Holding my chin

[HermesMama]

I need some advice. I see all these pictures and videos of people picking up and holding chins like its no big deal. Picking up my chin is always an ordeal. He wiggles and squirms and if I can manage to get him in my arms he flails around like crazy to be put down.

Is it just a matter of him getting used to it? Is it his age (5 months)... Or is it they he will just always hate being held?

Just want to know if there if some Magic trick everyone else is doing. Haha

 

[Amethyst]

A lot of it comes down to personality of the chin, unfortunately you get a very skewed view and impression of chins from online pics and videos. Most chins actually don't like being held, they a prey animals and it's normal to fight to get free, but also chins don't tolerate heat very well and humans are hot (upper limit for temps for chins is 75F but human body temps are normally in the upper 90s). What you see most online is going to be chins that actually tolerate handling more and have a good trust of their humans. Getting to the point of total trust can take years, a friendship can form in days to months, but it can take longer for a deeper bond to form. To some extent it is a matter of getting him use to it, but most chins only get to the point of tolerating it not really liking it. For example, my current two, I was able to take them out within hours of bringing them home, I even had them out playing that night. I could open the cage and pet them and get them out for bath and playtime, but it took a couple years before I got to the point I am now where I can pretty much reach in the cage anytime I want and scoop them up without an issue (even then they do still try to flee sometimes if they don't feel like coming out).
Age might have some to do with it, chins go through puberty around 6 months so the temperament can become a lot like a teenage human, lol. Mostly though it has to do with personality though, if your chin is one that likes being held or not. If he is one that hates being held the most you may get is tolerating it eventually, cuddly chins are the exception not the norm. I've had over a dozen chins, and only had a couple that actually enjoyed cuddling and being held, most tolerate it as a means to get out to play.

 

[Kokorobosoi]

I have four girls, one of whom sits on my head and shoulder during playtime. One who will perch on my knee if I hold still. The third, I can use one finger, through the bars, if I bribe. The other one won't have anything to do with anyone human. Ive learned that she is happy, content, to just be admired from a distance. I have no desire to stress her by forcing interaction. So I treat each of them differently.

If you have to catch and contain a chin who wants no part of being held, use the bath house. Then use a towel covered hand to cover the hole, and pick the whole bath house up.

Don't feel so bad, things may change in the future. It's taken months to get to the point of my most comfortable girl to allow cuddles. Just be patient.

Good luck!

 

[IceMaiden]

I think a lot of it depends on where you get them from. My first was from a pet shop at 5 months old, never held or given any attention as with nearly all shop animals, she was not very tame and was shy. My second came from a garden centre at 3 months old, and he had been held as his brother was sick so the staff kept going to nurse him and as a result, my boy was used to people. He was much more confident and friendly than my first, and loved being out around you. My third and current girl I got at 10 weeks old, from a breeder who socialised and handled her babies since they were born. She's tame, likes being held and cuddled, adores people, outgoing, confident, afraid of nothing and follows you around like a little dog.

I also think their very much a pet that you get out what you put in with them. If you stick a chin in a cage and rarely look at it, it's not going to get much socialisation or time to get used to you, as it would if you spend time and attention bonding with it.

 

[HermesMama]

Thanks everyone for all of the advice!

 

[fuji9991]

Don't force it, it took about 3-4 years before my chilla would stop running away from me at the slightest movement. She doesn't like being held now but she tolerates it.

 

[Clonefan94]

Not sure how other chins will react, but I found a funny trick that works really well with my guys.

While cleaning the cage one day, I was wearing a hoody sweatshirt, the pullover with the big pocket in front. As I was cleaning, one of my chins climbed in the pocket and just sat there, with no urge to leave, in fact, it was difficult to get them out and back into the cage.

Since I was in the process of making new fleece liners for the cage, I went ahead and made a tube, attached to a strap that could go around my (mainly my daughters neck) and then rest about belly height.

Now, it's been pretty cool in our house during the winter, so I'm not really concerned about temps for them, but I'm not sure I'll use this in warmer months, but so far, they really love the pocket. All I have to do is open the door, set the rim of the pocket in the cage and one of them is sure to crawl in.

Then, as long as you are sitting, they are more than content to just hang out in there where they liked to be scratched or petted with no problem.

Now, this is coming from two chins who are normally nightmares when it comes to just being held. Hair ring checks, and any other activity where you have to hold them is usually a disaster and quite scary thinking of the stress it's causing them.

 

[hmccoll13]

I'm not sure how common this is among chin owners, but I utilized shaping and positive reinforcement to condition my older chinchilla to become accustomed to and even enjoy being held. Basically when I first got him anytime I held him, interacted with him, pet him, etc I would reward him with a cheerio or piece of cheerio (depending on how much training I wanted to get done, as chins definitely shouldn't be getting too many cheerios in a day, so breaking them up into little pieces made them last a tad longer for training purposes!)
This ultimately caused Mojo to associate being pet and handled with very positive things, and thus the actual petting and handling itself became positive.

Currently I am using this same tactic with my newer boy Eli, whom, like your guy, is only 5 1/2 months old currently! He's definitely not as comfortable with being held yet, and will squirm and wriggle, as well as even bite my fingers occasionally, though he's gotten much better about the biting as I don't react to it so he's learning it's an ineffective tool. Even so, training can be a long process but if you persist and stick with it, it's almost always foolproof. Eli wouldn't let me even touch him when I first got him and now he's starting to approach me in the cage and beginning to tolerate being pet and held thanks to the training process!

 

[Cuddlebug]

My biggest tip for all of you is to be positive when they are being calm and not biting. a treat will help. Also, never put down a squirming or biting chin. If you do, you will teach them to wiggle and bite to get put down. Always wait until they are calm before putting them back. I do this with every chin here, rescues and herd alike and all of them have responded positively to it. None are traumatized and they all come to the front of the cage and shove others aside to come see me and climb on me.