Your new chinchilla

Before purchasing your chinchilla it is a good idea to purchase the cage, food and all accessories you will require (see Housing and toys). Set up the cage ready for your new chinchilla, then purchase your chinchilla.

The cage is best sited where other animals will not bother the chinchilla; away from draughts, as these are not good for them; not directly in front of a radiator; and not in direct sunlight where they may be at risk from heat exhaustion. A good spot is against the wall, or in the corner of the room where the chinchilla will feel less exposed.

When your chinchilla arrives home place them in their new cage and leave them alone for the rest of the day. Before they start to interact with you they need time to settle in, investigate their home, and become accustomed to all the new smells and sounds around them.


Taming and handling

Chinchillas are timid and can easily become frightened, each chinchilla is different and the time it takes to develop trust between you and your new chinchilla will vary with each animal - some animals can take up to six months to trust their owner completely.

A chinchilla has a long lifespan so take your time getting to know your chinchilla; a week’s progress can suffer a severe setback if you inadvertently scare your pet.

Approach the cage slowly and speak quietly and gently to your chinchilla, offer them a raisin or some other small treat. Chinchillas are naturally curious so after a while s/he should come to the side of the cage and accept the treat. When your chinchilla is happy with this try reaching into the cage and offering a treat, do not pursue your pet - be patient and let them come to you, and allow them to explore your hand and arm. As the chinchillas trust in you increases you can try stroking their back, and in time you may be able to pick them up. It has to be said here that some chinchillas will never like being picked up.


Problem chinchillas

Sometimes when a chinchilla arrives at their new home they will find the change very stressful and this may affect their behaviour, alternatively they may have been living in an unsuitable environment and may be extremely nervous.

You may find your chinchilla hides constantly and looks at you as if they think you are going to eat them; never appears to sleep; spits and kecks at you; or attempts to spray urine at you! Your chin may also tremble when picked up. You will no doubt feel that your chinchilla dislikes you, when in reality they just need plenty of time, love, patience, and above all perseverance. It could take months or in extreme cases may even take a year, and your progress will be based on many small advances and quite a few setbacks as you win their trust, however you should bear in mind there is no guarantee that they will ever become super confident.

With such chinchillas there are a number of tactics that you can use to help calm them down and gain their trust:

avoid handling them until they calm down, just leave them in peace as much as possible and let them get used to the cage, and all the sounds and smells around them,
when you approach them talk gently and use slow gentle movements,
set a routine each day and try to stick to it - this way they know what to expect,
gently shake or rattle their treats to encourage them to come out of hiding and approach the side of the cage,
offer one or two treats every day, oats are good as you can offer one of two at a time - or you could try offering a few oats in the palm of your hand,
do not approach your chin - instead let them come to you,
when they become a little more confident try stoking or tickling them briefly and gently, but do not rush or force them,
try imitating their behaviour, e.g. the small squeaks they make (not the spiting or kecking); try the chinnie nose swipe; or try sniffing noses - this is a chins way of saying 'Hi',
avoid chasing your chin as this will only reinforce their fear of you,
for playtime use a small enough area that you will not need to chase your chin to catch it, and leave the cage door open so your chin has the option of returning home,
at playtime don't try to interact with him/her - just sit quietly and let your chin play. Alternatively try lying on the floor - this way you will appear less threatening, and your chin is more likely to approach you to investigate you and to climb and bounce over you,
at playtime ignore your chin, just sit on the floor and make yourself busy doing something else - chins can be very curious and they are likely to come to see what you are doing,
at playtime block off any places where they can hide, but where you can't easily get them back out. If they are scared they will not want to come out,
when you have visitors leave a nervous chin in their cage until your visitors have left,

Cage size and location are also important, a larger cage is better, however if your chin has lived in a small cage for a long time then they may feel very uncomfortable in a large cage and may take a long time to settle in - separating off part of the cage to make it seem smaller may help initially.

Cage location is also worth considering, the current spot may be to noisy, or may feel too exposed. It could be worth trying another spot, however bear in mind that moving them to a strange place may upset them and they could take a little while to adjust to their new location.

Some chins like to cuddle up to a child-safe stuffed toy - however if they eat the stuffed toy then it is best to remove it. You may also find that a nervous chinchilla calms down when sharing a cage - however do not rush into this as chinchilla introductions can be difficult and stressful for all concerned! Last, but not least, many owners have reported improvements in a chinchilla's attitude and / or behaviour when they have been provided with an exercise wheel.

The tips above can be used to help tame any chinchilla. The list may seem daunting, but it is extremely rewarding when a shy, nervous animal shows its trust by approaching you voluntarily, and their true personality begins to emerge.


Exercising your chinchilla

Once you chinchilla trusts you enough to handle them it is possible to let them out of their cage. Some owners allow free run in their lounge area, while others use the kitchen, hallway, bathroom, or bedroom. Whichever play area you chose you will need to chin proof. This involves ensuring that:

no electrical (or telephone) wires are available for chewing,
they cannot get behind or under any gas fires, fridges, freezers, washing machines etc. where they may become stuck or may come to harm,
you have no objects lying around that you really dont want to be chewed,
the toilet seat is kept down - chinchillas have died or been badly harmed by toilet incidents.

Your chinchilla will need to be supervised at all times. When you leave the room for five or ten minutes you may walk back in to find your pet has managed to climb up and reach some electrical wires, or has discovered the delights of wallpaper stripping!

While your pet is outside the cage it is extremely important to know their whereabouts, they can move very quickly, but at other times they can move very quietly - it is very easy to turn around and tread on your chinchilla! Likewise before sitting down check the seat, your chinchilla may have pinched that spot.

Getting your chinchilla back in the cage can be a challenge. It is a good idea to avoid chasing them, especially if you are still working on gaining their trust. One method is to offer them their bath, when they hop in just take them back to their cage; alternatively try providing a large cardboard tube to hide and play in - then use this to carry your chin back to their cage.


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