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[animalluver]

haha Usually I lure mine into a dust bath and then grab it before they can get out again! I've also read throwing a towl over them works. But yeah, I'll try that, give the little one a head-start, and make sure I've got an extra person and a towel ready

[dianah]

dust bath is a good idea. once chinchi and fluffy were introduced, it was actually really easy to get them back in the cage after their daily run. all you had to do was get a bag of sticks out, say 'chinchi, would you like a stick? would you like a stick chinchi?' and he'd go into his cage (there were three doors on the cage and they could just get in through the bottom door) and you'd give him a stick, and then you'd say 'fluffy, where's chinchi gone? where's chinchi? where is he?' and she'd start looking for him, she'd go for the last spin in the dust bath and then she'd go into the cage and she'd get a stick.

this worked most of the time, but there were times when they were having too much fun out or chinchi got clever, grabbed his stick and got out. i miss him so much.

[animalluver]

  I'm sorry.

[dianah]

thank you. i am too. i'm so glad fluffy's got her children though because i don't know if she'd still be around. she loved him very very much.

i keep banging on about this but just make sure your two are the same sex (chinchi died following complications after neutering) - there's this whole hoohaa about how hard it is to sex chinchillas and fluffy was sexed by two breeders as a boy. when i bought chinchi, he was supposed to be a girl - i only found out he was a boy when he got his willy out. the rescue girl i just got was supposed to be a boy, she's a girl (i actually didn't go to the rescue to get her, my friend wanted a friend for her boy and i went to check it was definitely a boy after what had happened to us - he was a she and very sick so she's mine now )
so a lot of mistakes happen. but it's actually quite easy when you know what you're looking for. i am now the chinchilla person for the rescue (it's all animal rescue, we don't have a chin one), they'll call me if they get any chins in (hopefully they won't) so i can check that they're what they claim to be and if they're eating the right stuff etc. i am officially not allowed to get any more chins but i wasn't before i got mae and here she is so you know what's going to happen if i receive a call

[animalluver]

hahaha I'm not sure. I got both from a pet store because both just absolutely won me over before I had a chance to think, and they said both were girls. They don't get along, so they're not in the same cage, and I read different genders are either way worse or way better in getting along, so I don't know. Sorry for the late reply-- every time I got a "new post" under this heading it just showed me stuff I'd already read... I just now found out I had to go to the second page 

[dianah]

have a look at this website http://chinwags.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=618 - these are great pictures (in your face but very clear)

the best way is to put your finger just next to the sheath/cone and slightly pull it away from the bum and if the skin between the two bits lifts - like on the first picture - it's definitely a boy.

you do want to make sure. if they start getting along and they end up in one cage, if they are a mixed pair, they are really quite fertile.

i haven't really noticed different genders getting on differently. i've had girls, boys (although only until they were 5 months old, then they had to be separated) and a mixed pair and everybody got on.
the only trouble was getting chinchi and fluffy (the mixed pair) to like each other. everybody else is related though so hard to tell. the rescue girl is not related, she's not been allowed to have playtimes but both boys and girls come to her cage and are friendly, spock she's eventually going to be with once his hormones leave his system grooms her face and all.

[Debbie.nl.ca]

If  I was iffy I would put them together in the morning an a day I was mucking around the house.
They are less energetic, and more eager just to cuddle up.
I have seen some pretty nasty ones though and find holding both in my hands and just placing them face to face safer than letting them creep up one each other on the floor.

As these two seen to be already though the first steps I would try putting them together early one day and see.
I always like to have a new set up for them to go into rather than adding one to another cages, so that it's new to both. At least a  good cleaning ,moving /adding/ removing shelves huts, tubes around.
Like getting a new apart. together, they'll make it their own  

[animalluver]

haha ok thanks for the help both of you: I'll look tonight when they're awake and make sure they're who I think they are  I'll also try working with them tomorrow. So far now I have 4 unused techniques: letting them run in the morning, vanilla on their noses, switching poops  and letting them in territory that is large, open, and neutral.  Thanks again

[dianah]

oh yes! daytime is a great idea debbie! they are sleepier and can't be bothered causing too much trouble!

[Debbie.nl.ca]

So how's it going ?

[animalluver]

I believe it's making progress! Thanks for asking!  They are both who I think they are, after all, although the baby was very difficult because she is black all over!  They're really good nose to nose through bars and even sometimes nose to nose outside their cages, but if I bring the dominant one up to the baby in some other area she starts freaking out and going all crazy. I think maybe when I just bring them nose to nose they're not seeing each other, just smelling each other.