Handling

Handling and taming your Chipmunk is easily achieved if you are willing to be very patient. They resent being restrained and are happy to give you a nasty bite in protest if you suddenly grab them. If you do require to restrain them for an examination, it would be advisable to use a glove; a garden glove would be sufficient as long as you don't squeeze to hard.

One of the easiest ways to tame your Chipmunk is by their obsession for food. I find their favorite treats are peanuts, so with this in mind I spent weeks coaxing my Chipmunks onto my hand with the aid of some peanuts. Most of them are now quite happy to sit on my hand and open a shelled peanut, although there is still the odd Chipmunk that will snatch the peanut and run off to open it.

As time went on, I have found my Chipmunks becoming very tame, I only have to walk into the cage and two of them will dive for me looking for treats. This was a bit of a novelty at first, but now when I'm trying to clean or alter the cage, my Chipmunks are hassling me for treats. I have to be very careful I don't stand on them and especially careful I don't walk out of the cage with them sitting on my shoulder.

If you don't have a cage that you can climb into, you will find it little harder to tame your Chipmunk. You will have to spend hours at a time with your hand in the cage waiting for your Chipmunk to take the treat. Over time you will succeed and eventually you maybe able to lift your Chipmunk out of the cage and sit it on your shoulder while he is eating its favorite treat, but be careful it may try to hide it in your ear or down your shirt collar.

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