Instructions
Sit quietly next to your chinchilla's cage until your pet feels comfortable enough to walk over to you from inside its cage.
Open the cage door and slowly place your hand on the cage floor, palm up, and allow your chinchilla to get acquainted with you in its space. Let your pet walk around your hand and sniff your skin.
Grab the base of your chinchilla's tail and fur tightly. The animal may struggle with you. If your grip is not firm enough, you will be left with a handful of hair and your chinchilla could get away.
Slip your other hand under its legs and body. Chinchillas get very scared when their legs dangle, so make sure they are secured in your hand.
Press your chinchilla close to your body so it feels safe. Hold your pet like this several times a day. Your chinchilla will stop struggling when it trusts that you are not going to hurt it. Over time you will be able to loosen your grip and freely handle, pet and feed your chinchilla with ease.
How to Hand Train a Chinchilla
The enjoyment of owning a hand-trained chinchilla is worth all the time you put into earning the trust of your new pet. Chinchillas are naturally very fearful, jumpy animals. In the wild they are prey to many animals, so it is in their instincts to not want to be grabbed or held. A chinchilla purposely sheds its fur to escape predators, and at first, you may find a struggle on your hands, too. With consistency and patience, you may discover that your hand-trained chinchilla is a marvelous pet.