very active, scratching at the carpet

[turtlemoon]

hi there!

so.. i have a couple of questions. i hope someone can help me soon since i have no idea what could be wrong, if anything.

since about... an hour and a half ago, i noticed that our female chin Jackie has been quite active, more than she normally is. she has been out for playtime for a while, like she usually is around this time. anyway, i recently noticed that she is running around a lot more than what's normal for her, chewing on the bars of her cage (since they seem to be tougher than anything she's chewed- i gave her a few chewing blocks that she chewed for a bit then ignored), and scratching at the carpet like crazy, almost as if she's trying to dig a hole.

checklist:
she is eating, drinking, and pooping normally. she wasn't lethargic or anything either.

i just noticed that she's not being herself, almost as if on a sugar rush, but she hasn't had any treats since a couple of days ago. (and the only sugary treats she ever gets are raisins, about once a month, if that.)

as for my questions:

one, is her sudden hyperactivity something i need to worry about?
and two, why is she trying to desperately (it seems) "dig a hole" in the carpet?

thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you in advance for any replies/help/advice.

 

[mgonya]

Don't think it's anything you have to worry about. I notice in the cooler weather my chins have a lot more energy and eat better also. I would stop the raisins though, they are pure sugar and very bad for them. Give them an old fashioned oat flake, they love them. The scratching and sometimes when they rub their faces on a surface, I believe mine are telling me they want a bath. And they want it NOW.
When my male starts chewing on his bars I usually walk out of the room so I don't encourage bad behavior. The extra energy could also be she is getting comfortable in her surroundings and you're being a good mom.

 

[akane]

I was going to mention the weather too. Even indoors they can sense things like pressure and humidity from hotter, cooler, or stormy weather. All animals tend to get a bit silly when a cold front comes through or a storm is about to hit.

Raisins are also potentially toxic. Usually only in large amounts but still. Dogs have died from eating lots of grapes or raisins.

Oatmeal makes a great treat because you can give several little pieces here and there without worry of overfeeding them. I'm winning my female over by first putting little piles of oatmeal on top of her house every day while she watched me and now feeding her from my hand. Some give a plain wheat cereal piece. Cheerios are frequently used but seem a little controversial for reasons I don't know. You can also give choice bits of hay. I keep a little pack of oat hay on top of the cage. You can find small amounts in petstores or order larger amounts on ebay. It's something different from your usual grass hays and has little immature grain heads on it.

 

[turtlemoon]

thank you both for your replies, they really helped. i'm glad i have nothing to worry about.

in the seven months we've had Jackie, she has only had about... five raisins, but each about the size of half a pellet. anyway, i shall stop the raisins. ^-^

i keep reading things about oatmeal as treats, but i forget which kind to get them every time we go shopping. i know there's "instant" and that's bad for them, but what's the other kind? o.o

also, are [dried] hibiscus flowers really ok to feed as treats? the kinds that are used for tea/water- found in the spices section of grocery stores.