a few ?? about my new boys.

[MeganS]

So I am a new mommy to two boys. I got them from a woman off craigslist who got them from her cousin. She told me she thinks they are about three years old and brothers. She handled them often, but I think she said she had them for about a year and her cousin before that didn't handle them much at all. They don't really like to be held or touched except on there heads. The smaller one Harley is kind of aggressive and the bigger one fatboy is more dosile but also more skittish. They have warmed up to me over the last week, but Harley seems to like to cause trouble. He flips his house over, dumps his food bowl, bites sometimes if I stick my hand in the cage to get his food bowl, but he is more social most of the time. He will come up to me to say hi and see what I'm doing when I go up to the cage. I built them a play area around their cage and I'm hoping that will help, but I was wondering if there is something I can do to get fatboy to be more social and Harley less aggressive? Also I am trying to litter train them so they can have fee roam in their room. Any advise is appreciated. Also is it bad to give them more than one cherio or shredded wheat per day and how much hay is good to give them with their pellets? Thanx

 

[alli713]

First off, congrats on your new chins!
I think that the more time you spend with them, the more they will get used to you and come out of their shell and not be so shy/anti social. But, some chins just aren't really sociable. It's just the nature of the chin, you never really know. I'd say that just continue to spend time with them and see how it goes. It can take months for chins to get used to a new owner, so perhaps they'll come around.
As far as free roam in the room, I hope you mean for them to run around when you're in there right? Please don't let them run around unsupervised. People have done that, with very bad outcomes. I think there may even be one on here where a chin was running around and ended up getting squished in a closet and dying. Chins can also chew through walls, so it's not a good idea in either case. You may be able to litter train them to pee in a pan, but chins will poop whenever, wherever, you'll never be able to train them to poop in a certain spot.
Most people free feed pellets. Generally, I just fill the bowls up at night and then again the next night. My bowls are almost never empty. What you want to make sure they have at all times is plenty of hay, that's the most important. And timothy or orchard grass hay, not alfalfa which has too much calcium. I would say that you may only want to give one shredded wheat a day. I don't even give them that often. Shredded wheats are good at clearing up runny poo, and I feel if their system is used to getting that much fiber, the shredded wheat won't help clear up the runny poo if needed. What I like to give is a pinch of old fashioned oats. Or a single rosehip, or twigs. The thing that I give most often is twigs and then I rotate the other treats with once a day.

 

[MeganS]

I give them Timothy hay and mazuri pellets. They have apple and pear wood sticks for chewing. I can vacuum poop but I don't want them to pee on the carpet. And I would never leave them unsupervised.

 

[Sugarmama]

If they have playtime in a room with carpet, you can always lay down an old comforter, fleece blanket, or something similar to protect the carpet. Just watch that they don't chew it up, and any accidents should be absorbed without a problem. They don't pee a whole lot at a time.

As far as making them more social, that will take time. They are in a brand new environment, and it's intimidating for them. They need time to settle in, and time to get to know you. The best thing you can do for them is to sit near their cage and talk to them, or read a book.

Sitting on the floor while they're out for playtime is great too; they will investigate you, and sooner or later feel free to climb and jump all over you. It just takes time.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

ditto what everyone has said. The 'trouble maker' will always be a trouble maker as far as throwing things around (not the biting part). A lot of chins love re-arranging their stuff. After all, it is their cage and they want things the way they want it, even if it is to dump the bowl. If they dump the bowl all the time, you will need the kind that attaches to the cage. I use the ceramic ones with the hood on it (that way, they can't pee in the dish also, which some chins do). You can find them in the parrot section of Petsmart. Also if you google ceramic food bowl you will find places that sell them

 

[MeganS]

well thank you all very much. this site and everyone on it has been extremely helpful! one more thing, how do i check them for hair rings if i cant catch them and what do i do if i can catch them?

 

[Kansas City Chinchillas]

I would wait a few months before attempting hair ring checks. You will know them and they will know you better.

 

[MeganS]

But what if they get a hair ring and something bad happens?

 

[alli713]

If you see your boy messing around with his parts often or see that it won't go back in after he cleans himself, then you'll know something is wrong. Of course boys will pleasure themselves and clean themselves so don't automatically think he has a hair ring when he's messing with it, but if he is doing so excessively, then I would say do a check.
Just with him being new to you, you risk making him take longer to get used to you if you traumatize him with a hair ring check especially with having never done one, it will take you longer than if you were used to doing them.
So I agree with the others, I would wait a bit.

 

[cintistatern2005]

When you do get around to doing the hair ring checks (but I would wait a bit) there is a decent video on www.youtube.com. Just search chinchilla hair ring check. It is a bit blurry but it gives you an idea of how one is done.

 

[MeganS]

so i watched that youtube video and the ladies chin just sat in her lap like a good boy and let her get on with it. mine wont hardly let me pet them. if i use the back of my hand its ok, but if i use the front they jump and bark cause they think i'm trying to pick them up and they dont like to be held. so i dont really know what to do. i'm not afaraid of them biting me, it doesnt hurt, but i dont want to hurt them. harley has escaped his cage before and i had to catch him and while i was holding him he squirmed alot. what do i do?

 

[Sandi]

Most chins will squirm but it has to be done and a 2nd person can hold him while you check - here's a much clearer video -

Here's a link to a good video that shows how to do it, scroll to the bottom of the page:
http://www.spoiledchins.net/hairring.htm

 

[MeganS]

well, i just tried my first hair ring check and failed miserably! he wouldnt quit jerking and sqirming long enough to get him into a proper position to pull the skin back far enough soi could pull his penis out. plus my hubby is scared to hurt him so he wont hold him right. he had him against his chest with one hand around his belly and his arm across his hands. he's also afraid that if he holds him like they did in the video harley will jump out of his hands. i dont even want to try with fatboy until we get it with harley.