A Guide to Building Trust and Comfort with chinchillas

If you have ever been a chinchilla owner, then you will understand that these animals are very adorable and very inquisitive. However, they are rather nervous and this makes it difficult to handle them especially when they are sick. When I first got my chinchilla, I named her Luna, it took her a very long time to have anything to do with people. With time and effort and the right technique I was able to have her accustomed to being handled without stress. This is what I discovered along the way and how you can also do the same to your chinchilla.

Understanding Chinchilla Behavior

It is crucial to know why chinchillas can be so timid around people before starting to train a chinchilla for adoption. Chinchillas are instinctively prey animals and their first line of behaviour is to run away from anything that they consider to be a threat. These are instincts that are in-built in the animals for their survival in the wild and these are traits that follow the animals wherever they go.

But this does not mean that the chinchilla cannot be trained to accept handling by people or be tamed. But with the correct techniques, one can assist the pet to overcome the first-time fear and gain his or her trust.

Step-by-Step Guide to Training Your Chinchilla

Domestication of chinchilla is a slow process that involves time, patience and most importantly, gentleness. Here’s a step-by-step guide that worked wonders for Luna and might help you with your chinchilla too: Here’s a step-by-step guide that worked wonders for Luna and might help you with your chinchilla too:

1. Create a Safe and Comfortable Environment

It is important that your chinchilla’s environment is not stressful before you touch it to handle it. A chinchilla’s cage needs to be a low-light, low-noise environment that will reassure your chinchilla.

• Tips: Do not shout or make any quick gestures in front of your chinchilla or near its enclosure. Make sure that the cage is large enough and has ample of space and the birds have places to hide in case they are attacked.

2. Start with Observation

Let the chinchilla familiarize itself with your presence. Talk to your pet gently and spend as much time as possible sitting next to the cage. This makes them relate your voice and physical appearances with safety and security.

• Personal Experience: When I first got her, I would sit beside her cage and read or just speak to her in a gentle voice for about a week. She began to identify my voice and therefore, her anxieties began to reduce as time went by.

3. Hand-Feeding Treats

The next procedure is to bring your hand with a piece of food inside the cage of the parrot. Chinchillas like small foods such as dried rose hips or pieces of hay cubes.

• Instructions: Take the treat in your hand and don’t offer it to your chinchilla immediately but wait for it to come closer. Do not be in a hurry here; allow your chinchilla to feed at its own pace. Slowly, they will start linking your hand with something good and this is a good thing.

4. Gently Introduce Touch

After your chinchilla is comfortable in taking treats from your hand, you can start petting her gently. Begin by gently stroking the back of the animal during the feeding of the treat.

• Tips: Never sneak up on your chinchilla, always approach them from the front or side so that the chinchilla can see you coming. Do not make any quick actions or attempt to reach them from above, this will make them react like prey.

5. Gradual Handling Practice

When your chinchilla has gotten used to being touched, you can start practicing other forms of handling your pet. Begin by placing your hand on their belly and holding their hind quarters. Raise them a little and then put them back. You should gradually increase the lift’s height and the time it lasts as the children become more comfortable.

• Advice from Experience: Luna was very jumpy at first, so I didn’t do much training with her at all at the beginning. I discovered that, speaking to her in a non-aggressive manner and comforting her would reduce tension.

6. Regular Short Sessions

In training chinchillas, it is very important that the lessons given are consistent. Pet your chinchilla for a few minutes at a time and slowly build up the time as your chinchilla becomes used to it. This is very important to ensure that the last thing they feel is positive before they are put back in the cage is a treat or when you gently pet them.

Building Trust Takes Time

Socializing a chinchilla is not something that can be done within a day or within a week. It takes time and the ability to really know your pet and his or her disposition. Some chinchillas may take a few weeks to settle while others may take months like in the case of Luna. The key here is to go at your chinchilla’s speed and always avoid putting your chinchilla in uncomfortable positions that may stress him/her.

Expert Tips for Success

Here are some additional tips that can make the training process smoother:

• Respect Their Boundaries: If your chinchilla appears more stressed or scared than usual, then let the animal alone. If you force interaction, then this is likely to have a negative impact on the existing levels of trust that you hold with your audience.
• Use Positive Reinforcement: It is always good to always encourage your puppy with treats or gentle patting to avoid spoiling the puppy. Positive reinforcement is effective when working with chinchillas.
• Handle with Care: Chinchillas have rather brittle bones and this is why one needs to hold the animal’s whole body when picking it up. The hands should never be squeezed or gripped tightly.

When to Seek Professional Help

If your chinchilla is still very scared or if you don’t seem to be getting anywhere, it might be worth seeking advice from a small animal behaviorist or vet who has had experience with exotic pets. They could also give further advice and practical strategies that are unique to your chinchilla.

The good thing about chinchillas is that with adequate time, effort and the correct techniques, they can be tamed with ease. Luna has changed from a nervous and scared pet to the one that is comfortable with gentle touches, and I believe these tips will help you with your pet as well.

Sources:

• PetMD: Chinchilla Care and Handling Tips
• Vetstreet: Understanding Chinchilla Behavior
• Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine: Chinchilla Handling and Behavior

If you have any questions or need more advice on chinchilla care, feel free to reach out!