My little escape artist...help?

[ScribbledJoy]

So I've had my three month old Zadie for about two weeks now. For the first week and a half, I didn't take her out of her cage at all but had my hands in there fairly frequently. She seemed to love it and would jump around all over my hand and arm, gently letting me play elevator and whatnot.

Cue first playtime. I only let her out in the bathroom for about ten minutes while I cleaned her cage (my sister was watching her) and it's all she thinks about now! Every time I put my hand in her cage to give her food or just say hello, I can't do it without her scampering up my arm and trying to squeeze out, biting if I don't let her (she never used to bite hard before, only test nibbles). She escaped twice yesterday alone, one of them because she figured out how to unlatch the door and let herself run free in my very un-chin-proof room! I've since wrapped extra wired around the latch so she can't pull that again, but still.

How can I teach her that I wont always be giving her playtime, or ever be able to just stick my hand in her cage again without worrying about her taking off on me?

 

[Stormcrow]

Chins are creatures of habbit.
Some weeks - when my workhours allow it - i take my chins out for daily playtime, always around the same time.
Other weeks I can't, and they get a playtime every 2 (max 3) days.
At first, when one of those weeks with fewer playtime came up, they got crazy around their playtime hour, running the cage up and down, nibbling the bars etc. Every time me of my GF moved they went bananas cause they thought they could get out, and when we stuck our hands/arms in the cage they started to scratch us with their little front paws, like they were saying "get out of the way!".

Now, after a few months, they seem to realize that they can't roam my hallway every day...
When i go to their cage to feed, clean or interact they act normal, they climb my hands/arms, but that's it... When i approach them and say "speeltijd" a few times (playtime in dutch) they get excited cause they know what is going to happen.

or like I said: creatures of habbit

 

[chocochin]

Probably it will just take time. My little guy is about the same age, and even though he knows when his play time is, and when it's not, he'll try an escape everyone now and again when he's excited.
Just make sure that you're spending lots of time around the cage even when it's not play time. It might take a week or so before she calms down and realizes that she can't get out. Also, it sounds like right now she's been decently successful at escaping. Once she tries enough times and doesn't get out any more, she'll back off.
I know this isn't super helpful, but it should work. Give it a week or two and she'll adjust

 

[jess32247]

Welcome to the joys of owning a chin

Like everyone is saying, they are creatures of habit. My chin was the same way when I first got her. As soon as I put her away from her first play time, she would do all she could to get out. I can't give much advice though, but she'll settle in sooner or later once she adjusts to the new play time schedule. It took my girl about a year to calm down and adjust, don't be surprised if it takes that long. Everyday around the same time though, she'll sit at her cage door and glare at me until I let her out, but she doesn't usually try to run out when I open the door. At least she made some progress!