Activity

[channeltool]

We adopted a 1 year old male chin (Blue) then purchased a 12 week old male ( Hershey ). I know kits are very active but I thought a 1year would still be considered a baby. But Blue is not as active as Hershey. I never saw him as a kit, so I do not know if this is the way he has always been. Hershey pounces off all the walls and runs through the tubes and jumps on our shoulders whiles Blue runs a little, pounces off the wall a couple of times and only jumps on our legs. But Blue will follow me around the apartment and come to me when I call him. Is it normal for chins to become less active after only a year.

[kriskitty22]

Definitely. However, it totally depends on their personality. When I got Rocky, my first chin, if he ever escaped the cage it would take me hours to catch him. Now, he's lazier and catching him is not a problem at all. He's about a year old as well. Still, he has his moments. Snicker is definitely more like a mouse. She's 4, but spry as a deer. If she gets it in her mind that she doesn't want to go back in the cage, she won't. Then of course my 8-month old baby is just as tempermental as she wants to be. Somedays she's lazy, others she's bouncing off walls (literally). In short, unless Blue appears to be lethargic in any way, don't worry about it. Chinnies have their own unique and individual personality! It sounds like you've got a winner in Blue. :-)

[channeltool]

HI. Blue is not lethargic in any way. When we first got him, the pet shop thought he was about 10 - 11 months old. We have had him for two months. He was a bit more active at first and trying to catch him was very difficult. We had to use the his dust bath box to catch him. Now he seems more relaxed with us and we can go over to him while his is out and he lets us pet him and then he goes on his way. Now he goes into the cage on his own, so there isn't any more running around the apartment. Hershey just stays in the play area, he is too young to run around the apartment.
Your Snicker sounds very entertaining, I bet she keeps giving you a run for your money...:) no pun intended
We want to get another male chin but are still deciding to buy another kit or we know of three 1 year olds for sale. On one hand the kits are far more entertaining, but on the other hand the 1 year olds need a home.

[cuddlycuddles]

It makes me think that perhaps your chin was very nervous in your home when you just bought him, and was running away more because he was scared, and that's where you got the idea of more 'activity'. Perhaps he just relaxed a bit and got used to his environment?
I can't see why would his behaviour change drastically in 2 months, if he's healthy otherwise...but perhaps someone else could answer this.

One of my boys, Hades, when we first got him, was the most quiet chin in the world...shy and quiet and wouldn't even run out during the play time...he was just hiding in the corner all the time while his big brother Zeus was running everywhere making cute noises...Hades was obviously scarred of his new home and parents, so we let him relax and get used to us.
A few weeks later...it turned out that our little darling (Hades) was actually much more active and curious than his older, bigger bro.
What a surprise! We cannot even recognize this 'new' Hades...he is so unlike himself, it's amazing...like a new chin altogether...running everywhere, trying to hide, squeeking while playing, using us as jumping boards...wow! :laugh:
At the same time, Zeus, who at first had to run and explore every corner, has seen everything we alowed him to see, and is not running around like crazy anymore...he'll actually take his time to do things.
Could it be that your chin was also just adapting to your place?

[channeltool]

Cuddles,
That sounds like a good observation. Hershey, the kit, stayed in the tube and made those warning calls continuously. But now he is out playing, jumping around, bouncing off walls and us. Maybe you are right, Blue has explored everything and is more relaxed around us.