| Things to know about your pet chinchilla |
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| Disclaimer - The following information is provided by the site owner as the practical application of chinchilla husbandry as I have learned it, in theory and practice. There is no warranty or liability for the contents of these pages. It is my opinion and is merely offered as a suggestion or possible solution. All information is solely that of the site owner and no ammends will be made. |
| Pairing, introducing chin to each other |
| Often when people speak of a pair of chinchillas they think Male & Female. This is not neccessarily true for pet chinchillas. Same sex pairs will more time then not, live very well together all their lives. With just 2 chins, none of the oppposite sex, they will bond with each other and be just fine together all their lives. Two or more chins of the same sex can live together if introduced properly. It is always a good idea to have an extra cage in case there is any problems that break out. Do not be afraid of keeping same sex pairs, You will need to start out with two cages. Even if you get two chins from the same place at the same time, and they are already bonded, you should have that second cage around in case of an emergency. Females are more territorial of their home, and just let other chins live there. When two or more female live together, one most always will take the alpha role. This is normal and don't let it worry you. All chins can be very much individuals, so like people you can never tell who is going to like whoever else. Sometimes it takes more time. So assuming you have one chin and want to get a second of the same sex. Any new chins coming in should be quarantined for 2 weeks to make sure there are no incoming problems with your new chin. If your chin comes from a shop or animal sale, I would highly recommend this procedure is followed. If you are getting an animal from a reputable breeder and feel confident there are no issues, then that would be your decision. * Set the cages up near each other so the chins can see and smell each other, but can not touch. Let the newbie settle in for a respectable time, 3 - 4 days to a week. Younger chins usually adjust to a new room mate * Give them baths and let them roll in each others used dust. Very short baths work best * Switch them back and forth to each others cages, so they can smell where the other has been but not actually come face to face. * use both tricks above for several days to a week, depending on how much time they have had to adjust to smelling and seeing each other. *If you have a neutral play area where the two can get acquainted, let them out togehter but keep a very close eye on them. Allow fron lots of distractions / toys, in the play area. (see toys, games & enrichment) * Keep doing this daily until you feel confident that they are getting along well. Some chasing and dominance humping is nothing to be worried about, but hair pulling and cries is an indicator that you will need to stop the process and start back at square one. *Once you feel that the two chins maybe able to live together, choose a cage and place them in it, but do this in the middle of the day which would normally be a sleepy time for them. Give some fresh hay and new chewable distractions as well as a common dust bath. Make sure the cage has two food and water station, separated as much as possible. * DO NOT leave them together over night those first few nights, until you are fairly certain that they are getting along very well, snuggling together as they sleep and very comfortable with each other. The reason I say not to leave them together at first, is most activity takes place at night, and that is when conflicts are most likely to start. In some rare cases, chins in the situation will have aggression issues with each other even after long periods of time. You find that fights will break out. But again this is not at all normal. Some chins may never get along, no matter what you try. In this case you will just have to have two cages. |
| Hit NEXT to go on to Reproduction Part 1 |