Hello!
I recently adopted a female chinchilla from a friend of a friend who didn't want her anymore. I immediately noticed that she was very skittish and afraid of people but I thought that could be her personality. However, I've started learning more details about her former guardian's treatment of her in the past couple of weeks. Apparently, he would play rough with her as if she was a dog, grab her frequently, and smoke pot around her. He is young and didn't seem to have any knowledge about chinchillas. He said she was friendly when he first got her, climbing on top of him, but that she later became "a b***h". She developed behaviors like spraying urine on him and biting. She hasn't done those things with me although she will sometimes get up as if she is about to pee if I reach into her cage.
It's been about a month now. I've been patient and gentle with her and there has been some progress. She was terrified of me at first but now she will jump on me at playtime, eat pellets from my hand, and sometimes tolerates being held (struggles for a second and then stops). "Sometimes" is the operative word as she is quite moody. She will come to sniff my fingers on some day and get up as if to pee on me on others when I reach into her cage. I am not sure what is different for her because I've tried to establish a routine.
I did make some mistakes with her during the first week. I would chase her to put her back in her cage. But after I learned that was too scary, I've started leaving her cage in the play room. She jumps back in by herself so I don't have to catch her. I don't think she completely trusts me yet because she always has an eye on me when I am nearby. But the fact that she jumps on me during playtime is a positive sign, right? And today, she nibbled the tip of my nose when I held her up at eye-level. I wasn't sure if that was a sign of affection or a request to put her down.
Is she still traumatized from her past guardian's behavior? If so, how can I reassure I won't hurt her? I've been lurking around here and reading chinchilla info pretty much since I made the decision to adopt her. But I worry that there might be something I am missing. Do you have any advice? I just want her to feel safe.
I recently adopted a female chinchilla from a friend of a friend who didn't want her anymore. I immediately noticed that she was very skittish and afraid of people but I thought that could be her personality. However, I've started learning more details about her former guardian's treatment of her in the past couple of weeks. Apparently, he would play rough with her as if she was a dog, grab her frequently, and smoke pot around her. He is young and didn't seem to have any knowledge about chinchillas. He said she was friendly when he first got her, climbing on top of him, but that she later became "a b***h". She developed behaviors like spraying urine on him and biting. She hasn't done those things with me although she will sometimes get up as if she is about to pee if I reach into her cage.
It's been about a month now. I've been patient and gentle with her and there has been some progress. She was terrified of me at first but now she will jump on me at playtime, eat pellets from my hand, and sometimes tolerates being held (struggles for a second and then stops). "Sometimes" is the operative word as she is quite moody. She will come to sniff my fingers on some day and get up as if to pee on me on others when I reach into her cage. I am not sure what is different for her because I've tried to establish a routine.
I did make some mistakes with her during the first week. I would chase her to put her back in her cage. But after I learned that was too scary, I've started leaving her cage in the play room. She jumps back in by herself so I don't have to catch her. I don't think she completely trusts me yet because she always has an eye on me when I am nearby. But the fact that she jumps on me during playtime is a positive sign, right? And today, she nibbled the tip of my nose when I held her up at eye-level. I wasn't sure if that was a sign of affection or a request to put her down.
Is she still traumatized from her past guardian's behavior? If so, how can I reassure I won't hurt her? I've been lurking around here and reading chinchilla info pretty much since I made the decision to adopt her. But I worry that there might be something I am missing. Do you have any advice? I just want her to feel safe.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire