Lonely Chin

[LittleLostLena]

Have a new 7 month old chinchilla boy for a week bought him in a petshop, hes not used to human interaction he doesnt want to know and he seems lonely and very quiet.
Recently we bought him a huge cage with a divider in the middle if down the road we wanted to add more, we could.
He loves his new cage but doesnt seem to want human contact.
I know a breeder who handrares baby chinchillas, she thinks we should have got two in the beginning we didnt know about her then.
Would really like a chin to be able to interact.
Was thinking of dividing the cage because the cage can hold up to 4 to 6 chinnies.
We were thinking of asking the breeder for two baby chins in the hope that maybe it will help bring the other one around to be more interactive.
Just incase they dont get on the cage can still be divided off.
Is this a good plan?

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

Sorry but no it is not a good plan. It would only make the chin you have more scared. You would have to quarantine the others anyway for 30 days before putting them even in the same room. What you need is patience with you new guy. It takes a while for chins to get use to a new environment. Leave him in his cage and talk to him a lot every day - even read to him. That way he get use to your voice and doesn't feel threaten by it. In a week put your hand in the cage - but DON"T move it. Just let the chin crawl all over your hand - that teaches him to trust your hand. Then the next week put your hand/arm in palm up - again let him crawl all over. In another week try slowly putting your hand over the chin just a little - each day a little more. When he allows you to put your hand over him - then you can try to take him out. If that freaks him out - you have to go back to just having your hand in the cage. It can take up to several months but in the end it is well worth it.

 

[LittleLostLena]

The cage we have him in is huge do you think it would be better if we put the divider in this would make the cage smaller, he might then feel more secure and more inclinde to come to us, do you think?

 

[Jenn]

If you have only had him for a week, that is part of the issue. He is still settling in. It took my chin a long time to settle down and to want anything to do with me. She would hide or kack/bark at me if I tried to get close to her. Bonding takes time and a week certainly isn't long enough. Sit by his cage and spend time with him. Don't try to reach for him at all, just be with him. Get him used to you so he knows you are safe and won't hurt him. Do this until he shows signs of warming up to you. Then you can try to offer him a chin-safe treat and maybe he'll take it from you.

Chins can take time to warm up to you, unlike a dog or cat, and you just have to be patient with them. My chin warmed up to me very slowly, but she is the warmest, most affectionate chin now. I let her come to me on her own terms, I did not push bonding too quickly. Just give your chin some time to adapt to his new home, his new surroundings and sounds and smells.

ETA - I don't think making his cage smaller will speed up this process. A big cage is great. Time and patience is what you need.

 

[Lillybabe]

My girls were held a lot as babies so they warmed up to me pretty quickly. However, the little guy I had before was very skittish at first. I had gotten him from the humane society where they kept him next to the door. They would chase him down to get him out of the cage, etc. I bonded with him, and with the girls... by just opening the cage door and standing kind of "inside" the cage. I keep my body close to the cage and perhaps put a hand or an arm in. I just stand or sit there and wait. I might talk softly as well. They warm up eventually. My dad loves my chinchillas but he tries to force the issue. He wants to just reach in and pick them up and have them love him. Chinchillas just aren't like that. It takes time and patience. My little nephew who is only four recently got to meet the girls. He's very gentle with other animals so I gave him a chance with them. I explained to him that he had to be quiet, etc. And the girls climbed on his hands and interacted with him easily. He was thrilled. Give your new little one time and more than likely he will warm up to you. I agree with the others who say no to more chinchillas right now. A new animal in his space is just going to scare him more.

 

[liewwan]

Trios are not easy introduction. Worst case is you may even break the bond between the two kits. Your chin is still new to you, new environment, so possibly he is still stressed. I have ferret nations and critter nations. I've had no more than 3 chins in those. So not sure which massive cage you got to be able to fit 6 chins in it. Just give it time, talk to him. Patience is the key to a good bond with your chin.