New addition to the family, but he wont drink water and eats very little?

[iheartfurryfriends]

I got a new chin, around 5 months old. He's not that jumpy, but he's scared to death. He came from living with his mom and dad. The lady I got him from said that the dad picked on him and bullied him. The mom I think loved him, and I sort of think that he's scared without his mom there. I don't know what to do. Last night when I brought him home, he kept whining, so I took the blue house out of my other chin's cage and gave it to him to hide in and feel more secure. I pet him and try to help him feel that no one's going to hurt him. He's eaten a small bit of hay and a few pellets. I've tried feeding him a pinch of a craisin, but he wouldn't eat it! He won't get out of his house and I don't want to put the tip of the water bottle in his house because I don't want it to drip in his house; He'll just be sitting in water. Im very worried. I know he has potential of being a life buddy, but I don't want him to die because he's not getting any water I considered force feeding him, but I dont want to traumatize him for life.
What should i do??:cry3::banghead::tantrum:

 

[fbodgrl]

I got my girl (around the same age) just a couple weeks ago. She really ate, drank etc very little for the first few days. After the first day I marked the water bottle so I could see if she was drinking at all!

Now a couple weeks later she is eating and drinking up a storm. I asked about it when I first got her and was told it was normal so I wouldn't worry.

 

[ChinnyMom]

first of all, no craisins, raisins, or other fruits or veggies. too much sugar in all that for chins.

if he's nibbling at hay and pellets, then force feeding shouldn't be necessary. when Rhino came home, he barely at a thing for the first couple days.

i'd leave him be for at least a few days, other than checking in on his water/hay/pellets. it's a big adjustment to go from living with other chins at the only home he's known to being moved to a new house, new smells, new sounds and all.

mark the water bottle at the water line and make sure it isn't leaking at all. check to see if the water level goes down, that'll tell you if he's drinking.

don't try petting him for a while, just sit by his cage and talk with him after those first few 'alone' days. he'll come around )

 

[cindyv3737]

You need to give him time. Provide him with a hidey house. Give him a few days to settle in before you approach him. Mark the water bottle. If the level changes then he is drinking. It takes time for them to adjust to new living arrangements.

No crasins or fruit of any kind. We don't recommend treats for chins under 6 months of age. They are still growing and need all the good nutrients they can get. Just stick with good food, hay and water for now.

 

[Hammie]

I don't know if it's the same for Chins, but with hedgies, it's recommended that you leave them be for a couple of days and give them a t-shirt that you wore to bed the night before or something else that smells like you in their cage or even in his house so that he gets used to the smell of you. It's probably not comforting to have a stranger petting him at this point.

 

[Cuddlebug]

A t-shirt is not a wise idea with a chinchilla. They will chew on it and it could cause a blockage in the chin's digestive tract. This could kill the chinchilla. Just give the chinchilla some time and talk to it whenever you can. He will probably start eating and drinking in a few days.