Awkward play time?

[Chinessa]

I just adopted my chinchilla, Abbey, about 3 days ago. I am her third (and final!) owner. I don't think she ever had outside cage, play time with her old owner. The first night I had her, I left her in the cage all night so that she could adjust. The second night, I wanted to attempt a play time. But she hates being picked up! I have to chase her around the cage as she kacks(?) at me and I'm worried that she's going to associate me with bad things! (Or that I'm going to cause her to go bald! She has fur slipped a few times.)

Once I catch her, she's absolutely fine. She just chills in my lap or in my arms and allows me to give her scritches. But once I let her down for play time, she just tries to hide. Then, the same thing happens when I try to pick her up again. What can I do to make this easier? Should I even be trying to do play time yet? She is 5 years old. I want her to enjoy being outside of her cage and for me to learn how to pick her up easily.

All of this happened again last night when I tried to let her out for play time. She is fine if I just open the cage door and pet her, although she never comes up to the bars to me.

One more thing, what are some good toys or things to do when I let her out to play? She's in a chin-proof area in my home, but I don't really know what to put there for her to play with.

Any advice!? Haha.

 

[FutureDVM]

I think you should wait and let her settle in a bit longer before you try playtime. Moving to a new environment can be pretty stressful for chins. I would start off by sitting by the cage and talking gently to her, giving her scritches if she'll let you, and maybe feeding her a couple treats. After she feels more comfortable you can start to bring her out for playtime.

 

[Cuddlebug]

Sounds like she is just scared and needs more time to adjust to her new home and to you. As already suggested, spend time sitting next to the cage and talking to her, putting your hand in the cage and letting investigate it and give her a safe treat.

 

[jess32247]

I can relate to this a lot, my chin shares almost the same story as yours.

Anyway, I think you should let her adjust to her new surroundings for at least a week before you try any playtime. It may be fun seeing her explore the first time, but that along with moving is a lot of stress put on her.

Some chins don't like bieng picked up or pet in certain places. Mine will kack and run away if I touch her somewhere she doesn't like and come very close to spraying me if I try to pick her up. I respect her wishes and I try not to bother her with silly things she doesn't like - it might not seem like much for you, but it will make your relationship with your chin a whole lot better if you respect each other!

The fur slips and bald patches will grow back by themselves, eventually. I've heard that it takes long for chins to grow back fur is they are older, so it might take a couple of months for fur to grow to full length.

When it's time for her to go back in her cage, try to coax her in with a small healthly treat or her dust bath. It took my chin a long time to go back in her cage nicely (mostly because the cage she came with was extremely small and all wire.. yikes), but now I can call her into her cage with no fuss.

Cardboard boxes with holes cut out in them, tubes, chews, ect, and espeically YOU! Once she's comfortable and settled in, and when she comes out for play time, she'll love to use you as a toy! My chin uses me like a jungle gym LOL. But don't let her make a meal out of cardboard, if she does it's probably a good idea to take it away. Other than that, she'll have a blast running around, wall jumping, and jumping/chewing on everything else in the room!

Heh, I am my chins 4th and hopfully final owner. I think she's 6 years old, but I have no way of knowing. I have no idea how someone could pass on such a sweet, but honestly I'm glad she came to me. She's the safest and happiest she's eevr been

 

[Chinessa]

I think you should wait and let her settle in a bit longer before you try playtime. Moving to a new environment can be pretty stressful for chins. I would start off by sitting by the cage and talking gently to her, giving her scritches if she'll let you, and maybe feeding her a couple treats. After she feels more comfortable you can start to bring her out for playtime.

Sounds like she is just scared and needs more time to adjust to her new home and to you. As already suggested, spend time sitting next to the cage and talking to her, putting your hand in the cage and letting investigate it and give her a safe treat.

Okay! I think I'll just leave her be for now. She takes rose hips from me pretty readily, haha. So I'll just continue to give her scritches until she seems more trusting! Thanks for the advice!

I can relate to this a lot, my chin shares almost the same story as yours.....Cardboard boxes with holes cut out in them, tubes, chews, ect, and espeically YOU! Once she's comfortable and settled in, and when she comes out for play time, she'll love to use you as a toy! My chin uses me like a jungle gym LOL. But don't let her make a meal out of cardboard, if she does it's probably a good idea to take it away. Other than that, she'll have a blast running around, wall jumping, and jumping/chewing on everything else in the room!

My chin came with an all wire cage too. Her poor little feet are all calloused and hardened from walking on wire most of her life. :[ I'm using the same cage now, but I've outfitted the whole thing with fleece liners and I'm using a litter box in the corner where I've noticed she pees the most. She seems to love her cage though! I'm glad we can relate!

Thanks for the play-time ideas too! I thought about cardboard boxes, but I wasn't sure. Do most people use PVC tubes?

 

[jess32247]

My chin came with an all wire cage too. Her poor little feet are all calloused and hardened from walking on wire most of her life. :[ I'm using the same cage now, but I've outfitted the whole thing with fleece liners and I'm using a litter box in the corner where I've noticed she pees the most. She seems to love her cage though! I'm glad we can relate!

Thanks for the play-time ideas too! I thought about cardboard boxes, but I wasn't sure. Do most people use PVC tubes?

Aw poor girl, her feet must of hurt My chins feet never got that bad, but maybe it was because she never moved :/ Her feet look a lot better now, I hope her does too!

I know people use PVC inside there cage for sleeping tubes and such, with a fleece cover on. I don't see anything wrong with using them during playtime though, I would give it a shot! Since it is plasic, they shouldn't chew on it. They also sell cardboard tubes at petstores, but imo they are expensive just for a peice of cardboard! Keep your eyes open and get creative

 

[Chinessa]

Aw poor girl, her feet must of hurt My chins feet never got that bad, but maybe it was because she never moved :/ Her feet look a lot better now, I hope her does too!

I know people use PVC inside there cage for sleeping tubes and such, with a fleece cover on. I don't see anything wrong with using them during playtime though, I would give it a shot! Since it is plasic, they shouldn't chew on it. They also sell cardboard tubes at petstores, but imo they are expensive just for a peice of cardboard! Keep your eyes open and get creative

Yeah, it'll take some time, but I'm sure it must feel a thousand times better for her! Glad to know their little feetsies get better over time. :]

I'll give the tubes a shot! (Once she's comfortable enough for me to try, that is!) I have some leftover fleece scraps, so maybe I can use those to make a liner if she decides to chew. We have loads of cardboard boxes at work, so I'm going to bring some home and make a chinnie-condo! I might also try to turn some paper bags into crinkle sacks, hopefully that will go well, haha. I think I'm going to have just as much fun thinking of things for her to play with as she will playing with them!

 

[jess32247]

Funny you mentioned the paper bags, I gave my chin one of those big grocery ones, and she loved it! Over time, she chewed herself a little "window" to look out of. Your chin is gonna be so spoiled!

 

[Chinessa]

That's the plan, haha!

Thanks for all of the great suggestions! :]

 

[Anna35]

when I got Yazy and Binx it took them a few weeks to get use to me and settle in but I would offer them playtime as their cage is in the play room and for at least the first couple weeks they would not come out of the cage except to dust and then back in I just offered it without picking them up and sometimes they would venture out but most of the time they stayed in the cage and now they dart out when the door is opened...lol and go back in when they are done

 

[Chinessa]

The other day I let her come out on her own to dust bath, I just held up her little bath house to the door and she climbed right in! But she went straight back into her cage afterwards. I'm hoping to chin-proof the living area in my apartment so that I can do what you do, Anna. I can't wait for her to get to that point, haha!

She is coming up to the cage to greet me sometimes though. :]

Yours have cute names, by the way!

 

[Anna35]

Thank you and I'm sure she will warm up to you. I have had Yazy and Binx for 2 months now they don't like to be held but I can pet them and they will come up to me during playtime as well as come to the front of the cage to greet me. Just had to let them do it on their own terms