play time

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smith27

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I'm a new chin mom and I was wondering my chin is coming up to me and just now sometimes can give him a scratch. How do you have playtime out of cage if you cant pick him up? Do you just wait until you get his full trust where u can pick him up? Thanks for the help and info

connie
 
Playtime around here consists of the boys bolting out the door, zooming around the room (chin room), exploring, dusting and if I sit there nice and be patient, they will eventually grace me with a jump on my lap (leaving a few poops) and then when they're really comfortable, they will come right up to my face and give me whisker kissies before they bolt again. That's the usual routine around here. I don't often pick up my chins when they're out for playtime but I do pick them up when I feel like they owe me a snuggle or if I need to examine them for something or other.
 
i will try the dust bath i just am scared i will get him out and wont be able to get him back into cage since he dont let me really touch him that much yet
 
oh by the way my chin are in my front room right by my puter so i can be right by him
 
If you don't have a fairly decent trust with your animal to where you'll have a hard time catch him, I wouldn't let him out yet. Having a difficult catching can ruin the trust.
 
I wont try it then cause i really dont want to lose what we have built up. like i said i am now just starting to be able to scratch him and its not all the time yet. any help is great
 
I really would like to get another one would that do anything with trust he has so far? or would he want to be with other one and i wont be able to build trust cause he will only want the other chin?
 
bring him out in a small and empty room. like a bathroom with nothing on the floor. that way there isnt anywhere for him to hide. sit on the floor and let him run around and explore. try giving him a small piece of a rason everytime he sniffs or walks on you. (so he likes being by you) do that for about thirty minutes to an hour a day. When its time to put him back, put the dust bath in front of his face. (the less often he gets baths, the better this works)
 
I have 2 playpens attached to my chin's cage. I leave her cage door open all the time so she can come in and out of her cage any time and into her playpen which is a safe environment for her. I just sit inside the pen with her to have play time with her. It works great for me.
 
I would possibly wait on playtime outside the cage because you don't want to scare him even more by trying to grab him to put him back. Phoenix and Sedona were really quick to adjust to me and it just takes a few days for them to get used to everything then they will start letting their guard down and allow you to interact with them more. They are in our bedroom so we are constantly coming and going. If you are in the room, feel free to talk to him just about anything like the bills that are due or the groceries you need to buy and the toys that you want to get him. I did that with Phoenix when I first got her and she would just look at me like "whatever you say Mom" but I felt like maybe that would make progress.

When I got Sedona, I would sit by her cage and play on the computer or I would open the cage door and just lay my arm in there and just sit and watch her.

Don't be suprised when you finally have playtime outside the cage that they don't really do anything. They both hid behind the toilet for a couple of days and just looked at me. :rolleyes2:
 
Jenn it sounds like you have a really cool set up with the playpen. I would love to see pics. I have been trying to think of a great chin play are I could build. We usually use our bathroom as a play area (with the toilet shut) it makes for easier clean up and less they can get into/chew on.
 
do you have a pic of the playpen so i can see how u did that and maybe try it
 
sourpatch23 said:
bring him out in a small and empty room. like a bathroom with nothing on the floor. that way there isnt anywhere for him to hide. sit on the floor and let him run around and explore. try giving him a small piece of a rason everytime he sniffs or walks on you. (so he likes being by you) do that for about thirty minutes to an hour a day. When its time to put him back, put the dust bath in front of his face. (the less often he gets baths, the better this works)
Click to expand...

We generally don't consider raisins a healthy treat for chins, due to their high sugar content. Healthier alternatives are old-fashioned oats, shredded wheat, plain cheerios, or dried rosehips. However, any of these would be difficult to use as a training tool, as chins should only be given even these treats sparingly - no more than a single treat per day, and even that is more than I'd be comfortable giving.

As far as playtime, I would work on building a stronger bond a bit longer - as long as he has a wheel, he'll be ok without the out-of-cage playtime. If you do get another chin, be aware that they may not get along and would need to be housed separately if that happens. If you're really looking to bond with your current chin, I would hold off on getting a second. Just keep working at his trust and you'll get there eventually!
 
When I first got my chin, which was only about 1 1/2 months ago. I waited a couple days (during that time I sat next to his cage and talked to him) then started letting him out. I still haven't picked my chin up (lit afraid of getting bit) but the minute i put his dust bath down he climbs right in and then I just stick it in his cage. I never have any problem with catching him that way. If your chin likes his dust bath you should be fine. I would recommend unplugging all wires and putting them out of reach. My guy loves wires and will chew on it in an instant. Good Luck!!
 
In answer to previous questions, I do have a pic of the playpen setup that I'll try and remember to provide a link to. The playpen is permanently attached to Tink's cage so she is always welcome to come in and out of her cage. This works in my case because my chin is not a jumper and has never tried to get over the cage on her own. Her cage is always left open. I have a maze in her pen and she has given up her hidey house in her cage for sleeping in the maze. I had to put a 2nd litter pan inside the maze because she would wake up and urinate on the floor. I now have an office mat under her pen, but she has stopped having accidents since I added the 2nd litter box. If I go away, though, for a day or two or on vacation, I do lock her back up in her cage to be extra safe.
 
I have the exact same playpen and I love it! Mine is smaller tho, so I'm assuming you have more than one put together. But my chin is a jumper, so I had to buy the cover for the top, and that only works if you have the 8-panel length setup. Anything bigger and it won't fit. But I leave that setup almost all the time. And it attaches right to my cage so I can leave the door open all the time as well. I only leave it open when I'm home tho, and I also close it at night, just in case. But it's nice cuz I can take down the pen really easily and it just folds up and I stick it under my couch. Best thing I've bought for my chin so far! :thumbsup:

Jenn said:
http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6842&highlight=playpen+pictures

I think this should take you to an older picture I have of her setup. It has changed some, but you'll get the basic idea
Click to expand...
 
Chrisy, I do have two playpens attached together. I'm just lucky and have a lazy jumper because it does work great and she has never tried to jump over it. I'm home full time and am gone out of the house for short amounts of time, and it has been up for over a year now with no problems. But that works for me and my chin. I know a lot of chins are great jumpers and great escape artists, and you have to create a safe environment that fits the personality of each chin.
 
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