dirkdogg
New member
Hey everybody!
My name is Sebastian and I'm from Chile! (Where Chinchillas are originally from!).
First of all, sorry everybody if my english is a lil' rusty, but I'll try to make myself as clear as I can.
I recently got an approximately 5 months old female who I haved named Violet. So there's a couple behaviour-related stuff that I wanted to ask you all, after I give you a brief story of my experience with her.
I got made, a $500 custom made, cage, that is 6 stories tall, with plenty of room for her to run around and jump. She has everything she needs; fresh water, hay (ps. whats a good replacement for this?), chewing toys that she doesn't use much, a food bowl that is high and tough so it doesn't roll over or that she can poop or pee in it, a wheel, etc. Basically, I've tried my hardest to give her the very best, I'm a 100% pro responsable caring. Instead of bedding, I use polar fleece special for animals, and change it every week, she is potty trained for pee; she only uses a plastic corner filled with paper towel and the whole cage is chin-proof. In fact, later, I will upload pictures cause I know all of you Chin lovers will fall in love with it
!!!
Ok, so a lil bit about the enviroment. She stays in my room, where I try to keep the noise down as much as I can. The cage stands in a corner of the room, with no direct sunlight, correct temperature, and there's no animals or much people besides me circulating around. She has chin coolers that she uses from time to time, but all around I keep fresh air coming in and out in the room.
I got her 3 weeks ago, so she is around 6 months old. I bought it straight from a farm that buys chinchillas destined to be used as fur. So in a way she was rescued, and probably she got very bad treatment during that time. When I bought her, the guy crashed his car the day before, so he travelled by bus with a really tiny, not adecuate box, for an hour with the Chin inside. She was terrified.
The first days, like 3 or 4 she wouldn't stop barking during the nights, and some times during the day. After a while she stopped doing it, as a matter of fact, I've only heard her barking once since then, and it was last week while I carried her to the bathroom for playtime.
Here's where the real questions start. I'm not sure, if it is just the way she is, or maybe she is still scared, after 3 weeks. I've used techniques such as treats, grabbing her and gently talk to her, pet her, etc. I've been really careful when handling her, and maybe not the most patient parent on earth, but I've been always loving of her.
She is really moody. Some times she can be pet on top of her head without a problem, and sometimes she will make noises showing shes not pleased, spray me with urine and ran away. She loves to get scratched under her neck though, sometimes whe can be there for minutes being scratched, she puts her leg up, tilt her neck to the side, and closes her eyes, so cute.
She has never bitten me, but it is not uncommon for her to spray me, after I've tried to pet her and she doesn't let me. She doesn't like being picked up, but when I do, she relaxes after a while. If I put her down though, she will run away. But if I put her against my chest while sitting or laying, and pet her in the head she will not complain and just sit there.
For play and bonding time, and dust baths I took her to my bathroom, the only room big (and at the same time, small enough) for her to roam, and that is chin proof. Last time I took her there, I scratched her neck while she was inside her dust bath container and she lost control. Got so mad and affraid, she wouldn't bath anymore; that was 4 days ago, today I'm going to try again and see if the baths.
From all of these things, by now, you can see that even though I'm really loving and caring, maybe sometimes I tried to be loved too much, and maybe she's just getting used to me (really? after 3 weeks???) or maybe, she's just moody and in general lines, anti social. She loves treats tho, and while she is inside her cage, she will eat them straight out of my hand (she bites on them, doesn't take them away from my hand), but if I'm holding her, or if she is in the bathroom she won't eat anything.
What do you guys make of it? Do you think I'm doing things wrong? Maybe she needs more time? Maybe it's just the way she is?
I don't give her much play time, cause I thought that stresses her, and I can have her play in my room (i.e. open the cage gate and just let her roam around) because I'm affraid she will go under my bed, or behind furniture and worsen the relationship between us when I try to get her out of there.
I haven't really thought of giving her away and buying another female from a friend that is really mellow and loving, just because I've came to love Violet even though she's grumpy. Plus, she is gorgeous, you can totally tell why somebody wanted her fur; she shines and it's softer than any other chin I've seen. Oh! She's black by the way.
Can you guys give me any advices? What do you think I should do? Does she need a female friend so they can feel safe with each other?
I don't know what else I can do in order for her to trust me. I feel like she knows who I am, and that she's making some progress, but on the other hand I'm affraid she won't get any more loving of me. I've tried different things, the "spray her back" technique when she sprays me with urine, the "kiss her tummy and legs" when I pick her up in order for her to tell that I don't wanna eat her, I've even put recordings of "happy noises" from other chinchillas on my phone to do some sort of brain washing thing, and make her be happy. For a while I felt she was talkative, like she made noises, but that stopped a couple days ago for no reason.
I know it could be worse, she could bite really bad, or not allow me to pet her at all, or scratch her, but I've seen other Chins with their owners and they seem to get along so well, that I try to get to that point.
Last thing for you guys to know, when she is scared, she runs away from me, I get that. She either goes to her potty and just stand there, where she is more chill, I can eventually get her to calm down there, or to a corner of the cage next to a wooden house (THAT SHE DOESN'T USE - Oh yeah, she just sleeps everywhere, she doesn't use anything to sleep on, maybe the fleece in the shelves is comfty ) and just sits there still. I try to pet her there, and if she calms I let her alone; I've heard that letting her alone when she is upset is not a good thing to do, because It leads them to believe that it is ok to be grumpy, that it will get them out of troubles.
That's all you need to know.
I'm so sorry I wrote so long, it feels like I didn't leave any details out. But as you might see I'm a concerned chin parent that just wants to bond with his Chin. I hope eventually me and Violet get to be inseparable.
As a new chinchilla parent, I question everything I do, and I try to explain everything Violet does. I just wanted to get your opinion on the matter. Some tips, info and just general opinions are much appreciated.
Thank you everybody!
My name is Sebastian and I'm from Chile! (Where Chinchillas are originally from!).
First of all, sorry everybody if my english is a lil' rusty, but I'll try to make myself as clear as I can.
I recently got an approximately 5 months old female who I haved named Violet. So there's a couple behaviour-related stuff that I wanted to ask you all, after I give you a brief story of my experience with her.
I got made, a $500 custom made, cage, that is 6 stories tall, with plenty of room for her to run around and jump. She has everything she needs; fresh water, hay (ps. whats a good replacement for this?), chewing toys that she doesn't use much, a food bowl that is high and tough so it doesn't roll over or that she can poop or pee in it, a wheel, etc. Basically, I've tried my hardest to give her the very best, I'm a 100% pro responsable caring. Instead of bedding, I use polar fleece special for animals, and change it every week, she is potty trained for pee; she only uses a plastic corner filled with paper towel and the whole cage is chin-proof. In fact, later, I will upload pictures cause I know all of you Chin lovers will fall in love with it
!!!Ok, so a lil bit about the enviroment. She stays in my room, where I try to keep the noise down as much as I can. The cage stands in a corner of the room, with no direct sunlight, correct temperature, and there's no animals or much people besides me circulating around. She has chin coolers that she uses from time to time, but all around I keep fresh air coming in and out in the room.
I got her 3 weeks ago, so she is around 6 months old. I bought it straight from a farm that buys chinchillas destined to be used as fur. So in a way she was rescued, and probably she got very bad treatment during that time. When I bought her, the guy crashed his car the day before, so he travelled by bus with a really tiny, not adecuate box, for an hour with the Chin inside. She was terrified.
The first days, like 3 or 4 she wouldn't stop barking during the nights, and some times during the day. After a while she stopped doing it, as a matter of fact, I've only heard her barking once since then, and it was last week while I carried her to the bathroom for playtime.
Here's where the real questions start. I'm not sure, if it is just the way she is, or maybe she is still scared, after 3 weeks. I've used techniques such as treats, grabbing her and gently talk to her, pet her, etc. I've been really careful when handling her, and maybe not the most patient parent on earth, but I've been always loving of her.
She is really moody. Some times she can be pet on top of her head without a problem, and sometimes she will make noises showing shes not pleased, spray me with urine and ran away. She loves to get scratched under her neck though, sometimes whe can be there for minutes being scratched, she puts her leg up, tilt her neck to the side, and closes her eyes, so cute.
She has never bitten me, but it is not uncommon for her to spray me, after I've tried to pet her and she doesn't let me. She doesn't like being picked up, but when I do, she relaxes after a while. If I put her down though, she will run away. But if I put her against my chest while sitting or laying, and pet her in the head she will not complain and just sit there.
For play and bonding time, and dust baths I took her to my bathroom, the only room big (and at the same time, small enough) for her to roam, and that is chin proof. Last time I took her there, I scratched her neck while she was inside her dust bath container and she lost control. Got so mad and affraid, she wouldn't bath anymore; that was 4 days ago, today I'm going to try again and see if the baths.
From all of these things, by now, you can see that even though I'm really loving and caring, maybe sometimes I tried to be loved too much, and maybe she's just getting used to me (really? after 3 weeks???) or maybe, she's just moody and in general lines, anti social. She loves treats tho, and while she is inside her cage, she will eat them straight out of my hand (she bites on them, doesn't take them away from my hand), but if I'm holding her, or if she is in the bathroom she won't eat anything.
What do you guys make of it? Do you think I'm doing things wrong? Maybe she needs more time? Maybe it's just the way she is?
I don't give her much play time, cause I thought that stresses her, and I can have her play in my room (i.e. open the cage gate and just let her roam around) because I'm affraid she will go under my bed, or behind furniture and worsen the relationship between us when I try to get her out of there.
I haven't really thought of giving her away and buying another female from a friend that is really mellow and loving, just because I've came to love Violet even though she's grumpy. Plus, she is gorgeous, you can totally tell why somebody wanted her fur; she shines and it's softer than any other chin I've seen. Oh! She's black by the way.
Can you guys give me any advices? What do you think I should do? Does she need a female friend so they can feel safe with each other?
I don't know what else I can do in order for her to trust me. I feel like she knows who I am, and that she's making some progress, but on the other hand I'm affraid she won't get any more loving of me. I've tried different things, the "spray her back" technique when she sprays me with urine, the "kiss her tummy and legs" when I pick her up in order for her to tell that I don't wanna eat her, I've even put recordings of "happy noises" from other chinchillas on my phone to do some sort of brain washing thing, and make her be happy. For a while I felt she was talkative, like she made noises, but that stopped a couple days ago for no reason.
I know it could be worse, she could bite really bad, or not allow me to pet her at all, or scratch her, but I've seen other Chins with their owners and they seem to get along so well, that I try to get to that point.
Last thing for you guys to know, when she is scared, she runs away from me, I get that. She either goes to her potty and just stand there, where she is more chill, I can eventually get her to calm down there, or to a corner of the cage next to a wooden house (THAT SHE DOESN'T USE - Oh yeah, she just sleeps everywhere, she doesn't use anything to sleep on, maybe the fleece in the shelves is comfty
) and just sits there still. I try to pet her there, and if she calms I let her alone; I've heard that letting her alone when she is upset is not a good thing to do, because It leads them to believe that it is ok to be grumpy, that it will get them out of troubles.That's all you need to know.
I'm so sorry I wrote so long, it feels like I didn't leave any details out. But as you might see I'm a concerned chin parent that just wants to bond with his Chin. I hope eventually me and Violet get to be inseparable.
As a new chinchilla parent, I question everything I do, and I try to explain everything Violet does. I just wanted to get your opinion on the matter. Some tips, info and just general opinions are much appreciated.
Thank you everybody!
