Refuses to drink from water bottle?

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KayleighDUCK

Kayleigh
Joined
Sep 1, 2012
Messages
8
Location
Upstate New York
Okay, so my chinchilla is being difficult...

Her water bottle basically stopped working (it wouldn't let any water come out, it was the small SuperPet glass one with the little duck inside) and unfortunately I had to work that day and I couldn't go out and get another one immediately, so I set up a bowl in her cage and she drank from it fine, but now that I have a new water bottle she refuses to drink from it!

It's the same water she's used to, and she was drinking fine before... also I don't like using the bowl because it just seems like the water gets dirty fast and also, uh, GERMS. And when I put the water bottle back in instead of the bowl she won't drink from it at all.

Does anyone have an idea of what I can do to get her drinking from it again?
 
Are you sure she's just not drinking from it when you aren't around? I personally would try holding the bottle to her face and try gently coax her into drinking from it. I'm sure she realizes she can drink from it and odds are when she gets thirsty enough she'll drink from it.
 
Did you buy her the same type of water bottle (the superpet one) as before? Some chins have preferences for certain kinds of water bottle (eg. double ball in the spout vs. single) because of how much water comes out at once. If you now have a plastic water bottle that could be affecting the taste of the water, also, the chin could just be drinking when you aren't in the room. Try using a marker or something to mark the water level and see if it goes down. You're right about the downside of using bowls, especially because your chin could end up spilling or otherwise in the water -_- nightmare waiting to happen
 
You could also try this... tear a raisin in half and rub the inside of the raisin on the tip of the nozzle where she would normally drink from. I had to do this a few times when I had a chin here that was used to a different watering system and not a regular water bottle.
 
I'm kind of worried because I just got my first chins on Thursday, and there are three of them. I have seen 2 of them drink from their water bottle, but not the third. He could be when I'm not home, but it just worries me he's the only one I haven't seen drink! I even added a second water bottle just in case he didn't like the location of the first. He's pretty shy, so I'm just wondering if he doesn't wanna do much when I'm around. :-/
 
NiftyKat- I wouldn't worry. Your chins are getting used to you and probably will be shy for a while. I hear my chins drink but have only ever seen James drink. I know Scotty does because he eats so much he has to, but he is shier and I just haven't seen him do it yet. I think your boys are probably just fine, you have new mama syndrome! Let them settle in and start getting to know you... that's when all the fun stuff they do will start happening when you are around too!
 
I'm kind of worried because I just got my first chins on Thursday, and there are three of them. I have seen 2 of them drink from their water bottle, but not the third. He could be when I'm not home, but it just worries me he's the only one I haven't seen drink! I even added a second water bottle just in case he didn't like the location of the first. He's pretty shy, so I'm just wondering if he doesn't wanna do much when I'm around. :-/

I wouldn't. He is likely drinking for it when you aren't looking. Good thinking on adding a 2nd water bottle since there are 3 chins in the cage though.

Just keep track of weights.
 
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