If you are looking to buy a nice and comfortable house for your little chinchilla, this article here will offer everything you need to know in order to make a decision that you will not regret. You want your pet to live in a secure environment that will stimulate his/her natural instinct to explore and climb, and that is why you need to pay attention to these details when making your choice.
In the wild, chinchillas like to socialize which means that you should choose a cage that will easily accommodate more than one animal. You never know when you decide to adopt some friends for your little pet, and that is why it is better to be prepared for this instead of having to buy another cage – it is not only costly, but it can also be quite frustrating.
As long as you opt for a cage that was designed with your adorable friend’s safety in mind, you know for a fact that your pet’s well-being is not being compromised. After you notice that your chinchilla has become comfortable enough with his/her environment, you can step up to the next level – you can start taming him/her.
Give your chinchilla time to adapt
If you decided to tame your chinchilla, you should know that you need to let him/her have some peace and quiet after you bring him/her home. Chinchillas are prey animals, and they get scared very easily, and that is why you need to make him/her feel safe. Once you notice that he/she feels comfortable and approachable, you know that you have gained his/her trust.
Also, it is very important that you don’t leave your chinchilla out of his/her cage for the first week, and it is better to talk to him/her in order to get him/her accustomed with your voice. Your pet needs a little time to adapt to his/her new home, and once you understand this aspect, things will get so much easier for both of you and your chinchilla will start to cooperate.
You should never force your chinchilla to do something he/she doesn’t want to do, this is something that you should never forget. Your goal is to try to make the pet do certain things by himself/herself, and you can easily to that by using various treats. If you want to teach your pets to go in the cage by themselves, you should remember to keep their habitat clean.
Chinchillas are clean animals, and that is why they will not want to go to a place that smells or that is dirty. This means that you should replace soiled bedding daily and you must do a thorough cleaning once a week – it is recommended that you use a pet-safe disinfectant. By following these easy steps, you will notice how easy it will be for you to make your pet cooperate.
Also, you have to learn how to connect with your pet in order to strengthen the bond between you two, and the best way you can do that is to take proper care of him/her and to treat him/her with respect. Once your chinchilla feels loved and well-cared for, he/she will want to spend more time with you and will learn how to do certain things faster and easier.
As we have already mentioned, chinchillas like to stay clean, and that is why a good way to bond with them would be to groom them once a week. It will not only help them keep their coats and skin healthy, but they will also feel loved and appreciated. Moreover, you need to understand what these little creatures dislike and try to avoid doing those things.
Be patient
We know that you love your chinchillas a lot and you want to hold them for long periods but you should know that even the most friendly ones don’t like to be held for too long. This means that you should show your chinchilla how much you love him/her in a different way. These animals prefer to explore than to stay still, and that is why you shouldn’t make them feel contained.
Chinchillas will let you know when they want to be left alone as they will start to squirm or squeak and sometimes you might even be able to notice that they get anxious or uncomfortable. It is always better to hold them a few times a day for shorter periods than to hold them only one time a day for a long period.
If you have managed to tame them, you must know that it is not recommended to introduce them to other people right away. The best way to get them familiar with various individuals would be to present them to your friends gradually and with patience. Your chinchilla should be the one making the decisions – he/she should decide if he/she wants to interact with them.
Moreover, if your chinchilla was not properly socialized you should have even more patience with him/her. If your chinchilla is young, it will be easier for you to teach him/her how to be comfortable around people. The younger your chinchilla is, the easier it will be for you to tame him/her as he/she will be more willing to learn new things.
If you happen to purchase a chinchilla that is a bit older, you need to prepare yourself as you will need to have lots of patience to properly socialize him/her. Moreover, if the chinchilla has been neglected or mistreated, you might need to follow some special steps in order to increase your chances of taming your pet.
First of all, you need to do your best to gain his/her trust and you should be aware that there are some chinchillas that will not get comfortable being handled no matter how hard you try. We don’t want to discourage you, but you should know these things in order to be able to offer your pet a quiet, happy, and healthy lifestyle.
Recognize signs of stress
Even if you have managed to gain your chinchilla’s trust, you should always pay maximum attention to the way he/she behaves all the time. You should never assume that he/she wants to spend time with you all the time because even chinchillas can have bad days.
That is why you need to make sure that your pet is relaxed when you handle him/her. With a chinchilla it is easy to notice signs of stress as he/she will start to bark, tremble, or squeak whenever feeling the need to be left alone.
Moreover, there are times when your chinchillas will hide when they hear someone approaching and this means that they don’t want to interact with anyone and just want to be in a quiet place.
Also, some other very stressed rodents have the habit of chewing their own fur or even harm their bodies when they feel stressed. Moreover, your chinchilla will not sleep when he/she is stressed as she will want to be alert in order to avoid anything bad happening to him/her.
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