Chinchilla behavior-how to tell

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user 17911

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Apr 5, 2022
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How can you tell when a chinchilla is stressed? How about calm/content? And how about happy?
 
If stressed then tend to hide and bark at things they see, hear, or smell. They may not eat or drink much, or the opposite they can end up drinking a lot in one sitting, or eat and drink only when they feel safe and everything is quiet in the house depending on what is stressing them out. They may be unwilling to even take treats or take a dust bath if you are in the room. If previously litter trained to pee in a pan they may stop doing that. Stress can also cause them to hold their poops temporarily, likely because they are tensing up their whole body, for example going to the vet can cause some to not poop or poop much when there isn't something physically wrong (but can cause gut issues if it goes on long enough). I may pace around the in the cage (think stressed animals at a zoo) and/or if you have a wheel in the cage they might frantically run on it facing away from you when you try to get them out of the cage.

Calm and content they act normal, hop around eat and drink normally within full view of you, and accept treats. They might sit at the side of the cage and watch you or things going on in the room, as well as sleep out in the open. Hop around and explore during playtime, and may even sit with you or in your lap depending on your bond with them. If they have a wheel they will run on it normally not like their life depends on it. Depending on the chin they may accept being scooped up to come out of the cage.

Happy, in addition to the things they do when content, they popcorn around, make little chirping sounds, and act excited. They will run to greet you at the side of the cage and also hop all over things, possibly even you, during playtime.
 
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