butter, with peanuts stuck in it, and it worked well! Do not use for chins, though!
I really don't know how you'd get something to stay on there - maybe wrap some hay around the hook!?!

 

[Twilight Chinchillas]

I'd try a bit of dust, and fresh hay like Jessica mentioned and see if this works. I've had a couple really talented escapees before and the dust always worked! Best of luck and I do hope he is found soon!

 

[Lil_Branchette]

Another question- speaking of hungry, should I remove all the bowls of food and water that we left out, save for the ones in the trap? Because the chin would definitely come running if the only food around is the one in the trap. Or else, the chins would have many options of eating, and might refuse the food in the trap. Am I thinking too specific?

 

[Jenn]

Yes, my thought would be to have the goodies in the trap only during the nighttime hours. Maybe put them out again during the daytime to make sure your chin has plenty of opportunity to eat.

 

[addictedtochins]

I would have water available always. I would use duct tape or something so he can have a water bottle, my chins won't touch a bowl of water.

 

[InkedupTara]

Is there anyway you cant go through when the store is closed with a butterfly or small fishing net, with a few people and see if you cant catch it, since it has been loose for a while now?

 

[alpayton]

Is there anyway you cant go through when the store is closed with a butterfly or small fishing net, with a few people and see if you cant catch it, since it has been loose for a while now?

That was going to be my suggestion..."chin catching party" after work... I think it may not be so bad if you had several people, a few towels, and possibly a butterfly net (just be careful not to SLAM it down on the little one). If you can find the general area that it's in, then you may be able to corner 'em enough to catch 'em with enough people and towels. I'd think I'd take the more active route of catching it rather than the passive one.

 

[InkedupTara]

Amanda, I agree, I think at this point it has been out long enough and time to get proactive

 

[Lil_Branchette]

I would have water available always. I would use duct tape or something so he can have a water bottle, my chins won't touch a bowl of water.

This chin actually doesn't know what a water bottle is. She's been drinking from bowls. Oh yeah, we've been trying that idea. That's what we did at first: in the morning, a small team would go after the chin with nets. We haven't tried towels, but we've tried nets and boxes. The little chin is just too fast. She just slips between our legs, or between people. The ledges she hides under are too low, and there are too many. That's when we began thinking of the trap.

Oh yeah, I was also wondering, should I move the trap around to different locations every so often, or should I just leave the trap in one place?

 

[Rickman]

One place -she'll find it!!

 

[alpayton]

Start using some really thick cardboard to block off access routes when you get your "chin catching" group together...you'll corner her in a smaller area this way. Maybe even see if you can set up some kind of perimeter with tall (empty) boxes so she can't go into another area of the store. If you limit her area, you'll eventually nab her.