New chin is scared!

[chinsarefriendsnotfood]

hello all!

I just got my first Chin from a breeder about a week ago. She is two years old and is almost completely missing an ear from a fight with a sibling as a kit. it works perfectly fine; everything is intact but some of the cartilage. so no pain!

anyway, when first brought her home, she would let me reach on her cage a slowly pet her. but now, iI vant even get near her cage without her freaking out and hiding in the corner. nothing in her lifestyle has changed since I brought her home: same routine, same cage, same noise level, same people.

now, she usually runs to the corner and barks, but that has gotten better. she also likes to watch me from the front of her cage, as long as I am a good 10 feet from her cage. I feel so bad that I am causing her so much stress without intent.

my question is that if it is still possible to make a chinchilla trust you even when you first get them as an adult? or are they already permanently conditioned to have no trust? the breeder told me she is one of the sweetest girls ever, but very shy in her cage. I am taking this slowly, I havent even tried to take her out yet. I want her to trust me first. am I doomed to have a chin that will always think I am going to eat her, or is it still possible to get her to bond with me??

thanks so much.

 

[tunes]

A week is no time at all. It can takes months and months for a chin to warm up to you, especially if the breeder had no interaction with their animals (which happens a LOT). It is definitely possible to bond with an adult, you just need to give her time. If she came from a large breeder, then its possible she lived in a very small cage with no interaction. Most pet owners try to buy their chins nice big cages with houses and wheels, etc. It's an adjustment for her. Try getting her a wood house to hide in (if you haven't already). That will give her somewhere to go where she will feel secure. Also, go in and read the FAQ's regarding bringing home a new chin. There is a lot of good information there on helping you both to adjust to living together.

Welcome to CnH and good luck.

 

[kickster]

I agree. My chins are craigslist chins. They are almost 5 years old and I've had them for a year. But I go away for the school year and my parents care for them. But when I came back for this past summer, they were pretty tame. So I went to training them to let someone pet them etc. I thought they would never let me do that but I was wrong. So good luck!!

 

[sandycandy135]

When I first got my chinnie she would bark when I came near the cage but was super loving during playtime. I just sat next to the cage and spoke softly and when she stopped barking I would place my hand in and let her slowly adjust to me being in her space. I would do this every day and now she's totally comfortable with me coming over and giving her scritches behind the ear

 

[sassyandclassy]

I got my chin about a month ago and she was only 5 months old.

She was super interested in me like she'd always watch me no matter what I was doing but she wouldn't let me pet her or pick her up.

I was getting worried that I somehow ended up with an unfriendly chin but I gave it time and started by putting both of my hands in flat in the cage and she would come up and sniff them and eventually climb on them. Now she jumps into my hands as soon as I put them in the cage and she lets me pet her with one hand while she's on the other!!! She still won't let me pet her when she's sitting in the cage but as long as she's in my hand it seems to be okay.

I'd say be patient and your chin will come around too =]