Picking up Chinchilla

[GiovanniMoore]

Out of curiosity, does anyone have a chinchilla that does not like being picked up? My 7 year old chin, Zero, has never liked it. I usually take both hands and gently scoop him up from under (making sure his feet are on my palms) to move him but he never likes it and barks once he's lifted.

 

[Amethyst]

Most chins don't like being picked up, though they can normally learn to tolerate it enough so you can move them like for cage cleaning or playtime.

 

[GiovanniMoore]

Most chins don't like being picked up, though they can normally learn to tolerate it enough so you can move them like for cage cleaning or playtime.

Thank you very much! I have seen so many clips of people picking up their chinchilla and the chin being fine with it, but my boy does not like it at all

 

[Amethyst]

Yeah, unfortunately you get a skewed view of chins in videos online, you see the small percent (maybe 10%) that actually don't mind being held and cuddled, not the 90% or so that are more "no touchy". Of the 14 chins I've had over the years I think I've only had a couple that were ok with being handled, the rest tolerated it at most. My current one I can scoop him up without much fight now that he is older (at least 15 yrs old) but if I try to hold him for any length of time he fights it. They are pretty defenseless prey animals, so being picked up really triggers their fight or flight instinct.

 

[borwin98]

Yes, I have 7 chins that all hate to be picked up. It's OK for them to walk all over me, to sit on my head, to go to sleep on my knee, but only when and if they happen to feel like it. That's ok with me, they are all free to make their own choices. We get plenty of together time without any of them being confined to my arms unwillingly, it's more fun to watch the gang tearing around the place and semi-climbing walls anyway.

 

[GiovanniMoore]

Yeah, unfortunately you get a skewed view of chins in videos online, you see the small percent (maybe 10%) that actually don't mind being held and cuddled, not the 90% or so that are more "no touchy". Of the 14 chins I've had over the years I think I've only had a couple that were ok with being handled, the rest tolerated it at most. My current one I can scoop him up without much fight now that he is older (at least 15 yrs old) but if I try to hold him for any length of time he fights it. They are pretty defenseless prey animals, so being picked up really triggers their fight or flight instinct.

Yeah, I have gotten skewed by videos before! For a while I thought I was doing something wrong while brushing him because he did not enjoy it. I saw so many videos of chins loving being brushed but no matter what brush I used or how gentle I was he was not about it. I saw a video of a man in Japan describing his chins and when he said one of them just didn't enjoy it so he didn't do it unless he needed to, I realized that it was just preference.

 

[GiovanniMoore]

Yes, I have 7 chins that all hate to be picked up. It's OK for them to walk all over me, to sit on my head, to go to sleep on my knee, but only when and if they happen to feel like it. That's ok with me, they are all free to make their own choices. We get plenty of together time without any of them being confined to my arms unwillingly, it's more fun to watch the gang tearing around the place and semi-climbing walls anyway.

Oh absolutely! I would so much rather see Zero race around the room and jump up walls (he got some pretty decent hight last night and almost got ontop of my dresser which was impressive) than to just hold him. He elects to go on my shoulders when he wants so there's no need to hold him unwillingly.

 

[Rocknrolldoc]

The only time any of mine have been truly happy being held, was at the vet's office. I think it was a matter of choice of either let mommy hold me or be on the table having people trying to look at my teeth and ears and stuff! All are happy to sit on my lap and jump all over me and the rest of the family. One loves to be brushed. Honestly out of all five (and they trust me very much) none likes to be picked up when we're at home. I stopped trying years ago.