Jersey is afraid of his shadow!

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rbarile92

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Feb 23, 2011
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130
Location
Connecticut
Hello all!

I just got my little Jersey yesterday and I just recently took him out for playtime so he could get used to me. Unfortunately though, he is afraid of his shadow. It took me at least fifteen minutes to lure him out of his cage, then when he finally got out he ran under the cardboard box that I have for him to play with and he never got out of it.
My first two chins, Dave & Buster, never really hid under anything so I am kind of stuck on what to do....
I understand it is his firs official day at my house but is there anything I can do to calm him down and to make him feel more safe and secure? There are lots of things to do in his cage and I know he feels safe in the cage and today when I brought him out, he sat int he corner of the box and he let me pet his back for a few minutes before he ran out of the box like a little rocket. A little bit of his fur fell off too because he was scared.
Then it took another good fifteen-twenty minutes to get him back into his cage after two hours of playtime.

Does anyone know of really shy chins and how to try to break it? I know he is going to take a lot longer to get him to trust me. It took Dave & Buster a few days before they were climbing all over me.
Jersey will poke his head out of the hole in the box and then attempt to push his body out, only to get half way out and then run back in.
He is about a year old, he will be a year in May. The previous owner of him said he didn't like to be held and I am fine with that, most chins do not like to be.
But like I said, Jersey even scares himself if he moves too quickly in his cage....He is afraid of his shadow! Poor little guy!

But did anyone else have a problem similar to this? If so I could really use some help!!
 
You may be rushing things a bit.

He may need to settle in. A new environment can be stressful to a chin. Its not uncommon to take a few weeks before you have him comfortable enough to try and handle or let out to play. let him come to you while in his cage. Maybe try and hand feed pellets for a while if you want to try and bond. Go slow with him you don't want him stressed out or to go into shock.
 
the only advice i can give is just patience.

some chins take a while to get used to their owners. sit by their cage, talk to them, put your hand in there for them to come up and sniff. most chins are just skittish. where is Jersey located (no smart answers from ANYONE! i know where it is on the map lol)? every now and then, something just spooks them. Gizmo once was all "off" when he heard the trash man come in the morning.

you got him yesterday...give it time. dont rush things. each chin is different.
 
I understand that he is going to take some time and I am fine with that, I have a lot of patience. I just didn't want to leave him in his cage because I just thought that was unfair.
I am going to try to sit next to his cage and just talk to him. I gave him some oats earlier and he ate them out of my hands so that is a good sign.
Jersey is from a lady up in Mass. Her website is JandJChinchilla, i believe. She told me he was kind of shy at first.
But I will try to sit by his cage for awhile and just talk to him.

Oh! Another thing!
He always has his ears down. The whole time he was out today he had his ears down and he has kept them down all day.
Does that mean anything?
 
jcrdust said:
He may need to settle in. A new environment can be stressful to a chin. Its not uncommon to take a few weeks before you have him comfortable enough to try and handle or let out to play. let him come to you while in his cage. Maybe try and hand feed pellets for a while if you want to try and bond. Go slow with him you don't want him stressed out or to go into shock.
Click to expand...

So then should I not take him out for playtime for a few days? Just try to get him comfortable in his cage first?
He eats oats off of my hands just fine and he comes up to sniff me.
 
Def a great name never had anyone else call their pet that before. I think bribery is the way forwards as with all animals a few raisins when he starts to get used to you abit more if you have a hoody or big jumper put him in there with you for a cuddle then he gets to know your smell/warmth thats what I did with mine. They were both terrified to beging with now they jump into my arms from their cage!
Good luck
 
he'll be just fine in his cage for a few days, and that is better than stressing him out trying to get him back in his cage after play time - that can cause delays in bonding with you because the chin is scared.
 
ChinnyMom said:
he'll be just fine in his cage for a few days, and that is better than stressing him out trying to get him back in his cage after play time - that can cause delays in bonding with you because the chin is scared.
Click to expand...

Okay!
That helps a lot, thank you so much
 
Jackie came to live with us two months ago and it took him a few weeks to want to come out of the cage. He was our shyest and we just talked or hummed to him. Eventually he decided to come out on his own and has enjoyed play time since. Now he's eager to see us and get out of his cage.
 
Ditto what chinnymom said Jazicat said :) Some chinchillas are natural extroverts...especially when they already have a buddy. Others need time. I've taken in chins that took weeks to come around. Slow is always better. Enjoy!
 
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