New chin question..

Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum

Help Support Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Sand_Dance

Member
Joined
May 20, 2012
Messages
20
ok everyone says when you get a new baby chin to give it time before you try to handle it and play with it....but what if the chin is already tamed and if you put your hand next to it, he just crawls right up your arm? Should you still not really touch or handle him but just sit by the cage and talk to him for a while? Or is it okay to go ahead and handle him since he seems comfortable with it...the last thing i wanna do is rush it in any way and lose the 'trust' or cause him to regress at all....input anyone?
 
It's a good idea to let the chin adjust to his new surroundings before you start handling him because you don't want to stress him out. It's a lot to take in with new smells, sights, people, ect. How long have you had him? He sounds like he's settling in well, if he's comfortable with being held and touched then I say for go it, just take it slowly!
 
sand dance, had the same experience with my young guys (2 and 3 months old at that time).
After asking the same question here I followed everyones advice and didn't try and handle them, even blocking my arms so the boyz couldn't crawl on.
They went to sit at the side of his cage where I pass by like begging for attention.

After a few days I just sat by his cage, doors open, while talking to them and my arms placed within the cage. I would sit still like a totempole for an hour till my legs didn't get any blood anymore and felt like they were falling off :D

They did like the attention and quickly learned that, when used correctly and not chewed upon, my hands are some nifty playthings!!!

I also liked to put some pellets(fresh out of the box - wich they like more) in my hand, and then make my hand in to some sort of a funnel shape by making a fist and then open up your fingers a bit in a funnel shape.
Imo by that he got used to my hands fairly quickly, and he sees those fresh pellets as a treat (even though he gets fresh pellets every day in his bowl ofcourse).

After a week I couldn't put my hand in the cage without him trying to pull open my fingers to see if there wasn't any food there, but after another week he finally got it that a hand not guarantees treats, but being friendly to the hand does!

I have em like 6-7 weeks now and they are very eager to get out of the cage. Since they are too young for playtime they aren't allowed to leave it themselves, but if they jump on my hand they get a magic carpet ride, a scratch (they don't always agree with this) and a lift to one of their higher platforms. Once they get there they race back down to do it again!

Just saying, be carefull with the little one, but don't be afraid to get acquainted :D
 
If he's been socialized really well before you got him, you can proceed with the bonding at a faster pace.
The important thing is just to let HIM set the pace, and never force him into doing something that scares him. Let him come to you as much as is possible.
Good luck! Sounds like things are going really well for you so far.
 
Back
Top