MITTENMAUS [my love] AKA Mitty, Mittybae, Mitts, and any other adorable version!

Pure Standard, Born 07/03/2013, approximately 800 grams

Role in Playtime Kingdom? Top Dog and engineer – Mitty’s the king of his playtime! He utilizes his time out to jump, surf, investigate, measure, climb, and stretch those adorable paws.

Favorite Hiding Place? Under the couch, but near the edge so he can catch action and wall jump around it at any given point.

Physical Capability? Super strong and a high jumper! Watch his epic jumps below!

 

 

Vocal? Sometimes, but this is one mature chin. He doesn’t like to make a ruckus! Mitty has been known to purr or sing from time to time, but never in excess.

Human Cuddle Status? Not a huge fan. 75% of the time will not accept cuddles, although if you catch him on a rare day, he will turn all the way around for scratches! Other than that, puh-leeease! This is a chin that is nearly human! He demands freedom and respect. Eskimo kisses during playtime are a 50/50 shot – take it human, it’s better than nothing.

Favorite Way to Be Picked Up? While Mitty doesn’t like feeling small enough to be picked up, he will accept daily and necessary pick-ups with ease. He enjoys being held gingerly by the torso and base of the tail, although he will sometimes rest like a fluffy loaf in my arms (it’s part of the dance before he pounces off and announces cessation from the herd).

Intelligence? Soaring. Super. Very high. Potentially smarter than me. Watch him communicate his needs below!

 

Is He Compatible with Other Chinchillas? He likes to flirt with Lulu, but has a rocky history with the rest of the group. Muffton was his best bud until they lost their bond – now, they are mortal enemies as they chirp competitively at the ladies. Fifi was once amicable with him until she decided to go berserk and partially sever one of his fingers; needless to say, they don’t talk anymore. Koko is not very interesting to him. So, he spends most of his time alone or with his mom (that’s me!). On rare occasions, he’ll be given supervised playtime with miss Lulu until she starts getting annoyed.

Ready for a Photo Shoot? Nope! He’s no object to be paraded around, and he knows it. He likes to be known for more than just his good looks, and will jet off set as soon as he’s placed on it. Multiple attempts are needed to get a still shot (tips on chinchilla photography here)!

Love to Dust? Yes! Mitty favors dusting and has no dry skin issues, but he won’t go crazy – he knows how many full body turns he likes to do at bath time (4-5) and after that, he’s all set for the day. He’s all about maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle. He’ll do a quick dust every day, as supervised by mom.

Three Words/Phrases to Sum Up His Personality? Smarty-Pants, Freedom Fighter, King of the Castle

Next Week… Mufftoneous!