Barking Chin @ Night!

[kdr13]

Ok so my little boy Fleury is the sweetest boy ever! Anyways, he sometimes barks in his sleep and its the cutest thing! But, the past 2 nights, he starts barking while he is awake. He barks, then he stops, then he barks then a pause til he barks again. The night before last I went out and checked on him, gave him some love, and he calmed down and I could go to sleep. Well last night, it went on for like 5 minutes so again I went out and checked him, gave him so scratches and went back in to bed. But then he continued to do it, almost insistantly, like he wanted something. So, I gave him a shredded wheat and went back to bed. Then he continued, and when i went out he was barking while I was out there. I tried petting him and he just ran away from me to the corner of his cage to bark! So at 12:30 last night I had him out to let him run around (that was my last idea). After he ran around he layed down on his cold teracotta thing and went to sleep! Everything is fine today but I just can't be up @ all hours of the night taking him out whenever he feels like it! It only happens @ night when i leave the living room (where they are and I spend most of my time) to go to bed. Any ideas of what is going on?

 

[Sandi]

I don't think it's anything to worry about as long as you know that he is safe in his cage and there isn't anything outside of the cage that may be concerning him. Once he starts and knows that you come running, he may just be doing that to get you to come. I have a boy who does this about once a month, at first I thought it was because he was just getting adjusted to the basement that we moved all the chins too, but I noticed that he starts once I leave the room. As soon as I give him attention and know he's ok, I leave but then he starts it again. I know he and the rest of the boys are ok and sometimes think it's him wanting a little more one on one attention.

 

[jamanalo]

What I've noticed with young chins especially, is that they can get lonely or scared at night. they are nocturnal, as everyone knows(i hope!) so thats when they are most active. If they are alone, its dark, and kinda scary for the animal. If you want, play a radio near his cage. Obviously keep cords and electrical stuff away. Keep it at a comfy volume. Something that to our ears would sound very soft because they do have sensitive little ears. This way, he can be preoccupied and he'll feel as though someone is around.
Also, if possible, i would get him a friend. BUT if thats out of the question. The radio idea should work.

 

[Jazicat]

Edgar loves TV and we leave it on for him all night to keep him company. It's pretty cute to see him on the shelf with the best view watching.

 

[Tagna]

I have a lot of barking chins. Day or night, I hear them. One starts, then another and so on. It can get noisy sometimes but I'm use to the noise now.

 

[lauralynne]

What I've noticed with young chins especially, is that they can get lonely or scared at night. they are nocturnal, as everyone knows(i hope!) so thats when they are most active. If they are alone, its dark, and kinda scary for the animal. If you want, play a radio near his cage. Obviously keep cords and electrical stuff away. Keep it at a comfy volume. Something that to our ears would sound very soft because they do have sensitive little ears. This way, he can be preoccupied and he'll feel as though someone is around.
Also, if possible, i would get him a friend. BUT if thats out of the question. The radio idea should work.

Actually, chins are not nocturnal. They're crepuscular.

If you don't have a radio, that's a great idea. A lot of chin owners have one going 24/7.

You can also try moving his playtime to right before you go to bed. maybe a later playtime will tire him out for a bit longer.

 

[caiti]

Actually, chins hear about the same range and volume we do. They're used in a lot of studies on human medications administered through the ears and human aural diseases and stuff. But keeping it at a low volume is still a good idea, like jamanalo said. Firstly so it doesn't startle them and they can get used to the noise and also so they can sleep with the noise on if they want to.

I always wondered what chins see when they look at a TV. I mean, do they just see a bunch of lights flashing at them or can they register the images? I guess even if they registered the images they probably still wouldn't really cognitively register it or know what they were looking at. I also wondered whether flashing lights would scare them or not but I know a lot of people leave TVs on for their chins.