Is This Normal?...

[rbarile92]

Hello,
I have had my two chinchilla's for about three/four weeks now and I am wondering about something. They have never nipped at me and they have always just ran all on my hands and shoulders.
However, tonight Buster(the 6 month old) was nipping at everything. I let him and Dave(1 year old) out of their cage like I do every night and they were playing fine. Then Buster jumped on my lap and started to nibble on my pants. Then he nibbled on a fleece little play thing we have for him which he never does. There is fleece all in his cage and he doesn't touch it. He also tried to nibble on his plastic dust bath container which he has never done. He jumped on my hands and he was nipping at my fingers and he wouldn't stop. I figured that he just wanted to be put down so I put him down and he jumped back up and just did it again.
I'm not sure if this is because he is teething? I'm not even sure if chinchilla's teethe...

If anyone has any clue as to what is going on can you please tell me?

Thanks
Rachel

 

[AZChins]

Chins are born with their teeth. He's just nibbling on things, chins do that. The nipping may be because of his age, he may be getting a little more aggressive. Was the nipping very hard or could he just have been grooming you?

 

[rbarile92]

It wasn't hard but it wasn't very soft either...I don't think he was grooming me because it wasn't a soft little nip. It was on border line of a bite. But he wouldn't quit like I would put him down and then he would just jump back up and whenever I moved my hand he would nip me.

 

[starleomach]

That is normal he is just testing his environment. They test with their mouths much like a toddler. Everything goes in the mouth

 

[Pikaia]

Yep, completely normal. Do you have plenty of "chin friendly" chew sticks/toys? Sometimes they are just more "chewy" than normal.

 

[rbarile92]

Yes, I have lots of different things in his cage for them to chew on. I bought them all from a lady on here so I know they are "chin friendly". So maybe he is just chewing everything because he just wants to, haha!
Like I said, it doesn't hurt but it is a slight pinch.

 

[3CsMommy]

I make a little squeaky/bark noise when one of mine 'tests' too hard, to help teach him how much is too much. The same method is used with puppies and kittens to teach bite inhibition.