biting his cage

[rutherford]

does anyone have advice on how to stop your chinchilla from biting his cage? i don't know why he does it, but lately, he's been biting his cage a lot. there are plenty of wood inside his cage for him to chew on, a few chew sticks, enough pellets, hay, and water.

in the beginning, i usually tap his cage softly and he'd stop. now i just blow on his face whenever he starts chewing his cage. i don't like to do it, but my girlfriend suggests i try to pair that activity with something he dislikes, and maybe he'd stop. it worked in the beginning, but now he just does it nonstop! it's really annoying because of the rattling metal and it's probably bad for his teeth as well. how do i get him to stop?

 

[addictedtochins]

Totally ignore him, he has trained you to respond to him.

 

[rutherford]

good point, addictedtochins. i will try that.

though at times, he bites his cage so aggressively and in such an obsessed way that it kind of worries me.

 

[muzzyj]

Pepper would do this too! She would bite it and then run her teeth along the side of the cage. She stopped after a while though. It was the weirdest thing though, cause like you i had wood, toys, pellets, hay, water...I think she's just spoiled lol

 

[Siany]

My chinchills does this too, more so at night i just ignore her

 

[Pikaia]

Yep, mine all do this after they have been out for playtime. I think it's like saying, "Hey, let me out again!" LOL! I agree to just ignore it.

 

[SarahKay]

Yep, mine all do this after they have been out for playtime. I think it's like saying, "Hey, let me out again!" LOL! I agree to just ignore it.

Agreed! My chin will pull on his bars for about an hour. That's just how they say they want back out and to have more attention. I always interpret it as "if you're not going to let me play, I am not going to let you sleep".

 

[emily]

Totally agree, my chin does this when he wants something. I just ignore it, and go about my business. If he stops, I wait a bit before taking him out, so he doesnt associate his actions with a reward.

 

[ChinnyMom]

Rhino always goes mad like this on the cage bar right under the lower door of his cage, before and after play time. after a few minutes he gives up though, because he either knows he's coming out (before) or i give him a scritch and leave the room (after).

 

[chichismama]

Yup! Thats what a few of mine do, as soon as I enter their room. It's there way of trying to get your attention, they think maybe one day they can bite thru the bars, lol.

 

[Ronda]

It also helps wear down their teeth. I've seen chins do this so much that they wear a line across the top of their nose. They will eventually stop but I've seen nothing to stop them before they want to.

Ronda

 

[Stackie]

I have actually had a chin chip his tooth from obsessive bar biting before. I've tried putting shelves, hanging toys, etc. to block his favorite chewing spot but nothing helps.

 

[addictedtochins]

I guess one way to stop them might be to put 1/4 inch hardware cloth (metal wire) on the inside of the cage. That should prevent them from being able to bite.

 

[rutherford]

i guess i'm glad it isn't only me who has this problem! i've been ignoring him the last few times that he does it. he gives up after a while, but after he goes about his business for a while, he's back to that particular corner and gnawing away! he loves the corners of the quality cage company cage, where there are these little metal bits that hold the cage together... so irritating!