She's lonely

[schweppes]

I just got a new chin a couple days ago and she barks all night long unless she can see my other chins and there's someone nearby. Last night my boyfriend slept on the couch because she would bark every time he tried to leave for the bed. I'm going to try to introduce her later, but I did only get her a couple of days ago, what's a way to help her not feel so lonely?

 

[tunes]

Give her a chin safe stuffy to cuddle with. That helps calm down a lot of chins when they are scared or lonely.

 

[Stackie]

It's normal for chins to be scared/apprehensive in a new environment and they do commonly bark for the first few weeks/nights.

What concerns me is when you say she stops when she sees other chins- you should always quarantine a new chinchilla for 30 days. This means they should be no where near your other chins.

Once she begins to settle in, she will become more comfortable and the barking will most likely stop. Give her time to calm down, keep her separated from the others, and she'll probably stop.

 

[CJR]

Yeah, chinchillas should really be quarantined for at least thirty days when you first bring them home - preferably as far away from the other chins as possible. Chinchillas are very nervous creatures when faced with a new environment, but give it some time. Is she in a noisy area? It is best to keep them in a quiet place especially at first.

As for being lonely, a stuffed friend would be great for her. They're super easy to make, just sew some fleece together, leave a hole, flip it inside out, stuff with fleece scraps, and give to the chinnie. My girl Tia did so much better after I gave her a pillow to cuddle with after I first got her.

Good luck...

 

[chinnychinchinchilla]

i just want to say i agree with all the above and congrats on your new baby

 

[Laurie]

Most likely she is not lonely but unsettled and confused about her new surroundings. If you want your chin to bond with you the best thing you can do right now is spend time with her and have her get used to you and her new surroundings before thinking of introducing her to a new chin. The more time you spend with her, the more used she gets to you and the sites and sounds around her cage, she will be more comfortable with her surroundings.