Question:
I know there are going to be mixed opinions about this topic and I am interested in hearing what everyone has to say.
I know a few breeders that do not take their chinchillas out for exercise and their chinchillas are perfectly content. No evidence of fur chewing and they are, for the most part, laid back chinchillas.
I do take my chinchillas out for exercise but not every single day. They have playtimes about every other day and it usually lasts around 30 minutes. On the days they don't get their playtimes they go nuts. They will wait by the door of their cages and God forbid I open the door because they try and escape. They each have a big cage and plenty of chew toys but they go crazy without their playtimes. Even if I let them out everday they would still want more. Then I look at Baxter who has never had a playtime but is very content staying in his cage and is very well-behaved. Another example is Griffin. Griffin never had exposure to life outside of his cage and was an extremely laid back chinchilla. Once I exposed him to playtimes on the futon, he expects to be let out every evening and rattles the cage bars if he doesn't have his playtime.
This leads me to believe if a chinchilla doesn't get playtimes, they don't expect it and they are content with that. I do think some exercise is important but does it do more harm than good because they get dependent on it?



Answer:
I have been thinking of this alot... usually when I let the boys out Felix will run around all over the place, but Snurr will sit in a corner until I poke him, and then he'l just run to another corner. He might be just tired, cos he usually wakes up later than Felix
But anyway... I try to let them out everyday but I don't think its a disaster if they have to stay in their cage 1 or 2 evenings.


Answer:
I try to let mine out every evening, but sometimes that is not possible. I have a few chinchillas living in smaller cages (comparatively) so I try to let them out every day. They each get 30 minutes.
I also don't think it's a disaster if they don't get playtime every day, as long as they are still being well cared-for and getting some TLC
Denise, my chins are like yours - if I open the cage door, they come running and try to escape But I guess I would too!!


Answer:
well I let my chins out for 2-3 hrs every night,,,,,,sometimes I let them have plat time all day to,,,,,i put food, hay and water in the bathrrom for them and they play,,,they are content in their cage to tho because when they are up and active I let them out,,,,there has been a few nights when they haven't gotten out because of Kaymen and her kittens,,,when they were really small,,,t was hard on her with me moving them all of the time and she was getting quite grumoy,,wo it was every other night but on the nights they don't get out they are okay,,i still take each one out and give them some cuddles and a treat and sometimes a bath but they go rigth back in their cage and are okay,,,,,,,i think it depends on the chin itself,,,,,same as people..some people can live in a teeny tiny place and be very happy where others would be going crazy because of the cramped space,,,I thin only you can decide whats best for your chin since you know their personality,,,


Answer:
Denise, I have a similar thought. If a chinchilla didn't know that it was possible for them to have playtime or if they have never had a playtime in their life, would they still rattle their cage and expect it? I would think it depends on their personality
Like Cinnamon, I don't think it's a HORRIBLE thing to keep them in their cage if your life gets too busy for long playtimes. A cage of sufficient size should not drive the chinchilla insane, unless they were living in a hamster cage or something.


Answer:
It is good to know other people feel the same way I do. There was a time I felt so guilty for not letting my chinnies out everyday. When I was a frequent member of another forum, I would read how owners took their chins out every night for 2 to 3 hours and felt horrible because I didn't take my chins out every night and nowhere near that amount of time. Now, I realize it just isn't possible and after seeing chins that never get a playtime and how contented they are, I don't feel guilty about not letting my chins out every night. Although, the chinnies try their darndest to make me feel bad for not letting them out for playtime. The way they look at me with those eyes!


Answer:
i am like you denise....i let my chinnies out 30 minutes every other night....linus loves it but peppers and sally are just as content in their cages.....linus on the other hand needs time ut every day.....sally when placed back in the cage after playtime is toast and just lies there..................
my little bunny is out about 2 hours a day and she really needs that time....she can't hop and run fast in her cage as she can when outside in the back yard


Answer:
Cub loves her playtime, it's always a great opportunity to eat the wall...... She comes out for as long as she wants when she's with me, but now that she's staying with bf she only gets out about 10 min. a night.


Answer:
We have each pair of chins out every night for 30 mins each in the play area that my fiance built for them. they are used to having the playtime, same time every night so they do demand it. However, after 30 mins of all out hyper activity they are ready for some food and a little nap in their cage. I don't even have to keep a watch to time 30 mins, b/c they usually poop out around 30 mins and I know time is up. I feel playtimes are important , not only so the chin can have exercise outside of their cage but also its a great time for me to bond with them. When I leave them to fill up their food or water, they stand in a corner and just look up for me. Its my down time at night and a great benefit to both my chins and I.


Answer:
I rotate my chins playtime every night for about an hour. Peep's get's a playtime every night. We go up and she just stays with me while I watch TV. Tucker also get's a playtime ever night because he is alone in his cage so he needs more attention. Actually Tucker knows when it's play time and will cling to the cage until I pick him up for play time.