Did she do this on purpose?

[elbee]

I was out of town for a couple of days for thanksgiving but my husband has been here to care for Hannah. I ordered her a new bed from Chin Chic (which she loves and made her popcorn around when I gave it to her). Tonight I was sitting by her cage as I often do with the door open. I gave her a toy and was petting on her, letting her jump from my hands etc. Just hanging with her. She had jumped into my lap and got under the kitchen table for a minute. I fished her out and put her back in her cage and was sitting there playing with her. I'd also just given her food because it the stinker had peed in he bowl. I decided it was time for bed and closed the cage door. She came right up to the bars, turned around and promptly peed right in the fresh food bowl. Is this a bad habit she is starting or was she mad at me? It seemed QUITE deliberate.

 

[xelay]

Could be a bad habit, could be marking her territory, could be many things, but it isn't because she is mad at you. Animals don't think in terms of getting revenge or being mad about things, those are human emotions that we assign to animals. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable can come along and offer other possibilities though.

 

[Chinmama]

Marble will pee in her food dish if she thinks her usual pee spot is too dirty. I swear I find myself cleaning the chinchilla cages more than I clean my own house because of their little quirks.

 

[obcsed]

A couple of my guys will pee in the hay bowl if I let it get too low. Sometimes if a foster makes it a habit, I give them a litter box (square glass baking dish) with aspen shavings and they often learn to use that instead.

 

[akane]

Animals can definitely do things in response to your actions and their feelings toward you. We had a cat that would poop on your chest if you didn't wake up and pet him in the morning. People on here have chins that will pee at them if they are upset with the person. Just check out the thread about how far your angry female chin can reach. Rabbit bucks are known to have very good aim as well. Some people have cats or dogs that will pee or poop on the bed while they are not being watched if they decide they are not treated the way they want.

I have one female who pees in her food dish but I think it's more on accident. She came with a big food dish that they hung on the side of the cage at the top of a ramp. She'd sit half in the dish to eat or look at the other chins and pee in half of it. We gave her a smaller dish on the floor of the cage. She still tries to sit in it but only her front half fits. Those little crocks will hold a few days worth of food without giving a big target to pee in.