[rayvnfeather]

Sorry if this has been posted already but I just could not find an answer to my question/situation.

So my step-daughter adopted a chincilla about 2 months ago from a friend who turned out to be allergic to him. They dont know how old he is but guessed about 6 months or so. We got his cage, food, toys, etc from her. We changed to food out for better quality and he seems fine with it (he has been eating it for a month now with no problems), we changed his dust bath for a sand bath because the person at the store said it was better for his coat (his coat wasn't very nice; he was shedding in clumps) and he loves it after he got used to it, he chews his toys a normal amount and lives in his little "house".

The problem started about a week ago. He started to make this whining/whimpering noise (no barking just the whining noise and it isnt him grinding his teeth) and going psychotic in his cage. He was trying tip over his bowls, pull off his ladders and the shelves in his cage. He is biting her more often now (he only bite her the first week we had him and when she tries to put him in his cage early) When he is let out he refuses to go back to his cage and has a "hissy" fit over it. We haven't let him out to play in almost a week because he will bite her and her room isnt "chin safe" when he isnt watched. He also seems to be cleaning one paw more than normal but not obsessively and he is not pulling or chewing on his fur.

We thought he might be lonely when this first started but we aren't sure. And we really just want some advice before I have to take him to a vet. Is this normal? Is there something we can do or is it something we did? Sorry for the long post but I figured that the more information the better. And thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Nibbler]

im not very informed about chinchillas but you may want to take him to the vet could it be that maybe he hurt himself ? just a thought.

 

[Bina]

Chillas don't usually bite, they will nibble a bit to check things out though.
There are a couple of things to check out before taking him to the vet.
Is he getting enough quiet time and rest? They are easily stressed by things that we see as normal.
Is he perhaps having a mild seizure? Does he recognize you or a food treat during his fits ?
Could he be in pain from a dental issue? If his back teeth are too long you won't be able to see them except that he won't eat properly, will lose weight, and may drool.
Chewing on good timothy hay and apple twigs helps to calm them.
Finally, we have seen in-bred animals from a horrible breeder that were smaller and more nervous than normal.
Hopefully his urine is okay and his droppings are moist and oval.
Good Luck

 

[rayvnfeather]

He literally tore a hole in her sweater. He is alone all day when she is at school. When he has a fit we tend to leave him alone because he will bark at her and if she tries to go into his cage he will bite her. He hasnt had a fit in 2 days. He eats with no drool and really hasnt lost any weight that we can see. He also has stopped making that whining noise for the most part. It isnt as loud or as long (btw we listened to the chinchilla sounds and it sorta sounds like the "leave me alone" but not quite and he does it when we are no where near him)
And he goes to his corner and pees and his dropping are oval and moist but do seem to dry quickly(dont know if that means anything)
On a good note we let him out last night and he seemed happy about it, but he doesnt really "play" when he is out or really run around much. He just sort of walks around the room and tries to chew things or jump on the bed (and always missing) Is that normal? He also seems to enjoy being chased around the room because he makes the happy squeks

 

[Bina]

We've had 2 or 3 chillas that will make the "alarm" whining type of call but only when they hear a weird noise or they are startled.

My most laid back chilla was the one that we let play in my daughter's room when she was age 10, and he would inspect her room, chew on her homework, then hop into her dresser drawer and go poo in the corner. Very amusing. That chilla is now 17 years old and has slowed down, but still has a very sweet character.
2 of our other young males were from the spca and were scrawny, inbred little critters, they had behaviour problems but did okay when adopted out into quiet homes.

Since it sounds like your chilla is basically healthy and active it may just take more time for him to adjust or he may have a quirky personality. Good Luck.