Spastic Chinnie

[beckie467]

Ok so I have had my male chin Dartanion for 2 yearsish now and he is still SUPER SPASTIC! I don't really know what to do to try to get him to calm down. Granted I know not every chin is a hold me type of chin, and trust me I am totally fine with that. But my problem is that with Dart he even freaks out in his cage when I am just trying to put fresh food or hay in his cage. I'm not really sure what I can do to try to help him calm down because I'm sure that spastic behavior can't be good for him. At one point, he did have a male cagemate and he seemed to be a little better then but I don't know if it was the cagemate or not. Any suggestions from the pros?

 

[Jenn]

Do you spend a lot of time with him, even just sitting by his cage and talking to him without getting into his space? I'm not a pro, but I know some animals just take much longer than others to build trust, and the more time you spend with them without making them feel vulnerable by invading their space, the more trust will build, and you can move on to the next step. 2 years seems like plenty of time to have built trust, and maybe he'll never fully trust you. I take care of stray cats (I know, totally different species but...) and I have had some that won't let me near them for years and then finally after 3 or 4 years will finally let me pet them. Patience and time spent building trust can certainly pay off. Good luck!

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

Some chins are just that way, not most . I have 1 male like that - I nick-named him "the Mexican jumping bean' - He is young - only 2 years old. Probably, (I hope) when he gets older (5-6 years) he will calm down. I have his cage in the main living area' now and talk to him all the time, hoping he will calm down a little. He does seem a little calmer but not much. I really think that is the way he is