Treat/bonding problem?

[Anniemarie89]

Hello! I just joined the forum and see everyone here is very knowledgeable... especially with food. Here is my problem: my chinchilla Benjamin is the absolute LOVE of my life, but I think I've done something terrible. The lil' guy is ADDICTED to treats. I shake the jar accidentally and he comes running!! The raisin a day is how I initially bonded with him, and then another raisin to jump on my arms and cuddle, and another, I think you can get the picture!

I am now cutting back down on the treats and thankfully he still comes to my arms and grooms my hair and eyelashes... BUT, I'm scared once he realizes I'm not giving him enough food he will stop.

I knew when I got my Benji that they aren't cuddly animals, but he has become one to jump on my shoulders and groom my ears, or hair for minutes at a time. I don't want him stopping this. My question here is, WHAT do you guys do to get your chinnies to bond with you, OTHER than using rosehips or raisins?

Some background: I got him in March, he was a year old this November, and I got him from a vet/breeder. His cage is 48" tall, 24" wide and 24" deep... he's got a wooden house, wooden chews, hay feeder, wooden toys that hang from the top of his cage, a chinchiller, a dustbath I keep outside of his house for playtime, and plenty of wooden boxes and cardboard boxes for playtime. I normally let him run around my bedroom (I keep it as chin safe as possible) for 2-6 hours a day... maybe 1 day a week he is only able to be out for an hour.

Is there anything special you do to get your chin to love you eveeen more? Like, switching something up with the dust bath.. putting it IN the cage? Or anything you can think of?

Here's some pics of Benjamin eating treats! The reason why it's so hard for me resist feeding him tons!!!

 

[tunes]

It's not hard to resist feeding him treats when you realize that you can significantly shorten the time you will have with him by doing it. Loading him up with sugary treats is not to his benefit, and it doesn't "bond" him to you, it trains him. If he comes to you, he gets a treat. If he sits with you, he gets a treat. That isn't affection, that's being spoiled. I don't mean that to sound harsh, but that's what it is.

If you want to form a bond with your chin, and if your chin is willing to form a closer bond (which some chins just aren't, other than to know that you are the human who controls their feed), spend time with him. Set up a playpen or go into the bathroom (making sure it's clean and safe, toilet lid down, no chemicals, etc.) and sit down with him. Let him use you for a racetrack while he plays. For some people, that's as much as their chin allows them as far as bonding, and they are thrilled with it. Offer your chin wood chews for a treat, they absolutely love them, they are healthy, and they will soon replace the sugary junk food, trust me. Sit by the cage and talk with him through the bars of the cage, or leave the door hanging open and chat with him, or read to him (newspaper, book, whatever you are currently reading). Hearing your voice makes you more and more familiar to your chin, and therefore, he becomes more and more comfortable with you.

 

[ticklechin]

You can't brush a chins teeth, all those sugary treats will cause tooth decay just like humans, the teeth will rot, die and fall out. This will lead to malocclusion and a death sentance. Think about that every time you give a sugary treat and the begging will be resisted.

 

[Anniemarie89]

Thanks for the advice... I will keep those two huge factors in mind. I was really asking what else I can do, not just wanting to get criticized but I guess it's deserved...

As I said, I already do play with him for 2-6 hours a day, like I said, and it's in my bedroom as I feel like the bathroom is too small and germy. (my bed's off the frame, there's nothing he can get stuck under, no visible cords, etc)... I get on the floor and he jumps all over me, he loves to perch on my shoulders. We also play peek a boo, he'll climb onto my legs and arms and come to sniff my face, and I'll keep my eyes covered, then open them (without making any scary sounds) and he sees and runs away, comes back as soon as I cover my eyes again to sniff around my face, etc... So I do do a variety of things with him to bond (rather than train) but I just wanted to know if anyone else did something special with their chin, like a fun thing to make them happy, OTHER than treats.

It's not like I'm LOADING him up with treats, I already stated that I am cutting back on the treats. I cut up one raisin into three pieces and usually feed him that or a rosehip a day. The severity of your posts make it seem like one raisin isn't OK. The vet that I bought him off of said that it was at the time. Should I not be feeding him ANY treats?

And, I think that rather than "training" Benjamin, I HAVE bonded with him. I read they will only groom you if you have bonded because that's what they do with each other in groups. And Ben gently grooms my eyelashes, hair, even ears! I understand chins aren't meant to be cuddle buddies, but from my understanding you can form a better bond with them as time goes on.

 

[StevieP]

First off, Welcome

I wouldn't worry about if he is going to change if you stop giving so many treats. Actually, my chins used to get way too many bad treats when my girlfriend was in charge of feeding them, and when I took over I eliminated all edible treats except shredded wheat and rose hips which we only give a few days per week. The chins did not change their behavior towards us.

Just curious, does he get a dust bath every day?

 

[ticklechin]

Size of chin to size of raisin, its like feeding him a big candy bar every day and his teeth do not get brushed. One raisin can do it, seen it enough times on the rescues that got raisins and other junk food. Vets also for the most part do not understand chinchilla husbandry as well as educated pet owners or breeders, what they say I always take with a grain of salt.

 

[tunes]

You weren't being criticized, I simply answered your question and gave you advice on how to actually bond, rather than train, your chin. I'm not sure what you expect from a chin though? I can go up to most cages in my barn and the chins will groom my hand. I don't think that makes us especially bonded, I just think it means they trust me not to hurt them. Some people want their chins to be like little dogs - learn tricks, sit on their laps for hours while they watch TV, etc. Is that kind of what you're hoping for? Because that is just not normal chin behavior. There are exceptions, of course, but the average chin couldn't care a less whether you are even in the room or not during play time, other than to use you as a springboard. "Most" chins are just too happy to be out and playing to be bothered.

I also told you to use wood chews instead of raisins. It's healthier for them and healthier for their teeth. There are not a whole lot of treats that you can give a chin because it is simply not good for them, period. Raisins, papaya, fruits (dried or fresh), vegetables - all, IMO, are not good for chins. Some people give their chins papaya because they believe they develop hair balls, yet there is absolutely no evidence to support that. So to me, that's just slamming more sugar into the system of a hind gut fermenter who cannot process it. Old fashioned oatmeal is a pretty good treat, they really like it, and they feel like they get a lot even if you only give them a pinch. There are lots of little pieces to grab and chew. The very occasional bite sized shredded wheat, although a friend of mine was just at a health day where the vet was not impressed with using those either because she felt they were also too loaded with carbs. The rosehips are fine a couple days a week and you can even give organic rosebuds. There are several supplements for sale that chins definitely consider a treat. User name Tanya has some excellent supplements. My chins love everything I've gotten from her thus far. Here's a link to her page: http://www.fuzzieskingdom.com/herbs/treats/natural-treats-rabbit-chinchilla.html

Some chins think hay cubes are a fun and interesting treat, others don't like them and prefer fresh hay.

 

[momenteller]

Hi Annie Marie, welcome!

I think you are doing the right thing by weaning him off of the sugar. Although many places encourage raisins as treats, most people on here do not recommend them. If you'd like something to give frequently, as that is your ritual with your little guy, have you tried offering a pellet or strand of hay? Most chins think its a treat if you are handfeeding it to them! You can also offer a small pinch of old-fashioned oats. I like to feed the chins maybe three oats each, one at a time, and they think they are making out so good getting three treats! I give my girls a treat two or three times a week; the other nights they get a bath, extra sticks, pumice, etc.

Benjamin is super adorable and chinnies can be excellent beggars, so I know its hard to resist. But if you give him a wood stick or scritches I'm sure he will love you just the same.

 

[Anniemarie89]

Thanks everyone for your great suggestions! I am going to try and buy those hay cubes, and I really like the idea of giving three of the teeny oats because even though they're so small, it really is like three treats! Yum!

And I WAS going to give him pumice, but I did put a small piece in his cage and WOW did he grind that sucker down.. I got so scared I took it out of his cage. I was worried he would chew and chew until his teeth got gnawed down... should I worry about that or not?

Also, I already have two dogs at my mom's house that I consider to be my dogs... I got Benjamin simply because I had a hamster for 4 years and he died and it really, really, really upset me. I looked up chinchillas, and since I'm in school, they were great for apartments, caged animals, but something a little bigger and something that will (if taken care of correctly) stay with me much longer than my hammie did... so that's why I got him. I also can easily take him in a cat carrier to my mom's for the weekend and she can sit for him.

He also gets a dust bath every other day... I only do it every other day because I leave his dustbath out at all times, he can go in and out as many times as he'd like during the day of play... I would hate to scare him away out of it or anything like that. Is every other day too much though? Collectively, he probably spends 10-15 minutes in the bath the days I have it out. And I change it once a week. I know he loves me when I pull the dust out Would it make my chinnie happier if I left it in his cage at all times though? Or let him do it every day? Not sure which one would make him healthier and happier.

 

[tunes]

I also can easily take him in a cat carrier to my mom's for the weekend and she can sit for him.

While it sounds good in theory, that's not a great idea. I had a friend who was to deliver a chin to a show and was only keeping him overnight. He chewed through the carrier and disappeared for weeks. Chins will buzzsaw through plastic like it's fresh hay. It would be better if you could your hands on a small cage, maybe on CraigsList for really cheap, and just leave that at your mom's for chinsitting purposes.

Or let him do it every day? Not sure which one would make him healthier and happier.

Too many dust baths can dry out their skin, causing flaking skin and sometimes breakage of fur. It can also make them really itchy. 2-3 times a week for a dust bath, 15 minutes at a time, is usually more than enough to keep their coats looking good, remove the oils, and generally keep them happy. If you're in a super humid area, then you can offer it a little bit longer or maybe one more day a week, but definitely don't leave it in the cage all the time. If you do, he will pee and poop in it, then try and roll and that's just generally icky.

 

[Mummypig]

Hi! Sounds like you and Ben have a lovely strong bond, and I'm sure that won't change if you dont give him raisins every day. My chin loves her shredded wheat, she gets one of the bitesize shredded wheats every day after play time and twice a week I give her a little of a mix with rosehips (about a teaspoon), she's just started to groom me although not my eyelashes :hearts: that sounds adorable

 

[momenteller]

Don't worry about the pumice, its good for them to grind down their teeth. I've never heard of them grinding them down too far, hopefully one of the more experienced members will correct me if I'm wrong...

 

[Anniemarie89]

I love the ideas of oats, shredded wheat, and especially pumice... I will think about cutting out all raisins and switching to very small amounts of the other treats and more wood and pumice.

And for the record, my little Benjamin is only in his cat carrier for about a 30 minute car ride... my mom has a second cage for him at her house, no way I'd keep that little guy in a small carrier for any significant amount of time!! He always falls asleep as soon as we start on the road, and never chews at the cage... so I don't think it bothers him so much for a small amount of time. The cage my mom has is a huge dog crate (we used it to train our 90lb dog) we converted for him.

And isn't it so sweet when they groom you? After a while I'm sure your chinnie will let you groom her, I always rub out any knots in Benjamin's fur, and fluff it up for him, it makes him soo relaxed. And he is a real strict guy about my eyelashes. It's adorable when he comes to comb through them, he is always soo gentle, but I have to make sure I don't let him groom them if I have makeup on, he is OCD about pulling the mascara off, which I'm sure is a big no-no.

If anyone has any more ideas on fun things to do to bond, other than feeding him a raisin as a treat (as I will not do any longer!) please let me know!

 

[Amy555]

I'm still getting to know my little guys, I have two boys and I will take one plain shredded mini wheat and break it in half and crunchy it up into crumbs in my hand. My boys hear that sound and come running and they lap up the tiny pieces with their little tongues. And when they eat it all I crush up the other half and let them eat that off of my hand. It's super adorable and much more enjoyable than giving them a piece and they run away to eat it. And then they each only are eating half a mini wheat, just make sure you're hands are clean before playtime. I'm also having fun finding out what 'treats' my boys will like. They're not too keen on willow, but they both love apple wood sticks, and they're liking loofah and grapevine. You can find fun stuff for them without it being bad for their tummy and teeth. And lots of suppliers here even have variety packs so your guy can sample to find his favorite. I think I'm going to try cholla next.

 

[Chin_Up_Sunshine]

I'm still getting to know my boys, as well. From what I understand from the other chinparents and the limited experience I have, it sounds like you're already rather bonded. If he's already running all over you and grooming you then it's probably not just for the treats that you originally used. With my boys, I will hand feed them their pellet food or hay (they really prefer the flowers of the hay and love it when I hand feed those) rather than a "treat" so that what they eat and enjoy is good for them and keeps them with me a long time. I'm hoping I get a full 15 years (even though they're already adults of an unknown age) with them.
I know some people use "pouches" and a few of the sellers on here have them for sale. You can let him crawl in and then carry him around the house with you so he can hear you speaking and be snuggly and close. Some people's chins like to be sung to as well. Is that the kind of information you're looking for? Just more ways to interact? As far as a closer bond, that seems to be what you already have and I'm not sure what else you're looking for. I know I sort of see grooming as "bonded" already, rather than still in the process.