Scared chin?

[Chris]

I've got a 4 month old chin that, until Friday, was acting like a normal chin during the day. He would sleep in his hammock or house most of the time. Sometime he would just pick a shelf and sleep there.

Well, on Friday afternoon, my youngest did something that disturbed him while he was sleeping in the hammock and he has not been in it since. Then, on Saturday morning, he was in his house when I accidentally bumped it while cleaning and feeding. This startled him again.

Since all of this happened he has not returned to either location. He has been burrowing under the fleece liner and sleeping there all day.

He is still friendly on his terms and will play in the evenings in his playpen and also groom me and sit on my hands when I clean his cage in the mornings.

I am assuming it is just going to take time for him to get comfortable again to go back to the hammock or house.

Is there anything that I can do for him during the day to make him feel safe? His playpen is made with sheets of cardboard and I have thought about surrounding the open sides of his cage so that he cannot see or be seen during the day. Do you think this would help him?

 

[rbarile92]

How long have you had the chin?
It could just be because he is in a new place and is still getting used to it all. Some chin's are frightened easily so it could be because of that as well. I would try to put him in a room where he is not going to be disturbed during the day. This way he will be able to sleep without being scared to do so.
I had to do this with my two boy chins. I first got them and they were terrified of everything so I put them in my room where I knew nothing goes into during the day and it is a quiet place for them.
Soon enough they weren't afraid of anything. My dog can even go into my room now without having the two chins barking at him because they are scared.

It's probably best not to have small kids around him right now. He is still a really young chin and little kids are not very patient. I have a little brother and I can't let him go near my two chins because they will be terrified for weeks to let anyone near them.

You could also try putting a towel or something on top of his cage that surrounds the cage walls. Some chins do like this!

I wish you luck! He is probably scared! But he is in good hands with you!! )

 

[Chris]

We have had him for 2 months and he is in the same cage in the same place in our family room. The only thing that has changed is the little disturbances I mentioned. My girls have all been told about waking him up, putting things through the cage bars, etc. They have been good about it and I think this was an accidental bump of the cage as she would not be able to actually poke him with a finger.

They all say goodnight to him and talk to him every day and he still comes to the cage looking for each of them when they talk to him. It only seems to be an issue when he goes to sleep for the day.

 

[starleomach]

He may have just decided to sleep else where. It may have nothing to do with being startled. Chinchillas are funny little creatures that like to throw you off your game as often as possible.

 

[Laurie]

As said previously if he's only 4 months old he's not quite settled in his environment. Actually the more things happen around him and he realizes he is safe the more comfortable he will be. I have some chins I have had for 6 years that still startle when you open the door, and others I've had you you can touch them while they are sleeping and they don't move. Just continue to spend time with him and not tiptoe around him when he is sleeping and I'm sure he'll get back to his house or hammock