One of the more common questions we get has to do with handling chinchillas. Their jumpy nature can make it quite a challenge to pick them up and this can frustrate new pet owners.
Trina wrote to us with this:
I was just wondering if you can actually hold a chinchilla like you would with a hamster or kitten. Also, can you pet it from its neck to tail like you do with a dog?
Our suggestions consisted of:
Trina,
We have two chinchillas. One can be picked up, carried around the house, and petted. The other chinchilla is not nearly as cooperative. Picking her up is tricky as she'll try to run away. And once we do have her, we have to be very gentle or she'll jump out of our hands. Both chinchillas will only tolerate a short period of being held before getting antsy and wanting to be let go.
The more a chinchilla was handled when young, the more likely the chinchilla will tolerate being handled as an adult.
Like Trina, Jessica too was looking for some advice on handling her chinchilla:
I just got a chinchilla and he is friendly but doesn't like to be held. How can I get him used to us without getting him stressed?
Our answer to Jessica was:
Jessica,
The first thing to accept is that it will take time. What we did was start off by sitting quietly in the same room as our chinchillas as they ran around. After a while they would come over and "investigate" us. When they did we would slowly reach out and pet them.
We also would hand feed them a treat. First they would grab the food and run away, but eventually they would be fine eating while we held on to the treat. And eventually, they would come running when they heard us opening the bag.
Eventually, we were able to pick up one of our two chinchillas whenever we wanted to. The second remains uncooperative most of the time.
Entries (RSS)
October 27th, 2008 at 5:46 am
Octavia,
It'll take time for your chinchilla to become used to you even if he was friendly with his previous owner. Picking up your chinchilla by the tail is not recommended. And chasing your chinchilla will only scare your chinchilla more so try to avoid it as much as possible.
October 26th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
We just got our chinchilla a day ago.. and we were told that he was freindly and from conversations with the previous owner know that this one was held and handled.. But he doesn't like for us to hold him and he runs. He wants to be let out but we are afraid we won't be able to catch him to put him back into his cage. Also the previous owner told me to hold him by the tail, but when I did he kept trying to get away. When I put him back into his cage I noticed a patch of hair was missing at the base of his tail where I was holding him at. Is this normal?
September 14th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Hi my name is Emily I just got a Chinchilla (He's 3).How do I pick him up from inside his cage without him biting me?He likes to go on my shoulder a lot but I need help picking him up..
July 8th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
i had my chinchilla for about a year now and when ever i try to pick him up he always forces to get away I don't know if im picking him up wrong or what but if you could help my that would be great. My friend has a chinchilla and when he picks her up he puts tube socks on his hands up his arm. should i do that i meen does that make the chinchilla more comftorable with the sock?
through out the time ive had my chinchilla i would give him a treat when he would climb up my book shelf and hop into his cage and ive let him run around every day for a few hours. I also have a running wheel and some mineral blocks and wood for him to chew on. But all that i do i just think im doing somthing wrong. I bought him from a friend and im guessing he didn't pick him up when he was younger becuase he wont let me pick him up. thank you for letting me share my story and if you could share with me what im doing wrong and so on that would be great.
P.S. if you could tell me how you pick him up that would be awsome becuase i think im doing it wrong.
November 11th, 2007 at 9:41 am
Jewely,
We don't have much experience with biting chinchillas so we're not sure exactly how to deal with it. However, many behaviors can be taught with the right reward/punishment. Maybe if you're bitten you immediately tap your chinchilla on the nose. Not enough to cause injury, but enough to cause discomfort so they associate the tapping with the bitting and eventually stop.