Getting a chin and making friends

Before you collect your chinchilla it is important that you have your chinchilla cage set up in a quiet room of your house away from direct sunlight and out of direct drafts from your air conditioner or heater. Unless your breeder has told you ahead of time what to buy, don't put chinchilla food in the cage. You should receive a bag of the food your chinchilla. Ideally you should keep feeding him what he is used to but if you need to change then any new food should be slowly introduced in over two or three weeks You will need a carrier to take you chinchilla home in. A small cat carrier or a medium or large ferplast small animal carrier’s are ideal. Alternatively you can get show cages that you can put in an A4 paper box. You will want to line the bottom of the carrier with wood chips and a handful of hay to give your chinchilla something to munch on during the ride home. You don’t need a water bottle on the cage as it will leak and make the bedding wet. Your chinchilla will be fine until it gets home. It is important to remember that when it is hot a chinchilla can over-heat in minutes. The temperature inside your car increase very rapidly, even on a cool day. Make sure the chinchilla cage out of direct sunlight and in a position where the air can circulate. If it is a hot day start your car and give it time to cool down before you put your chinchilla in it. Plan your trip so that you won't have to leave the chinchilla in the car with the ignition off. Keep an eye on your chinchilla's ears during the journey. If he is getting too hot you will notice his ears looking bloodshot and you will need to use the Air conditioning to him cooled down. If it is very hot you might want some ice packs to put round the outside of the cage to keep him really cool. When you get your chinchilla home don’t forget that you chinchilla is in a strange place and will need time to settle down and get used to his new surroundings. As hard as it is, It’s best to place him in his new cage with the food that he came with and then leave him alone for the rest of day. Once he is settled in you can begin to get to know him. don't rush this as it can be quite overwhelming for your chinchilla. It is important that your new friend gets to know you and trust you. This process can take time, especially if he is shy. Here are a few tips and tricks to help the bonding process. Avoid handling him until he has settled down, just leave him in peace to let him get used to the cage, and all the sounds and smells of his new environment. Approach his cage, talk gently and use slow gentle movements, you could also try making the squeaky noises he make (not the aggressive spiting or kecking). Try to keep to the same routine each day so he learns what to expect. Gently rattle his treats, this will encourage him to come out and approach the side of the cage. It wont be long until he recognizes the sound of the treat jar opening. Offer a couple of treats every day, raisins or mini shredded wheat are good. You can also give him a dried rose petal as a real treat (as long as you know that it hasn’t been sprayed with any chemicals that could harm him). When he is happy taking treats out your hand, place you hand in the cage with a treat in it, or slightly up your arm so that he is encouraged to jump on your hand you could try using a few raisins in the palm of your hand, when he becomes a little more confident try stoking or tickling him briefly and gently, but do not rush or force him, At playtime try one of two methods, you can sit on the floor, ignoring your chin and doing something else. Curiosity will soon get the better of your little friend and he will come and see what you are doing. Alternatively you could try lying on the floor - this way you will appear less threatening, and he is more likely to approach you to investigate you, eventually he will start to climb on you and using you as a lookout post.