Re: Vampire -- Chinnie Chat Room from the Chinnie Playground

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Date Posted: 13:45:53 10/04/02 Fri
Author: ChinniePlayground : -)
Subject: Re: Vampire
In reply to: Daniel 's message, "Vampire" on 13:01:35 10/04/02 Fri

Hello Daniel,
Thank you for your message!
I too, have had Chinchillas that may occasionally bite, but on the whole, they usually don't. One of the biggest helps you can give your new Chinchilla friend is to let him/her know that your fingers, touches and "scratches" are coming from a friendly source, not a source that will do them harm. In other words, the Chinchilla is probably not associating being held with "being friends".
Do you handle your Chinchilla much? I would recommend some very old and sage advice. First, begin feeding your Chinchilla treats only from your hands.... rasins are excellent, but too many may be too much of a good thing. Once your Chinchilla can see that your hands only offer "goodies" you should begin by placing your hand or arms (depending on the type of cage he/she is in) either in the cage or just outside it, where your Chinchilla can begin to sniff your fingers and normally, your Chinchilla will not take long to begin investigating your hands.... they are very curious, and curiosity usually wins out over fear. It may also help to use treats to encourage your new friend.
However, the number one thing to remember that even the happiest, tamest Chinchilla may bite (or can bite) if he/she feels threatened. Because Chinchillas are still considered an "exotic" animal, they have yet to be considered "domesticated". My first, and probably favorate, Chinchilla is a Chin I call Chucky. He is so sweet natured and calm and gentle... yet, he does NOT appreciate being picked up. On each occasion that I try to pick Chuckie up, I can always detect the whites in his eyes (something I have come to compare to the "wide eyed surprised or fearfull" expressions humans might exhibit. He has occasionally "nipped" at my fingers when I pick him up, but I believe that is because he is fearfull... he does not know if he is secure in my arms...
There are two ways to handle this situation, in my mind anyway.... Handle your Chinchilla often, get him/her used to your hands (Chuckie adores being scratched both behind his ears and under his neck, and always comes right up to me when I come to the cage... He even swings his ears forward for a scratch... and he will "push" my arm away when he tires of this game... lol! It really is too funny!
Holding a Chinchilla with "confidence" also plays a huge role in taming your Chinchilla. I believe that animals can "feel" when their "people" are a bit afraid of them, or don't quite know how to handle them. Therefore, getting to know your Chinchilla is a two-way street... that is, you both must get to know one another : -)
The other thing is that if this "bonding" between you and your new pet never happens, it would probably be best to respect his/her desire for space. Some Chinchillas are loners, just like some people are. Normally though, a little love and attention will go a long ways. If you love just watching your new pet, that too, can be a good learning experience, and perfectly acceptable.
I would also like to point out that holding the Chinchilla so that the Chinchilla is comfortable with your grip may also make a big difference! If the Chin does not feel secure, he/she may also bite, simply because the Chinchilla doesn't know the danger, or non-danger, in your grip.
Always hold your pet in a way that makes him/her feel secure. Hold him/her under the rump, and around the tail with the same hand (I use my left hand for this...) and with my other hand, I secure the Chinchilla around his/her shoulders...
Please do let me know how all of this works for you, okay? Let me know if this was good advice or not, and let me know how things work out for you and Vampire : -)
We love to hear from you ; -)
Melissa

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