Need some thoughts - PO'ed chinnie!

[Solarsis]

We've had our chins for almost a decade now and recently (probably 5 months ago now) had to separate them due to fighting. We have a Ferret Nation so we split the cage in half and each chin lives in her own quarters. This weekend, I decided that their cages needed a renovation to get rid of old toys and huts that had been in there for quite a few years. I redid Calypso's cage first with a new hut, squiggle bridge and shelving. This is where the problem starts...I think I unleashed heck.

Our cute and loveable chinnie has turned into a mad woman, spending HOURS chewing at the cage bars as if to tell me she's ready to go back to her real home. We have been mostly ignoring her when she does this, but the few times I've opened the cage door to feed her, she's literally leapt into our arms or on the floor - she NEVER does this. It's usually quite the opposite.

The mad running, chewing, and leaping has been going on for three days now. I worry about her hurting herself or breaking a tooth. Do I cave and put some of the old things back? I'm worried they aren't quite sanitary anymore. How long do I let her do her shenanigans before I cave? I've never seen her throw such a fit.

 

[Riven]

Wash them up good, put some of them back in and see if that helps. If it does, then slowly remove the items so it's not a what the heck happened to my house!

 

[Godofgods]

Some items you can clean i beleive. You could try putting them back in to see if she clams down. Youd be a bit anxious to if you woke up in a strange new house. If she calms down then you could try replaceing them slowly over time.

 

[Encantadora]

She sounds like the toddler forced to give up a shabby, thread bare security blanket!

I'm surprised she isn't happily exploring. Are you sure nothing else changed??

 

[Solarsis]

She sounds like the toddler forced to give up a shabby, thread bare security blanket!

I'm surprised she isn't happily exploring. Are you sure nothing else changed??

Yep. Nothing else has changed. We left the bedding and other items like her food and hay bowls. Otherwise, the cage hasn't moved, our schedules are not different and we are still feeding them the same.

 

[ChinnyMom]

sounds like my Rhino when i put his log house back in his cage one day in the 'wrong' spot. he was quite ticked with me, lol. went hopping around his cage until i put the house in its rightful spot.

chins like it when things are the same. i would at least put her old hut back in the same spot (especially if it is her safe spot, and she's in there quite a bit), she may calm down.

 

[Brittany]

You can clean scuzzy wood with water/vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. I use a denture brush and scrub away. If you have a sander you can sand everything down when it's all dry.

 

[Solarsis]

Thanks everyone. She started calming down and going back to her old self about 2 days ago. We're not 100% there yet, but it's a lot better.

The hut was the main problem in the cage. It was 5 years old and had been sanded and cleaned several times. The wood was starting to be smelly and she had chewed herself a garage door with one of the openings. It was not holding together really well anymore.

I'm still keeping the old hut as a backup plan but it looks like she's getting used to the new arrangement. Fingers crossed, but I'll be putting the old one in if she goes crazy again!