When is the right time to try handle my chinchilla?

[marshmallowfluff29]

I've had them both 4 days, one of them (tina) is extremely shy, she sometimes comes to sniff my hand inside the cage but sometimes she hides whenever I put it in. I started with feeding them treats through the cage bars after talking to them. Albus is great, he started coming to take treats out of my hands from the first go and i can tell hes really eager to get out (but i want to make sure theyre comfortable with me handling them before i let them have a run outside of the cage) he lets me stroke him a tiny bit, but he climbs on my hands and isnt frightened when I do stuff inside the cage like move things around (unlike tina) I wanted to know when would be the right time to pick him up, and how do I do it without really scaring him? I know you should hold the base of the tail so they don't run away but when he's sitting in my hand I dont want to grab it incase he's startled by this (because he only lets me stroke him lightly about once or twice) so i thought he wouldnt be comfortable yet with me full on handling him?

 

[clb]

I would just go by them. Chins are individuals and some may take longer then others. Also some chins don't like to be held ever but will climb on humans and be transferred via a bowl or something for play time.

Are you planning on breeding these chins? If you aren't a male and female will breed during playtime and even through cage bars so keep them separate at all times or get male fixed. If you are may I suggest looking at the breeding posts on here for information. Also do you know their genetic background?

 

[Riven]

I say handle them from day one like you're going to handle them for the rest of their lives. The biggest mistake people make with pets is treating them different right away then later on. If you don't handle them from the start, they'll be used to them not handling them and it will be a big change. If you handle them from the start that's what they're used to you doing.

 

[SeeleyAnne]

In your other thread you said that these chins were both girls, but in both threads, you call one "she" and one "he"... Are these chins being caged together?

 

[marshmallowfluff29]

In your other thread you said that these chins were both girls, but in both threads, you call one "she" and one "he"... Are these chins being caged together?

sorry for the confusion, i call one of them albus so it feels weird to keep calling her a she, theyre both girls im sure of it aha

 

[marshmallowfluff29]

I say handle them from day one like you're going to handle them for the rest of their lives. The biggest mistake people make with pets is treating them different right away then later on. If you don't handle them from the start, they'll be used to them not handling them and it will be a big change. If you handle them from the start that's what they're used to you doing.

but if one of them is scared around me, how would i pick her up without chasing her round? i dont want to chase her around the cage because i know id feel awful so i'd stop and she'd end up just being scared of me

 

[Riven]

If you wait for her to "not be scared" of you, you will never handle her. What happens if you don't handle her now and she gets very ill and needs hand fed several times a day? The more you handle her the less stressful it will be. I would rather have her deal with that stress now than to have to worry about her dealing with it when she's already hurt or ill?

 

[jags]

Most people make the mistake of trying to grab chins from above which is the same way prey would try to grab them. Try scooping your hand under them instead of grabbing from above. Of course if they are in a very large cage good luck any way you try.

 

[SteveD]

You may try giving them an unfrosted cheerio or two; just don't overdo it. They love them. The other thing I do is open the cage and gently place my hand slightly inside the cage. I just sit there for a while, maybe 5-10 minutes. They will usually get curious and come up to my hand and sniff around. Eventually that will climb on my hand and allow me to give them a chin scratch. If you continue to do this daily they we get accustomed to your scent and will start to interact with you. This has worked for most new chins we have gotten.

 

[marshmallowfluff29]

thank you, theyre more comfortable around me now, they climb onto me but still get jumpy when i try to secure them so i have to stay really still or tickle their chin, tina still doesnt like being held, she will only jump on my hands to get out of the cage haha