I just got a chincilla a few weeks ago. Someone at a local pet store dropped him off there because they couldnt take care of him anymore, so I took him. I don't know how old he is. I've done alot of reading about chinchillas.. bought lots of things he needs and got wood for him to chew and everything... but I've just never given him a treat before. So today I gave him a little bit of a raison while I had him out playing, and he could smell the raison on my fingers and kept continueing to bite me quite hard after I had given him the treat, and began making quiet squeeking noises.. then starting attacking my feet and biting me through my socks for no reason [lol unless my feet smell like raisons]. I dont know if he could have aquired some bad habits from his previous owner, or if he was upset about not getting any treats for a couple weeks, but is it normal for him to act in such a way after I feed him a treat? Any help for a new chinchilla owner?? Any comments would be appreciated.
2007-02-08 09:47:09 · 5 answers · asked by KD 1 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
He kept bitting your fingers because he could still smell the raisin on you and didn't understand the concept that it wasn't one.
I'm not sure what it is with feet (I think it might just be because its at their level) but mine always nibbled my feet (although I never wore socks with them because they seemed to love socks.) They do have a habit of "tasting" things, where they test nibble items to see if they are edible. They got used to my feet after a while, but sometimes got excited depending on what polish I had on my toenails.
What I would recommend is to feed him treats with one hand and use the other to interact with. In theory he shouldn't be really bitting your fingers if they don't smell like food. It may be very possible that he was never given treats that way before and is only learning "proper treat manners" with you. They do learn, but how quick it is really depends on the chin and their intelligence level. Some learn very quick.. some are a bit slow.
Whatever you do, don't give treats through the cage, or he will associate whatever goes through the bars/mesh as food. Really really really bad if you are going to ever want to put your fingers though.
Feel free to message or email me if you want to know more about chin care or have questions. Don't want to make this longer than it already is!
2007-02-08 11:46:16 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chins tend to nibble your hands, feet ets. I think it's some sort of grooming. Mine makes those little noises when he does that. It's really sweet actually. Sometimes they get carried away though and they bite really hard, maybe it's that, or he's just smelling the raisin on your hand. Mine always climbs on my feet when I take him out of his cage and he then just sits there and nibbles my sock, or even worse in the summer he nibbles my toes, which can be painful and tickly.
2007-02-10 00:21:50 · answer #2 · answered by happy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You only offered him 'part of a raisin' and he simply LOVED IT and was 'looking for more' ... so I'd give him 'nice treats' but put them into a 'small bowl' so he can eat them, and not try to 'hand them to him' ... and be sure that you are 'gentle' when you are 'playing with him' and also that you are 'protected against bites' until he knows you and how you 'smell' ... which can take six months so he has time to 'build trust in you. And GOOD FOR YOU for taking in any animal that got 'dumped off' by someone who decided they 'didn't want' their pet but who couldn't be 'bothered' to find it a 'good home' themselves.
2007-02-08 10:13:26 · answer #3 · answered by Kris L 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That sounds like typical chin behavior, sometimes they can get aggressive when it comes to treats. Mine is very persistent, he won't leave me alone if he thinks I'm hiding somehting.
Since you've only had him a few weeks, he's still getting used to you and his new surroundings. It can takes chinnies months to settle in - mine gave me the cold shoulder for over a month when we moved into a new house.
check out chins-n-quills.com, it's a great forum for chin owners. When I first started, I went there all the time to ask if what my chin was doing was ok, what treats were ok, etc.
2007-02-08 09:53:17 · answer #4 · answered by Mary 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ditto to what Mary said.
2007-02-08 12:23:54 · answer #5 · answered by B N 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋