Behaviour

Chinchillas are generally quite calm and being crepuscular they spend the majority of the time asleep, having their most active time around dawn and dusk. Being prey animals they are more likely to flight than fight but that's not to say they don't defend themselves when they feel threatened. There are several behaviour patterns that are considered normal; however, there is an increasing occurrence of repetitive, vice like behaviours that need investigation should they occur. Biting Although biting is not a nice behaviour it is quite common, especially with young chinchillas. In many cases it is simply a case of learning boundaries or as part of grooming a new friend, even human. Most people are bitten by chinchillas when the poke the chin while it is sleeping or put their figures through the bars of the cage. Chewing Chewing is a vital part of chinchilla health. Providing lost of items for chinchillas to chew on will help keep their teeth in good condition. Having said that, if a chinchilla is genetically disposed to dental problems there is little that will help. Coprophagia (eating faeces) As with many animals Chinchillas will eat their faeces, it is their way of regulating the vitamins, some of which are not fully digested the first time round, and gut bacteria. Fellatio Some males will regularly clean themselves, sometimes doing it more thoroughly than just a clean. Generally they take pride in doing it when your Gran has popped in for coffee. Although females do clean themselves they are much more discreet and don't appear to enjoy it as much as some males. Fur slip If a chinchilla feels threaded they are prone to slipping fur, this can vary from a few little tufts to large clumps - depending on how frightened the chinchilla is. This is a natural form of defence that helps prevent wild chinchillas being caught by prey. Grooming Chinchillas will often groom themselves in order to keep clean - this should not be mistaken for fur chewing. Pairs of chins will often groom each other, and grooming around the ears and face appears to be part of the bonding process. Sleeping This goes without saying really, chins tend to spend a lot more time asleep than awake. Spraying Females are generally more likely to spray than males. In both sexed the chinchilla will stand up on their haunches and spray a jet of urine into the face of the predator, be it another chinchilla, animal or human. When a chin moves house or is unsettled there can be noticeable changes in behaviour. In normal instances the behaviour should stop in 24 - 48 hours, however, persistent changes in behaviour can be habit forming and necessary steps should be taken to stop or at least reduce the occurrence of the behaviours. Environmental enrichment can play a major part in this, simply by adding new boredom buster toys such as wheels, chews and hammocks have proven effective in many cases. Also regularly (at most weekly) changes in cage layout can also prove beneficial. If symptoms of unnatural behaviour persist then it is advised that you seek the advice of a vet as there could be an underlying medical or neurological reason for the condition that at least could explain the behaviour and may, in some instances, be treatable. I should mention that as some of the below conditions are relitively new I (or the owners of chins with the conditions) have given them names that best discribes the symptoms, they are not necessarily medical terms or terms used by behavioural experts. Bar biting and shaking As it sounds this is where a chin bites the bars of the cage and pulls backwards on them, hence shaking them. Bottle biting Some chins seem partial to eating their water bottles. If the chin manages to make a hole in the bottle it will result in the water leaking out and hence leaving the chin with no water. Simple solutions are bottle guards, covering the top of the bottle with a suitably sized object (an upturned metal coup cup for example) or covering the bottle with an empty toilet roll. Changing the type of bottle used can help in some instances although a determined chin will find its way to any plastic within reach. This habit has also been observed in chins with automatic watering systems (they manage to bite the piping), this is a much more serious problem though as it deprives all of the chins on the same system of water until the problem is solved. Fur Chewing Fur chewing can be genetic, hormonal or stress related and is often referred to as the chin equivalent to nail biting. A chin will over groom itself (or it’s friend) removing the tip and bar of the fur leaving a cropped patch, normally along the sides and over the hips. Although a cure is unlikely, in some instances environmental enrichment and the use of sulphur powered in sand baths can reduce or stop the chewing. Picture supplied by Linda Rolfe. Moon walking Again this is a repetitive behaviour that tends to happen at the highest position in the cage. The chin walks backwards up and down the shelf staring out the roof. Pellet problems (digging, bowl throwing, quidding and excessive pellet selection) Although this may stem from foraging behaviour it can be rather worrying for the owner as it can result in weight loss and a lot of money wasted on food. Chins will actively dig the contents of their food bowl out onto the floor of the cage. If a chin is kept on a solid floor this is not to much of an issue (as long as the cage is kept clean). However, chins kept on mesh floors are unable to get to the disguarded pellets. Another similar problem is where the chin removes it’s bowl from its casing and throws it across the cage, in many cases resulting in lost food. In both instances a change of food bowl and/or positioning of the bowl can stop the problem. These problems should not be confused with quidding or pellet selection. These are symptoms of dental problems and should be investigated by a vet as soon as they are noticed. Quidding is where the chin eats over it’s bowl but leaves powdered pellets in the bowl, these are bits of pellets that the chin can’t eat due to dental/ mouth pain. Excessive pellet selection is similar problem where a chin will take a pellet out of its bowl take a couple of bits and then throw the pellet on the floor, although this can just be feeding behaviour it can also signify dental problems and should be investigated further. Star gazing Repetitive star gazing is when a chinchilla goes to the highest point in their cage and gazes upwards at the roof of the cage and beyond. Weaving (taken from the Equine definition). This is where a chin runs back and forth repeatedly over the same spot or area of the cage. I have only ever seen this behaviour as a form of excitement prior to feeding or playtime. Although in this instance I would not consider it as a concern if it is noticed at other times then investigation into the cause should be sought.