I hope your chinchilla doesn't die a horrible death. I DO THINK OF MY CHINS LIKE FAMILY, that it's why they stay in thier cages. where they are safe. I wouldn't let my 3 year old be home alone without supervision, even in a kid proofed room. why? because I love her and I don't want her to get hurt. as the same thing with my chins. I love then so I protect them. I truly wish your chin good luck, he is going to need it
When your nightmare comes true.
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Setting my amusement aside at the rant, let me address some of these issues....
Firstly, no-one said rodents should be caged all the time. Many of us allow our pets time out of their cages to explore - the difference is we do it safely, supervising at all times. This is apparently something you find difficult to grasp - that a chinchilla (rodent) should be supervised & not left to free roam.
That is all we are saying - give your chin freedom but do it safely because that is responsible ownership.
He's not miserable - you are interpreting it as him being miserable. He has trained you to let him out if he tugs on the cage bars/mesh. That's just a behaviour modification - there's little/nothing anthropomorphic about it. He's worked out in his animal way that if he behaves in a certain way he gets free.
All chins do this - one of their inherent charms is that they look so adorable - chinchillas are intelligent but they are not little humans.
So, despite your earlier post decrying our advice, you have decided to no longer allow Horton time out of his cage unsupervised?
Why didn't you just post that? People are reacting with concern about your chinchilla still being allowed out of cage time in an unsafe manner - this forum is primarily about health & welfare.
I'll also repeat that wires/cords are not the only hazards to an unsupervised chinchilla (just for reference in case anyone else is reading this thread).
I'm sorry but this just made me laugh out loud. I've been a member here for a number of years & I think you'll find most people on this forum treat their chinchillas as beloved pets. There's a huge difference between treating an animal as a family member & treating an animal as a small human with human thought processes & feelings. I'm sorry you can't seem to differentiate between behaviour & feelings/emotions.
There are some of us here who have deliberately chosen to create a persona for some of our chinchillas. There's Shelly (owned by Cindy) & Gzifa (owned by me) to name but two. Gzifa even has a blog (www.gzifa.co.uk) as well as a Twitter account (https://twitter.com/GzifaChinchilla). I use both to help educate people about all aspects of chinchilla care, behaviour, welfare etc.
I attribute emotion & thought to Gzifa in order to write in ways which people can understand but the bottom line is Gzifa is not a small human - I love her to bits, she spends hours out with me, is very tactile & likes to be touched, has a very expressive face, & I can read her like a book - BUT she's a rodent & it is her behaviour which gives clues to her reactions & responses. There's a difference between attributing behaviour & attributing feelings to chinchillas (or any animal).
Accidents happen. Stupid accidents happen - but they usually happen when people don't know better or have made a mistake - what counts is learning from others' experiences & changing stuff to make the chinchillas' environment safer. You were repeatedly told not to do something (unsupervised free roaming) because it was highly likely to be detrimental to your chinchilla - then you posted that you'd ignored all the advice & (surprise, surprise) Horton was injured - it's a little hard not to be frustrated since you're meant to be the responsible human.
Leave if you must but I hope Horton comes to no further harm because of your stubborn refusal to see sense.
Firstly, no-one said rodents should be caged all the time. Many of us allow our pets time out of their cages to explore - the difference is we do it safely, supervising at all times. This is apparently something you find difficult to grasp - that a chinchilla (rodent) should be supervised & not left to free roam.
That is all we are saying - give your chin freedom but do it safely because that is responsible ownership.
He's not miserable - you are interpreting it as him being miserable. He has trained you to let him out if he tugs on the cage bars/mesh. That's just a behaviour modification - there's little/nothing anthropomorphic about it. He's worked out in his animal way that if he behaves in a certain way he gets free.
All chins do this - one of their inherent charms is that they look so adorable - chinchillas are intelligent but they are not little humans.
So, despite your earlier post decrying our advice, you have decided to no longer allow Horton time out of his cage unsupervised?
Why didn't you just post that? People are reacting with concern about your chinchilla still being allowed out of cage time in an unsafe manner - this forum is primarily about health & welfare.
I'll also repeat that wires/cords are not the only hazards to an unsupervised chinchilla (just for reference in case anyone else is reading this thread).
I'm sorry but this just made me laugh out loud. I've been a member here for a number of years & I think you'll find most people on this forum treat their chinchillas as beloved pets. There's a huge difference between treating an animal as a family member & treating an animal as a small human with human thought processes & feelings. I'm sorry you can't seem to differentiate between behaviour & feelings/emotions.
There are some of us here who have deliberately chosen to create a persona for some of our chinchillas. There's Shelly (owned by Cindy) & Gzifa (owned by me) to name but two. Gzifa even has a blog (www.gzifa.co.uk) as well as a Twitter account (https://twitter.com/GzifaChinchilla). I use both to help educate people about all aspects of chinchilla care, behaviour, welfare etc.
I attribute emotion & thought to Gzifa in order to write in ways which people can understand but the bottom line is Gzifa is not a small human - I love her to bits, she spends hours out with me, is very tactile & likes to be touched, has a very expressive face, & I can read her like a book - BUT she's a rodent & it is her behaviour which gives clues to her reactions & responses. There's a difference between attributing behaviour & attributing feelings to chinchillas (or any animal).
Accidents happen. Stupid accidents happen - but they usually happen when people don't know better or have made a mistake - what counts is learning from others' experiences & changing stuff to make the chinchillas' environment safer. You were repeatedly told not to do something (unsupervised free roaming) because it was highly likely to be detrimental to your chinchilla - then you posted that you'd ignored all the advice & (surprise, surprise) Horton was injured - it's a little hard not to be frustrated since you're meant to be the responsible human.
Leave if you must but I hope Horton comes to no further harm because of your stubborn refusal to see sense.
ticklechin
Well-known member
:banghead:
chinsNdobermans
Humble Acres Chinchillas
Unfortunately some people don't want advice, and they don't want to see that they are doing something wrong, even if it means injury/death for another living being.
AZChins
Pro Cage Cleaner Champion
It really is best to supervise the little fuzzies when they are out running. Chins get into so much trouble if you leave them to their own devices. It's not just wires. They can jump into toilets or wet sinks or get get stuck or fall or get outside.
Just be so careful with your chinnie! The electric shock is just one danger. People have enough trouble if they have a chin escape a cage. I have designated chin playtime areas for a reason. (I can tell you the story about the chin that got into the air ducts of my house...that's a good one that demonstrates how chins can get into a lot of trouble!)
I definitely agree with Claire. They aren't little humans, they lack the ability to reason or think anything at all through. And, they aren't unhappy if they don't get out. It's hard to explain the behavior because the chins lack the ability to have the same emotions we have. We look at them and think that they are feeling what we feel, it's different. Many of their actions and reactions are a result of conditioning. We teach them to act like that! When a chin goes crazy and tugs at the bars of the cage it's usually because doing so has brought about a favorable result of getting out or getting a treat.
Once you learn how to read your chinchilla and their motivations behind their actions it makes it so much easier to handle them. Even though they act like fuzzy two year old children, they aren't. You have to remember that everything you put into the chinchilla, you get out. If you spoil them and give in to them, you get a spoiled chin thinking that he is the boss of you and will drive you crazy. You are the boss and you don't have to let the chin have whatever he wants. It isn't animal abuse, it's being a good chin owner.
(I say that with all sincerity, I want you to have a happy, healthy chin for 16 or 17 years! Not wanting to be rude or mean!)
Just be so careful with your chinnie! The electric shock is just one danger. People have enough trouble if they have a chin escape a cage. I have designated chin playtime areas for a reason. (I can tell you the story about the chin that got into the air ducts of my house...that's a good one that demonstrates how chins can get into a lot of trouble!)
I definitely agree with Claire. They aren't little humans, they lack the ability to reason or think anything at all through. And, they aren't unhappy if they don't get out. It's hard to explain the behavior because the chins lack the ability to have the same emotions we have. We look at them and think that they are feeling what we feel, it's different. Many of their actions and reactions are a result of conditioning. We teach them to act like that! When a chin goes crazy and tugs at the bars of the cage it's usually because doing so has brought about a favorable result of getting out or getting a treat.
Once you learn how to read your chinchilla and their motivations behind their actions it makes it so much easier to handle them. Even though they act like fuzzy two year old children, they aren't. You have to remember that everything you put into the chinchilla, you get out. If you spoil them and give in to them, you get a spoiled chin thinking that he is the boss of you and will drive you crazy. You are the boss and you don't have to let the chin have whatever he wants. It isn't animal abuse, it's being a good chin owner.
(I say that with all sincerity, I want you to have a happy, healthy chin for 16 or 17 years! Not wanting to be rude or mean!)
chinchillin2005
Shadow's mom
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2012
- Messages
- 199
I've had my chinchilla for 7 years now, and I let him free roam, mostly in my room or the laundry room. That being said, chinchillas are rodents, and they bite everything, the molding, the wall, furniture, anything and almost everything, they need to be watched very closely, and I wish I had a playpen or a chinchilla proof room with no molding, but I don't, and he hates being locked up in a cage even with a wheel. I'm all for free roam, but it needs to be a complete chinchilla proof room, and unfortunately he's bitten so much molding and paint and stuff over the many years he escaped and such, and I regret that. one day im gunna save enough money to get him a room with marble/granite floors and no molding. i really want this because i think chinchillas should be able to run around at least once a week.
ticklechin
Well-known member
Free roam in a chin proof room while being watched is one thing, mine do that, but free roam the entire house when you are away is the issue, that is what the OP does.
KujoSutefanii
Well-known member
Oh my goodness... I feel so bad for this poor little chinchilla but I can honestly say that I saw it coming.
Unfortunately, I've seen people like her and they're as stubborn as it gets. She won't ever stop doing what she's doing, even if deep inside she knows it's wrong. She just wants to prove to everyone that she's right in the end. I just pity that poor little chin who's going to be the victim of her stubbornness =/
Sorry if it sounds harsh but it's the honest truth. I've seen people like this many times and it never ends up pretty in the end...
Unfortunately, I've seen people like her and they're as stubborn as it gets. She won't ever stop doing what she's doing, even if deep inside she knows it's wrong. She just wants to prove to everyone that she's right in the end. I just pity that poor little chin who's going to be the victim of her stubbornness =/
Sorry if it sounds harsh but it's the honest truth. I've seen people like this many times and it never ends up pretty in the end...
chinsNdobermans
Humble Acres Chinchillas
Why would someone let their chinchilla free roam their home? The droppings would be everywhere...
ticklechin
Well-known member
:hilarious:
chinsNdobermans
Humble Acres Chinchillas
Truly, I'm serious. The poop annoys me enough when they're caged and in a separate room!
:hmm: People confuse me!
Jazicat
Well-known member
I just want to say that I think that my chinchillas love their cages. It's their territory and being that I have all boys they like to guard it from each other. I also feel safer knowing that they can't get into something while I am not looking. All of my boys get daily out time but sometimes they all decide to skip a night too. After three years of having chinchillas I can't imagine making my house safe enough for free range. I can't even imagine a whole room unless it would only be used for chinchillas and still very hard.
This is more for the people who are going to read this and think cages are bad. The OP has a different opinion and I just don't agree.
This is more for the people who are going to read this and think cages are bad. The OP has a different opinion and I just don't agree.
Mcrew7
Active member
A chin running loose would probably urinate on the floor as well......not pleasant if your floors are carpeted!
