Chinchilla Acting Strange

[ashleynicol3]

My chinchilla has been acting strange today. I don't let him out of his cage to play every day, but I do let him out a few times a week. I talk to him and scratch him throughout the day... Before I go to work in the morning, as soon as I get home from work in the afternoon, and usually multiple times before I go to bed.

Today, he's acting like he doesn't want to be touched, almost like he's afraid, but nothing has happened to cause him to act this way. My fiancé and I are the only ones in the house and we haven't done anything differently - and we don't have other pets who could have bothered the chinchilla.

I had to work late today and went to check on him as soon as I got home from work. When I left the room, I heard him crying. He doesn't do it very often, so I went back over to check on him again and he just looked at me and kept crying. He stopped after a bit. I tried to let him out of his cage to play, but he wouldn't come out.

He is six months old. Do you think he could be lonely? I have contemplated getting another chinchilla, but I know that's risky business. Maybe he is just being a "teenager." I've had him for three months or so and he's never acted like this before. I guess he could be mad that I worked late - and with the time change, it was already dark by the time I got home.

I just worry about him! He definitely doesn't seem sick or anything like that. He's eating and drinking and pooping.


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[Cinder and Me]

I have a light on a timer for Taz and then in the living room for my dogs. I just feel bad if they're in total darkness until I get home.

I have heard that between 3-8months of age, chins go through a maturity/growing phase. He could just be acting like a moody teenager.

With the time change, was it dark by the time you got home? I suppose its possible that threw him off too.

 

[ashleynicol3]

Yeah, it was dark when I got home. Maybe the time change plus me coming home late just threw him off! He likes my fiancé, but I'm his favorite.


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[Godofgods]

my first guess would be that your chin maybe sensed something out side or somewhere that he considered a threat. They can sense a lot more then just the immediate surroundings that you see. If this were the case and he was scared it would explain his lack of wanting to be touched or wanting to come out of the cage. He knows hes more safe and he feels more secure in his cage then out of it. The crying noise could have also been there 'warning bark'