So my little guy Gus Gus loves getting scritches and lets me pet him all the time but hates being picked up or held.. I've been trying to get him use to it but he still hates it. Anyways.. when I get him out for playtime I transport him to his playpen using his dust bath but the problem is he knows my trick and refuses to get back in there so I can put him back in his cage. It takes about 15-20 min for me to get him back to his cage. Just wondering if there were any other ways to get him back into his cage or how to pick him up easier (he freaks out if I touch his back end)?
Playtime problems
- Thread starter LeaJo22
- Start date
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Marie5656
Chinchilla slave
I am not sure I would want to equate the dust bath with transport,,it may make him leary of using the bath. Do you happen to have a small pet carrier (like for a cat or small dog)? I use that for Trixie..and it is exclusively for carrying her to her play area. Once she learned its meaning, she will hop in when I hold it to the door of her cage. When she is finished playing, sha has taught herself to go back into the carrier and wait for me to get her. We have reached a point where when she goes into the carrier at the end of playtime, I will hold my hand outside the carrier, and she will hop onto it and let me carry her back to her cage. Just takes time.
Try to teach him a single word verbal cue. Trixie will usually respond to "Home" and go to her carrier.
Try to teach him a single word verbal cue. Trixie will usually respond to "Home" and go to her carrier.
sheena lee
Well-known member
I leave the dust bath in the bathroom or playpen and let Chia use it as she pleases, until she gets in around the end of playtime and I just scoop her up with it. It helps if you don't associate the dust bath solely to end-of-playtime I think... Chia has never had a problem going back in.
I use the dust bath to get him to the playpen and usually leave it in there for a little bit and I give him a treat as soon as he gets back into his cage. I've also tried using pvc tube to get him back in but that doesn't really work either. I just bought a carrier the other day so I will try that for our next playtime. Thanks for the advice
