I have a new baby chinchilla (Skiba)! And she is worrying me…?
May 20, 2010 Author: admin | Filed under: Facts about ChinchillasI know it takes a while…quite a while for a chinchilla to trust people…and I’m sure the fact that baby Skiba was taken away from her mother a week ago does not help with her confusion…I know that with time and patience we can bond…i’m just worried about her getting enough excercise in the meantime. Chinchillas are supposed to be out of their cage about an hour each night(so I have read). But she’s so frightened that when open her cage she hides…she comes out eventually sometimes but only to hide under things…also…as far as dust baths, how should i get her to go about having one without me seeming to pressure her therefore scaring her…i just want what is best for my little chinchilla!
…also, i just read that you shouldn’t let a chinchilla out of its cage to explore its new home for a minimum of 2 weeks. Skiba’s been out a few times, but doesn’t seem to enjoy it. I know that chins supposedly have v good memories…i just don’t wanna traumatize her…is it o.k. if we hold of from extra-cage adventures for a while…???
For the dust bath, just place the container in the cage, close the door and step away from the cage. Just stand there and watch, but don’t talk to her or make any noises. Be patient! Once she does go in the container let her play in it for about an hour, this way she knows it’s ok and it’s hers. This also puts her scent on it. NEVER leave the dust in the cage all the time because your chinchilla will use it as her bathroom. Dust isn’t good for the fur if she rolls in it too much. It will dry her fur out and cause her to lose her fur.
It is perfectly fine to take the chinchilla out of the cage. Every chinchilla born here or that I rescue, I immediately start letting them get accustomed with me. To do this, take the chinchilla in the bathroom, making sure the toilet lid is down, bathtub dried out, and pickup or block anything the chinchilla can hide under/behind/in (this means behind the toilet). Let the chinchilla explore while your laying on the floor or sitting on the floor. Take some treats with you (raisins, dried cranberries, posted shredded wheat’s cereal) and give the chinchilla a treat every time it comes near you so she knows your not going to hurt her in any way. This let’s her become familiarized with you in a good way. Let her run around for 30 minutes, then place her in her cage for 1 hour to rest, eat and drink. After the one hour is up, take her back in the bathroom for 30 more minutes.
To get her out of the cage, take out anything that she can hide in so she can see you. Move slowly toward her. Let her smell your hands and even nibble you a little, if she wants. Lay your hand in the cage so she can smell your hand to get use to your scent. When she feels comfortable with you, she will place her front paws on your hand. It’s best to let them get use to your palm area first, so you can pet her with your fingers while she’s on your hand. If it fails, don’t rush her, let her go at her own pace.
Skiba doesn’t seem to enjoy being out of her cage because it’s a new place to her, but in due time she will be all over the place. Chins don’t "supposedly" have good memories, they DO have good memories, especially if hurt by someone.
The problem with holding off from extra cage adventures for a while is, if she don’t get out of the cage, she will want to stay in the cage all the time, because she is going to associate the cage with where she is suppose to be at all times. I have a rescue that I cannot get out of the cage because it’s previous owners never let him out. He will let me pet him, but as far as coming out to play, he just won’t. I keep his cage door open throughout the day thinking he will come out on his own, but he never does. My chinchillas are in a room of their own and I will open a cage door, randomly, so 1 can come out to play when it wants to, but he never comes out when his door is opened. I have him in a big wide cage with lots of things to do so he don’t get bored. An absolute MUST for any chinchilla to get exercise is an exercise wheel. He loves his wheel and that’s how he gets his exercise everyday. Chinchillas have their own personalities so Skiba just might have the personality when she wants to be left alone.
Since Skiba is so shy and hides a lot, I’m guessing the people you got her from didn’t handle her very much. I handle all my kits daily, more than once a day, and all my kits are very friendly and people associated. They love to be held and out of the cage.
Be patient and it will all work out! 
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2 Responses for "I have a new baby chinchilla (Skiba)! And she is worrying me…?"
By nature, chinchillas are timid animals. Especially when they are very young like Skiba. My chinchilla took a lot of time to become accustomed to us and his surroundings, but with a lot of handling, he grew out of his shyness. He loved his dust baths so I left a small box with a little bit of dust in his cage at all times. He bathed constantly! They’re funny little creatures!
Patience and a lot of TLC will probably do the trick but sometimes, they’re just inclined to be skittish forever.
References :
For the dust bath, just place the container in the cage, close the door and step away from the cage. Just stand there and watch, but don’t talk to her or make any noises. Be patient! Once she does go in the container let her play in it for about an hour, this way she knows it’s ok and it’s hers. This also puts her scent on it. NEVER leave the dust in the cage all the time because your chinchilla will use it as her bathroom. Dust isn’t good for the fur if she rolls in it too much. It will dry her fur out and cause her to lose her fur.
It is perfectly fine to take the chinchilla out of the cage. Every chinchilla born here or that I rescue, I immediately start letting them get accustomed with me. To do this, take the chinchilla in the bathroom, making sure the toilet lid is down, bathtub dried out, and pickup or block anything the chinchilla can hide under/behind/in (this means behind the toilet). Let the chinchilla explore while your laying on the floor or sitting on the floor. Take some treats with you (raisins, dried cranberries, posted shredded wheat’s cereal) and give the chinchilla a treat every time it comes near you so she knows your not going to hurt her in any way. This let’s her become familiarized with you in a good way. Let her run around for 30 minutes, then place her in her cage for 1 hour to rest, eat and drink. After the one hour is up, take her back in the bathroom for 30 more minutes.
To get her out of the cage, take out anything that she can hide in so she can see you. Move slowly toward her. Let her smell your hands and even nibble you a little, if she wants. Lay your hand in the cage so she can smell your hand to get use to your scent. When she feels comfortable with you, she will place her front paws on your hand. It’s best to let them get use to your palm area first, so you can pet her with your fingers while she’s on your hand. If it fails, don’t rush her, let her go at her own pace.
Skiba doesn’t seem to enjoy being out of her cage because it’s a new place to her, but in due time she will be all over the place. Chins don’t "supposedly" have good memories, they DO have good memories, especially if hurt by someone.
The problem with holding off from extra cage adventures for a while is, if she don’t get out of the cage, she will want to stay in the cage all the time, because she is going to associate the cage with where she is suppose to be at all times. I have a rescue that I cannot get out of the cage because it’s previous owners never let him out. He will let me pet him, but as far as coming out to play, he just won’t. I keep his cage door open throughout the day thinking he will come out on his own, but he never does. My chinchillas are in a room of their own and I will open a cage door, randomly, so 1 can come out to play when it wants to, but he never comes out when his door is opened. I have him in a big wide cage with lots of things to do so he don’t get bored. An absolute MUST for any chinchilla to get exercise is an exercise wheel. He loves his wheel and that’s how he gets his exercise everyday. Chinchillas have their own personalities so Skiba just might have the personality when she wants to be left alone.
Since Skiba is so shy and hides a lot, I’m guessing the people you got her from didn’t handle her very much. I handle all my kits daily, more than once a day, and all my kits are very friendly and people associated. They love to be held and out of the cage.
Be patient and it will all work out!
References :
Chinchilla Breeder
http://www.geocities.com/softfurrycritters
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