How To Start Bonding

[chins4life089]

Hello people out there i just got my 3 new chinchillas and they are amazing. One is the mother and and the other 2 are the daughters. Now we went to get the today and the ride was good I put them in the cage all was fine I gave them a dust bath and the mom didn't want to get out of it but I got her out. They Finally learned they could jump up the shelves and i let them be they slept then once they got a little more moving around I tried to interact with them just a little bit and I got one to take the treat out of my hand and I thought, "that's good" then I go to the other and have a treat in my hand she went for my fingers nipped just a bit (testing me) and I went with it then she got to the thumb and then nipped, then she bit me not hard enough to draw blood but it hurt so I blew in her face to get her to stop and I gave that treat to the mother and she ate it, then I over stepped my boundaries when I rubbed her and she gave me a warning nip so I left her in peace.

I need to know how do I bond with them the right way, step by step

Also is it normal for the biting even when my hand was completely still.

 

[pbcup]

When I purchased my chins the breeder said they would nibble on my fingers. When they did this hold them by the base of the tail upside down. This is a safe way to handle them. It is good to hold the tail when handling them because they like to jump.
In the FAQ there is great advice for bonding. Take your time and don't rush it. Old fashion oats given as treats in your hand is good for bonding. Oats are safe for kits. Not instant oatmeal.
Jessica

 

[Amethyst]

If I'm understanding you right you just got them yesterday? First step, slow way way down on your interactions with them. Most chin's take at least a week to settle in, some less time (hours) some a lot more time (a month or more). Your best bet is to start by just letting them get use to you, sit near their cage, talk to them, read to them, sing to them, or even just sit and watch them, so that they can get use to your voice, actions, sight and smell. Also if you do a search on here for bonding you will find lots of threads that give helpful tips and advice. The bottom line though is above all bonding takes time, and their really is no magic way to rush it, take it slow and at the chins' pace not yours. For some chin's it can take years to fully trust new people.
Oh and yes it is perfectly normal for them to bite, they are testing to see 1. if you are food, and 2. if you are a threat (see how you react to a nip), spraying you with pee is also common for females.

 

[Godofgods]

I have a set of three; mother and her two daughters as well.

If you just got them you might want to give them plenty of time before trying to interact with them. They need to get adjusted to new environments, new cage (if applicable), new ppl, new everything. Coming at them to quick could make them defensive. Some chins take to it better and faster then others.

Also remember that they are three different chins. They will each have there own personality, there own likes and dislikes, everything. My mother and one of her daughters look 99.9% identical, but there personality's couldn't be more different. Momma is pretty comfortable. Will run about the cage and interact with me sometimes. I open the door and she wont hesitate to jump out. Her daughter is very very reserved. Usually hiding in the hut. Limits interaction with me. So its a good idea to remember they are different. And to learn eachs likes and dislikes.

 

[Burnt Offering]

I have two Chins and one will nip me accidently when she thinks she is getting a treat. I will try to pet her or scratch her and she occasionally thinks that I am giving her a cheerio and she nips me. Its not out of anything other than she made a mistake. Chins eyesight is funny in that they can't see directly in front of them to well and so their teeth sometimes acts as their eyes when they can't see therefore mistakes are made on their part. Its not malicious at all. Also, giving any kind of punishment to a Chinchilla will just make it harder to bond with them. Like blowing on their face. They simply don't understand other that to think they should be scared of you and since they are scared of everything it will just make it harder for you to bond with them. I once saw a guy dragging a ferret through a park. He stopped and said "SIT!!" as if the Ferret somehow would instantly give him a salute and say "yes sir!' This is a lesson in failure to be sure. My Chins are both very social but it has taken a lot of work on my part and I have learned not to expect to much. In a nutshell, if you make owning a Chinchilla all about them and not about you, you will bond with your Chins just fine.

 

[Godofgods]

I once saw a guy dragging a ferret through a park. He stopped and said "SIT!!" as if the Ferret somehow would instantly give him a salute and say "yes sir!' This is a lesson in failure to be sure.

As a guy that's owned many ferrets, and currently has two, i find that very deplorable. That level of ignorance is astounding.
:banghead: is what he needs