Aggressive Behavior

Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum

Help Support Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

MRevelo

Active member
Joined
Oct 13, 2011
Messages
37
Location
California
I've had my chinchilla (Stickshift) for well over 9 years about almost 10 now. I've had him since he was 1 & half years old. He's always been friendly with me & even given me kisses. I'm the only one in my household that handles him/feeds him & cleans his cage.

2 months ago, he got his first ear infection & around that same exact time I got him a new cage after the one he's had since we first got him too. He wasn't able to enjoy the cage for a while since the ear infection caused him to not be mobile but after he healed up he was able too.
The old cage
The new cage

Now to fast forward to almost a week to two weeks ago. My now husband & I had him in the bathroom for a dust bath & he was perfectly fine, enjoying his bath & getting dust all over us. We put him back into the cage & later that day, my husband goes over to give him a treat & Stickshift takes the treat & is happy. My Husband & Stickshift have been forming a better relationship too as at first stickshift would sometimes nip at Josh but never bit him hard but then later would as for the pets later on lol.

But as the day went on, Josh went over to stickshift while I was cooking and bit him hard. I just told Josh it might just be him being a butt. another hour went by and he bit Josh hard again as he was going to just pet him. So I go over to the cage & to talk to stickshift to see what was up. He bit me hard. He has never bit me hard ever. Later on as I walk by the cage to check on stickshift as I was worried. He was attacking the bars. So I go to grab a towel & pick him up from that way & take him to the bathroom we normally have him in to run around, just to have one on one to see if he was okay. He was trying to attack me after biting me several more times. I had to sit on the toilet just to be out of reach! I felt so silly having to do so but I had never experienced stickshift being this way towards me.

I eventually was able to pick him up with the towel & put him in his cage but since then his behavior has been completely different to Josh & myself. He's peeing everywhere in his cage & not in the potty that I had trained him to go in long ago that's in his cage. I haven't changed the brand of food or water, I've stopped giving him treats. At first I thought it could of been matted fur since he's peeing everywhere the bottom fur around his private area is getting wet. So I got a towel the other day and wrapped him up and removed quite a bit of fur by hand when massaging it out. But he still was being mean.

Yesterday I was cleaning his cage and had to put him in a crate just to clean it as he would keep trying to attack my arms if not. I even moved things in his cage to see if it's him trying to assert dominance. After I cleaned it & moved things around I put him back in his cage. He noticed things were moved. I then put on some baggy sweat pants on along with a baggy thick jacket on and opened the cage. I held out my arms (mind you my hands were inside the jacket as I was afraid of him biting me) to see if he would want to come out to play. He goes into my arms and we go into the bathroom & I let him take his dust bath. I sit in the corner not moving and just watch. He isn't charing at me or attacking me.He even sits on me. I pet him a few times and he doesn't bite me. I had him out for about 30mins and nothing. Picked him up just fine and put him in his cage. He went back to being aggressive so I knew it had to be him and the cage.

This morning I could barely clean his cage. He constantly was attacking my arm while I wore that baggy thick jacket. he got a few bites in me through the jacket until it was the point I sat there crying because I don't know what's going on with my stickshift. I'm so scared that if I can't figure it out that I cannot keep him since I can't even put my hand in his cage to give him food or even clean out his cage.

The bites this moring through the jacket
 
Update;

Stickshift is still aggressive towards us. Most days I can open the cage and pet him fine but once I close the cage door, he will bite at the bars. This morning I open the cage to move a box he plays in since it was blocking the hole to the floors down below in his cage and he comes running to me & bites my arm/elbow. (Thankfully I had a sweater on)

I've been giving him some space. Just still very heartbreaking that I can barely touch my furbaby.
 
I wanted to give him a dust bath & so I set up the bathroom for us to go in. I'm layered up again, sweatpants over my shorts, sweater on with that jacket before & he crawled into my arms perfectly fine when I opened the cage and brought him into the bathroom. He saw his dust bowl & goes for it. I again sit in the corner of the bathroom not moving. Just watching him. He comes over to me and starts to bite my foot hard. thankfully I had thick socks on.

I try nudge him away with my hand that is fulled covered by the jacket and he starts to go attacking the jacket. I had to pick him up quickly because it was not working and he starts to bite at my thumb through the jacket as I put him back into his cage. I close to cage doors and he starts biting at it & even squeaking at me. Not his normal barking noise out of alarm but, like close to chirping.


I'm so lost at what to do. I'm afraid I might have to give him up..
 
Unfortunately still no changes. I haven't been bit from him in a while, but that's only because I dont put my hand in the cage period. I open his carrier and when I open the cage door he just hops right in and I lock the carrier until I'm done changing his food/water or cleaning. If I see him asleep I'll sneaky open the cage and pet him for a few seconds before I close it. But once I close it he comes to the cage door and bites the bars.
 
Have you tried putting him back in his old cage? Once in a while we come across chins who just dont like change at all and becomes super territorial and aggressive.

Was another person the other week that had a chin in one floor of a double fn for a long time. Friendly chin, but when she opened it up to two floors it was to much for that chin and he went all territorial and aggressive. They had to put him back to a one floor and then the chin went back to normal after a bit.

It becomes an issue where its to new/to much area in there minds to defend and they can get crazy about it.
 
Have you tried putting him back in his old cage? Once in a while we come across chins who just dont like change at all and becomes super territorial and aggressive.

Was another person the other week that had a chin in one floor of a double fn for a long time. Friendly chin, but when she opened it up to two floors it was to much for that chin and he went all territorial and aggressive. They had to put him back to a one floor and then the chin went back to normal after a bit.

It becomes an issue where its to new/to much area in there minds to defend and they can get crazy about it.

unfortunately we do not have the old cage anymore. I might have to try just locking the top floor & seeing if the lower is good enough for him. It's just so odd since he's had this cage for almost two month before he started to get aggressive with us.
 
So I tried the whole one level for my chin & it didn't seem to help. :(
I just reopened the top half yesterday to give it back to him to roam around which he seemed happy to run about on top.
 
Some times a new location or new cage can change a chins attitude. Im running outa ideas tho..

It's okay. I appreciate the help!


I can say though, I have been keeping my distances from him. Only pet him quicky through the bars on his head before he moves & been putting him in his carrier when I clean his cage. Recently I would be able to open the cage door and put my whole hand in without wearing layers & pet him. Again I make sure not too long. At least for a week now I've been able to do that. I even dared to put my finger in front of his face after I scratch above his nose. He's nipped me friendly but no hard bites. I am still nervous to pick him up & give him kisses but there has been progress.
 
I think this behavior is due to a medical reason. I would find an exotic vet that could help you out. Animals that turn that aggressive are often in pain. That is the only advise I can give you. Good luck talk to a Exotic animal vet or wildlife vet.

Also he is not a young chin anymore this would be the time healthy issues would pop up.
 
Back
Top