Catching?

[rbgatti]

Hi, we are new to this so I hope this isn't a repeat question here...

We purchased our 1st Chinchilla about 3 weeks ago. She is about 4 months old and we're trying to interact with her every evening so she can get used to us, especially my son (and her owner).

When I say interact, I mean we are trying to have her get used to our smell and get her out of the cage. Once out, she loves being held and lightly petted. No problem keeping her quiet for 5 minutes without getting restless...her eyes almost start to close. She also has just about stopped pooping out of the cage which tells me she getting more comfortable.

The problem is catching her! Now when it comes down to it, I have no problem removing the entire cage top and quickly lightly grabbing her. But what I am beginning to notice is that a chase is starting and I don't want her to be afraid of getting caught. When she sees a pair of hands in the cage, she's beginning to react as if she knows what's coming.

Any suggestions? Should I push it in an effort to try to get her more comfortable being out and about? Like I said, she seems to love being out and handled...

Thanks for any help...
Rico

[alli713]

Maybe you could try putting a few oats into your hand as a way for her to come to you. That way she might see the hands as a positive thing and not get afraid of you.

[LSerilla]

the Pooping thing, where she doesn't poop out side the cage,
chins poop all time, no matter where they are. and you want chins to poop.
as stated you can use oats or something else, though chins don't like to be chased. if you really need to , get a sheet and throw it over your chin, this way they wont get hurt, by getting chased.
good luck

[Lauren_201]

The problem is catching her! Now when it comes down to it, I have no problem removing the entire cage top and quickly lightly grabbing her. But what I am beginning to notice is that a chase is starting and I don't want her to be afraid of getting caught. When she sees a pair of hands in the cage, she's beginning to react as if she knows what's coming.


You don't really want to chase her around the cage, unless it's an emergency of course and you have to get her out. It makes them more spazzy and afraid of you. I am told they have extremely long memories. Put your hand in the cage and encourage her to jump on it, and crawl on your arm. Once she's comfortable with that you can try cupping her with both hands and lifting her out.
With my chin Berry I started out all wrong, I would try to get him out the cage by chasing him and would try and hold him all the time. He just didn't like it, and I would keep trying. He's still afraid of me to this day. I've had him for over 10 months. My female though I just let her slowly get used to me, and hopping on my arms crawling up my arm to sit on my shoulder/head, and getting used to my voice, and what not. Now she's a huge cuddler and she waits at the door for me to take her out.
Do some searches on Taming, that should help quite a bit. You want to hand tame her. Good Luck
Ps. You want her to poop. Poop = Good , No Poop = Bad, possibly very sick

[lilsweetpea]

I have been told the exact opposite, that chins have short memories. I am introducing my two chins and each time I let them out for free time, they barely recognize each other!

I have to chase my chins to get them to go back into their cages but not usually to get them out. I am surprised your chin sits still long enough to be pet. Either that won't last long or you are very lucky. What I did to make exit and entry into the cage easy on me and the chins was allow a long board to sit from the entrance of the cage to the floor. She can come out when she wants and she can go back when she gets tired. It worked great!

[Karin]

the above are all great suggestions.. and yes, you don't want the poop to stop.. well, you do, but it can't.. lol..
the lack of poop does not signify comfortable and trusting.. it can be time of day, appetite at the time, sickness..
if i take dusty out during the afternoon, he does not poop outside the cage.. (he hasn't eaten anything yet either) if i take em out after dinner? oh, he poop's.. and poop's alot..
just use patience and more patience... it take's time... and yes, don't chase to get her.. it stress's them out, you can lose some serious ground on the trust part, and it can cause fur slip... just try some of the suggestions and see which work's best for you:)

[JBCHINY]

I understand completely. One of my chins would not let me pick her up so I just started putting my hands there and waited for her to get on and I would let her down. She is still not a very friendly chin and does not like to get picked up but will jump right in my hands to be let down at play time. It takes ALOT of patients and work but in the end its worth it.

[Lauren_201]

I am surprised your chin sits still long enough to be pet. Either that won't last long or you are very lucky.

My little Chloe loves to cuddle. She will let me hold her for as long as I want to.

It really depends on the chinchilla. Some like to be scratched and cuddled, some would rather not be touched or held at all. It all boils down to the temperment of the individual chinchilla.

[Ebony B]

Ok, the picking up business; its a good thing that you want to bond with your chinny, but it should be done as stress free as you can. Somtimes the chins think you are playing and run away from you, but it can get to a point where you get annoyed and they run more, making themselves hot and it could lead to alsorts of stuff going wrong.
Gradually get your chin used to your smell, and when you are with them, try wearing the same jumper, and not much perfume, as chins rely a lot on their smell as their eye sight is quite poor. Strong handwash might impare things slightly too.

If you arn't so great at picking them up, try throwing a big towel over them and scooping them up, its the most stress free way we have found and you have a pre-burrito'd chin in the making! :laugh:

This is also the reason if a chin has got have an operation, why if you put them back in with other chins, they attack each other, as the chin that has been operated on will smell of 'Vet' and not themselves, and even life-long cagemates can attack after being operated on as their smell is completly different = they don't recognise them.

Wow - textbook'o'rama, thats me!

[rbgatti]

Thanks for all the great advice! I think we'll try the patients thing by trying to see if she wil come out herself on some sort of a platform or ramp.