Tortured by children chinchilla

[lauralynne]

Let's please get this thread back on track to the original poster. Their last post is below. If your comments do not pertain to this topic, please start a new thread.

Im not sure if my posts were received earlier. I wanted to say thank you to all the members who gave me advice and told me their stories. I find this to be a great new adventure, more so than a problem. Regardless, thank you all again. It was incredibly helpful. I forgot to mention his tail has slipped off twice now.

Also, where is the best place to buy a chinchilla safe wheel? I feel he would be happy with one inside the cage.

I swear by singing to any nervous animal. This is funny to me, all of my nervous animals have enjoys Rufus Wainwright (sp?) Hallelujah. I love to sing it and it seem to have enough low to high calm tones that they dont find it offensive. Ive also read tvs and music help chinchillas rehab and cope with nose. I hooked up a radio and put a nest box with a wire bottom upside down on it. I plan to place it in the hallway during playtime so no one even has a chance to touch the outlet. (all outlets have blocker plugs in them!)

Also, what type of pen or gating system would be best? I am reading Marshal is a farm and I dont want to buy from them but I am impressed by their pens. I want Momma to start out slow and not be let loose asap.

 

[Jenn]

My chin certainly wasn't abused by her former owner, and I'm so sorry yours was, but it still took a lot of time for her to be comfortable in my home with new sounds and smells, etc, and I spent a lot of time just sitting next to her cage and talking to her, reading to her, singing to her. I actually never tried to interact more than that. I just wanted her to get used to my presence and to not see me as a threat. Time and patience paid off and she is the sweetest chin around.

I use a flying saucer, which my chin loves, but can't remember where I got it. I know there are suppliers on the forum and members will sell their wheels, so you could always check the classifieds section.

I have two playpens attached together and connected to my chin's cage. This way she can come in and out of her cage and into a chin safe environment. The cages I bought were from petsmart. The problem with them is that a chin can easily jump over it, although my chin has never tried...I guess she is a lazy jumper! lol. But you can get pens with a cover top for the chin escape artist.

Have fun with your new chins!!!

 

[Amphy64]

bondiferous, I hope you have good luck getting your new chins used to you, especially the more nervous chin, poor things. I definitely agree with previous posters that singing and playing music seems to help, and simply talking (or reading) to them. Plenty of love, and lots of apple sticks, I guess, I hope he does come round for you.

 

[3CsMommy]

Corrugated cardboard without tape and stickers can make a good barrier over doorways, etc. Beyond that, I'm of no more help.

 

[DoGooder]

3CsMOmmy, just an FYI that my chinchilla chews through cardboard (see attached picture), so cardboard might not work with some chinchillas. When I first got my chinchilla I put cardboard on the floors because I had to immediately replace the plastic she was chewing and one day I forgot to put aside the cardboard piece I had been using as a temporary divider while I cleaned her cage, then when I went back about an hour later she had chewed a hole about 3 inches diameter and passed through the hole to get to the other floor.

DoGooder