Chinchilla staying in one place

Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum

Help Support Chinchilla & Hedgehog Pet Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

fushia

New member
Joined
Jan 7, 2023
Messages
3
Location
Krosno
So my chinchilla since this morning just started sitting on one of her shelves. Is this some kind of problem or is she just lonely cause I only have one chin (I'm planning on getting a second one when I get a bigger cage though)?
 
I need a bit more information then that. Is she not eating or moving at all? If she is suddenly refusing to move or eat you need to get her to the vet, something could be seriously wrong. If she is moving and eating, how much time do you spend with her? Also how long have you had her and did she have a cage mate before you got her? There are plenty of chins that live alone, but you have to keep in mind that you are their social circle so you need to be spending at least an hour or two everyday with her. Also if she was living with another chin or chins before you got her she could be missing them, she will get over it in time. If you had her for awhile has your schedule changed where you aren't home as much or not spending as much time with her?

I would like to point out not all chins get along with all other chins, kind of like there is no guarentee two random humans will get along. So even if you get another chin they may never get along or be able to be caged together, and you need to be prepared to possibly have two cages for the life of the chins. Also bonding is a process, new chins should be quarintined for 30 days in another room and then introductions can take anywhere from days to months or even years if you stick with it that long and there is no major fights. Chins can and do fight to the death if they aren't properly introduced and bonded, or if they simply don't like each other, so you have to go slow.
 
She is eating but a bit less than usual and she is moving but not much. I try to spend as much time as possible but when I have to go to school it's around 2 hours on weekends its 3-4 hours. I also try to give her atleast 1 hour of playtime daily. I've had her for a month and she did live with other chinchillas.
 
She is eating but a bit less than usual and she is moving but not much. I try to spend as much time as possible but when I have to go to school it's around 2 hours on weekends its 3-4 hours. I also try to give her atleast 1 hour of playtime daily. I've had her for a month and she did live with other chinchillas.
Alright she's kind of better now. She probably was extremely tired or something. Update: she's back to sitting on her shelf. I'm genuinely worried about her.
 
Last edited:
My chin will sometimes be a little lethargic and stand-offish when she's sleepy. She'll just sit on a shelf and watch me rather than running over to me if I open up her cage during her "sleepy time" (which is usually in the afternoon). Is your chin exhibiting this lethargic behaviour all the time, or is it during a particular time of day? My chin usually perks up after a few minutes of interaction.

Do you have any other pets in the house, like dogs or cats? My chin used to sort of freeze if my cats were running around her cage a lot, presumably because she was frightened. When I recently got two new cats, she hung out on a corner shelf and didn't move around much for a couple days, presumably because the new kitties were stressing her out. Her usual behaviour and activity resumed after a couple days, though. Since you've only had your chin for a month, I wonder if she could perhaps just be a little stressed, as she's probably still adjusting to all the sights, sounds, and smells of your home. That stress could be compounded if you have any free-roaming pets she'd view as potential predators.

If she's lethargic all day and never or rarely perks up, or if you notice any other concerning symptoms (like a change in her eating/drinking/pooping habits, any unusual discharge from her nose/mouth/genitals, if her belly feels hard, etc.) then it's time for a vet visit.
 
Back
Top