Playtime or Not
Chins are naturally den dwelling animals. This means they spend most of their time in a small enclosed area and leave that only to get food and breed. This leads to limited activity being in a den. A large open area or playing is asking for a predator to spot and eat them.
So we have to remember these instincts to hide and be enclosed with our cages and what behaviors we expect. A large cage or play area is stressful to most chins and can lead to behavior issues. Being flighty, biting, fur chewing, territorial and others can be expressions of that stress.
Your cage needs to become that safe den area. To do this you can provide safe hides such as wooden houses, fleece hammocks to hide in, wooden/metal shelves to mimic tunnels our crevasses that they would travel through. If your chin feels safe and secure in their cage, they often will not want to leave it even when given the chance. This is a great complement!
On to playtime.... Playtime is often offered by pet owners as a way to interact with their chin. Playtime though is not a natural behavior. Things like popcorning and running from place to place can and many times is a signal of fear, rather than play. That stress response releases hormones in the body, cortisol and adrenaline. Both of these increase heart rate, affect blood sugars and body temp, reduce immune response, seizures and other things in the body. These can and do shorten the life span as well. Because of this playtime should only be offered IF your chin is calm during playtime, IF you can provide a safe area, IF the chin is over 6 months and never longer than 30 minutes.
Another thing to note, is many injuries and deaths that we see in pet homes are accidents that happen during playtime. We've seen chins be stepped on, chew electrical cords, chew flat walls, get harmed by other pets, have seizures, overheat, have heart attacks and more... Unfortunately, many of these could be avoided by not offering playtime. Your chin will get plenty of exercise in it's cage which brings us to wheels.
Wheels are another thing that has cons to it that you need to consider before buying. Running behavior no matter if it's on a wheel or during playtime can have negative affects. Remember the cortisol and adrenaline mentioned above? Running behavior releases those here too. Some chins will actually become addicted to the endorphins and run compulsively. These chins need to have the wheel removed for their own health. A safe wheel needs to be a minimum of 14 inches across or 13 inches of a saucer. The running surface must be solid and the wheel attach securely to the cage (not free standing). This size/build allows for safer movement and reduces the chance of injury. A small wheel will force the chin to move with an arched spine. By exercising incorrectly it's not uncommon to see back injuries and premature arthritis.
I'm not saying not to handle and love on your chin, just be sure to do it in a safe manner. I regularly hold my chins and do health checks. I can leave the cage door open and they will stay in the cage cause it's their safe space. Your chin will be happy and healthy without playtime or a wheel.
Chins are naturally den dwelling animals. This means they spend most of their time in a small enclosed area and leave that only to get food and breed. This leads to limited activity being in a den. A large open area or playing is asking for a predator to spot and eat them.
So we have to remember these instincts to hide and be enclosed with our cages and what behaviors we expect. A large cage or play area is stressful to most chins and can lead to behavior issues. Being flighty, biting, fur chewing, territorial and others can be expressions of that stress.
Your cage needs to become that safe den area. To do this you can provide safe hides such as wooden houses, fleece hammocks to hide in, wooden/metal shelves to mimic tunnels our crevasses that they would travel through. If your chin feels safe and secure in their cage, they often will not want to leave it even when given the chance. This is a great complement!
On to playtime.... Playtime is often offered by pet owners as a way to interact with their chin. Playtime though is not a natural behavior. Things like popcorning and running from place to place can and many times is a signal of fear, rather than play. That stress response releases hormones in the body, cortisol and adrenaline. Both of these increase heart rate, affect blood sugars and body temp, reduce immune response, seizures and other things in the body. These can and do shorten the life span as well. Because of this playtime should only be offered IF your chin is calm during playtime, IF you can provide a safe area, IF the chin is over 6 months and never longer than 30 minutes.
Another thing to note, is many injuries and deaths that we see in pet homes are accidents that happen during playtime. We've seen chins be stepped on, chew electrical cords, chew flat walls, get harmed by other pets, have seizures, overheat, have heart attacks and more... Unfortunately, many of these could be avoided by not offering playtime. Your chin will get plenty of exercise in it's cage which brings us to wheels.
Wheels are another thing that has cons to it that you need to consider before buying. Running behavior no matter if it's on a wheel or during playtime can have negative affects. Remember the cortisol and adrenaline mentioned above? Running behavior releases those here too. Some chins will actually become addicted to the endorphins and run compulsively. These chins need to have the wheel removed for their own health. A safe wheel needs to be a minimum of 14 inches across or 13 inches of a saucer. The running surface must be solid and the wheel attach securely to the cage (not free standing). This size/build allows for safer movement and reduces the chance of injury. A small wheel will force the chin to move with an arched spine. By exercising incorrectly it's not uncommon to see back injuries and premature arthritis.
I'm not saying not to handle and love on your chin, just be sure to do it in a safe manner. I regularly hold my chins and do health checks. I can leave the cage door open and they will stay in the cage cause it's their safe space. Your chin will be happy and healthy without playtime or a wheel.