Playtime

[Chinmin]

What time of day can your chinchilla(s) best interact with you?

 

[ritachick]

We've had luck with her being "active" around 7 am and 7 pm how much she interacts with us depends on her moods and by interacting I mean hopping on us and coming near us if we're on the floor. She definitely is comfortable with us but she's not really into us trying to hold her so we don't.

 

[Jawramik]

I find that my chin is most active and energetic in the evening and early morning (which makes sense, as they're crepuscular critters). I usually play with her in her playpen starting around 7 or 8pm, usually for an hour or so.

That said, she usually perks up when I put her in her playpen regardless of the time of day. But between 7-8pm, she's up and active and eager for interaction, whereas she takes a little longer to perk up if I take her out in the afternoon or late morning.

 

[user 17862]

Mine are most active somewhere between midnight and 2am - can be rough if you're trying to sleep but since I am very flexible with my sleep schedule I don't mind! So I take the late night to clean out their cage and interact with them!

This is also the time Viktor has decided to be brave and hop out of the cage twice now while I paid just a little too little attention
Luckily there's not really anywhere he can go in my room so eventually he just climbs back into his cage which he seems to find a little more exciting

 

[Chinmin]

So adorable. Do they also eat during those active periods?

 

[Jawramik]

So adorable. Do they also eat during those active periods?

Yeah, my chin seems to eat the most at night. She'll eat a little throughout the day, but she devours the most food overnight. I fill her pellet bowl and hay feeder after her playtime, and it's usually empty (or close to empty) when I check on her in the morning. I'll refill her food receptacles in the morning, and sometimes she'll go to town on the pellets, but usually doesn't touch much of the hay until the evening.

 

[user 17862]

So adorable. Do they also eat during those active periods?

Yea mine do as well! Usually once I fill their bowls they first go for a bit of snacking before running about and then empty them later in the night when I am asleep

 

[Chinmin]

That's fascinating. Thanks for your replies.