Best First Playtime For New 6yr-old Rehomes

[Chinwawa]

Hi everyone. I hope you can all give me some advice.
I am planning on giving my two new 6 year old rehomes their first playtime next weekend. They are beginning to know me and are asking to come out of their cage.

I cannot use the bathroom. I play with my baby chin in a penned in area in the bedroom. She comes out. Jumps on me and then down on the floor where I have a house, a tube and toys. She jumps up to go in and out of her cage.

These new girls are big. I am very sure they will jump out of the pens and I don't want them lose in the bedroom. I purchased a 6 foot tall room divider and will use it in combination with the pens so that they can play in the cage area without, hopefully, getting lose in the bedroom. Of course, I will keep the bedroom door closed just in case they escape the play area.

My question is: what can I do to make sure that their first play time is not frightening to them. Also I am worried they wont respond when I need them to go back in the cage and don't want them to be frightened of me because they think I am chasing them.

Any suggestions from the experts?

Thank you all in advance.

 

[jessers]

I alway use the bath dust and it works everytime. If not maybe a raisen or another treat they love. One time my chins got loose and my friend happened to be there to and she said to leave the bathdust/treat there and 'don't look at him, no eye contact' it actually worked and it was quite funny too.

 

[Brittany_Lynn]

Yeah Pico does the same thing if he's loose, if I don't look at him, he'll go right into the dust bath, lol. No eye contact. What's the Phantom of the Opera quote? "Keep your hand at the level of your eyes."? hahaha

 

[Pleiades]

Yes, agreed. Saving the dust bath until the end of playtime is your ace in the hole.

My boys are now trained to go back to their cage...I just did that by giving them a treat sometimes immediately after they go in. Also, it helps when you're training them to go back on their own to not shut them in their cage every time they return to the cage. This way they learn that the cage is just a refuge and that playtime is not necessarily over when they go in. (Otherwise they'll learn not to go in, tricky things!)

The rest of your setup sounds pretty good for their first playtime- have fun, take pictures?!