My chippie loves doing flips?!

[Ajmummy]

Hi there chippie owners,

My chipmunk AJ does flips in his cage (mainly at the top part), sometimes he will do 10 in a row!! Is this normal?
He does mainly prefer to do it at night, which wouldn't be a problem if he didn't live in my bedroom

He doesn't seem to be unhappy, he plays with me normally and is quite content with his surroundings.

Any advice would be appreciated

Cheers

Montana

[Marci]

My friend Desi in Washington State, USA, rescued 2 Eastern Chippies and built a large indoor aviary.  He chippies do somersaults all the time. 

Here are a couple videos of her chipmunk vidoes.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/RT5cXOCxEjY&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/RT5cXOCxEjY&rel=0</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/RT5cXOCxEjY&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/RT5cXOCxEjY&rel=0</a>

I found a few more videos on Youtube, eastern chippies doing flips, so I guess it is normal.

Marci

[ell1es]

According to a book I have they may display bored behaviour  when really mine are just showing off  so I wouldn't worry too much

[Ajmummy]

Thanks! Was worried there for a while but he does seem to really enjoy doing it.

[pitkin03]

Have to say the books i have read says it down to cramped or bored conditions, but one of my females does it all the time and i can definetly say its not because of those reasons.  They have plenty of space and plenty of stuff in there.  I find she usually does after i put something new in there as if shes excited lol

[Marci]

Buddy has been pacing a lot.  someone on another board suggested blocking the view into the kitchen where the cage is located using beach towels.  Buddy is in a large indoor cage, 5 ft high x 3 ft x 3 ft.  He has a wodent wheel and lots of toys which he ignores.

OK, we tried the towel to block the views.  I hear a strange, new noise coming from the cage.  Now Buddy started to chew on the cage in the bottom corner.  He has never chewed on the cage before, EVER!  It is a metal welded cage from Martin's cages. 

Any ideas on how to reduce his stress?  He has toys, I am not handling him as much, or paying as much attention, DOES HE NEED A VALIUM?  Only Kidding. 


Marci Rothstein

[tarcus/Kevin]

You say he could see into the kitchen then you take away his view so he gets angry with you for not giving him enough attention. Try a mirror such as budgies have  he may attack it or fall in love with it.

[Sarah-Jane]

  oh my god!!!!!! Chipmunks just sometimes do strange things. My girl does exactly the same thing!! Not cause she's bored or not enough toys or Blah blah! Don't go buying stuff to help him/her getting worked up    I am sure he or she is just fine.. X

[chris]

The back flipping may still be due to have being bored when in a smaller cage at some time. All animals when bored develop habits and it can take quite along time to break these habits if at all.
My first chipmunk was back flipping when I got him and kept doing so when I had put him in a cage 3 times the size of the one he was in when I bought him.
The back flipping stopped as soon as he was moved into the new out door aviary the following spring.

I'm sure your chipmunk isn't bored now and has plenty to do and occupy him but the back flipping may be due to a time when he was in a smaller cage.

Regards


Chris

[Sarah-Jane]

  yeah maybe u should splash out on a big cage?! Xx mine has a massive outdoor aviary but she still does it! X 

[chris]

If you read my post correctly I said it may be a habbit formed before you owned the chipmunk. Its occurs in all animals that have been bored in some stage in their lives. Bears that have been chained up move from one foot to the other big cats pace up and down chipmunks backflip (all examples of constant repetetive behaviour that can be linked to an animal being bored) and it can be hard for them to break the habbit. I never suggested anyones chipmunk on here was bored at present but habbits formed when bored can be hard to break. Chipmunks that backflip generally but not always get this habbit when they have been kept in a cage that is too small. 

If anyone has taken any offence to this it wasn't meant I am 100% sure that all members on this forum look after their chipmunks more than adequetly. I was just pointing out that if anyone gets chip from somewhere that it was kept in too small a cage then it could just possibly have formed this habbit at that stage of its life or maybe it just enjoys doing it 

Regards


Chris

[Sarah-Jane]

Yes I read ur post CORRECTLY!  maybe u should read mine an notice there was nothing nasty in them either. So yes I am offended. 

[Marci]

Ok, I am going to change the subject.  Can't stand the fighting.

Once a chippie develops a bad habit, how does the owner break them of that habit?  chippies are not like dogs were you can reward them with treats to positively reinforce the good behavior. 

For example,  buddy is pacing,  He has a huge indoor cage.  I bought lots of toys.  I hide his nuts every day in different places in the cage. 

Another example, he would always use the corner litter box to pee.  Now I notice he is peeing in different corners, not all the time but sometimes. 

What does an owner do to break the bad habits?

Happy Holidays.

Marci Rothstein

[Sarah-Jane]

  I am not fighting.

[legand99]

  Hi ive got a question would a cage with a Depth of 1.87 feet a width of 2.7 feet and a height of 5.1 feet be big enough? I want advice as im going to get my first chipmunk.