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[arinlome]

Hello all! I'm brand new to the forums, and after combing the internet I couldn't find any practical advice for my situation that wasn't just basic info regurgitated on every site that comes up with a Google search.

My girlfriend and I had 2 male chins that got along fine. One is 8 (Jack) and the other is a little over a year old (Bandit). They went through the side-by-side introduction back in February and after a week or so they were best friends. They slept together, groomed each other, etc.

Recently, we bought 2 more male chins (rescued them from a PetCo since they had been in a tiny glass box for a year straight) and we want all 4 to get along eventually. The 2 new chins (Churro and Chimi) also get along just fine and they are total sweethearts. None of the 4 are hyper-aggressive, and they all respond well to treats and human contact.

My girlfriend made the mistake of trying to immediately introduce all 4 simultaneously before even having their cages near each other for a bit. It started out ok, but Bandit soon started running around and "attacking" Churro and Chimi. No serious biting or blood, but he would pull out clumps of their fur with his mouth. We split them up into their respective cages and are now trying to introduce them slowly.

One thing I am worried about is that Bandit is now being aggressive to Jack and the two of them don't sleep together or play together anymore and spend their time on different levels of their cage. It's 7.5' tall and has 8 or 9 levels, so it's plenty big enough for them to have their own space. I just worry that the introduction of the new chins has ruined Jack and Bandit's dynamics and I don't want that to happen.

We have a playpen we normally use for Jack and Bandit and we are using that as the neutral ground for the actual introductions. We have tried putting Churro and Chimi's cage inside the playpen to see if cage within a cage works (it didn't), and now we are at the point of considering just doing 1 on 1 intros with different combos of chins and hope that eventually all 4 get along. My girlfriend put Jack and Chimi together in the playpen yesterday for an hour and they got along fine.

If it helps, the summary of how things stand is: Jack is (or was) the alpha over Bandit in that pair, and Chimi is the alpha over Churro in the second pair. Bandit does not get along with Churro or Chimi, and is now being aggressive towards Jack. Jack and Churro compete for dominance by boxing and squeaking when they are together. Chimi and Churro are still getting along fine. Jack and Chimi seem to be ok. When the cages are next to each other, Bandit will sit near Chimi and Churro so they're only separated by the few inches between cages, and Chimi and Churro seem to be welcoming to Bandit. Jack tends to hide out on the uppermost level of his and Bandit's cage, and typically does not sit near the other cage or chins. There are so many chin personalities, and I'm at a loss of the best course of action to try and establish a happy chin family.

If anyone has advice on the best way to bring two pairs of male chins together, please let me know!

[Moxie]

It can take weeks for them to get along. You have to slowly introduce them in a wide open room so they have freedom. Do not force them into a cage right away. It can be dangerous and harmful to them. They may fight at first, and all you can do is seperate the fight. Once everyday, try to put them all in a room together so they can get to know each other. Do not rush into anything new too fast or they will get stressed and when they get stressed, they don't eat and sometimes they chew their fur.

Don't let them all together at once! This will stress them as well and it's not a good idea. Just slowly let two of them together in a room. Then let another pair of two. It's safer, and easier to manage.

I suggest watching some YouTube videos on chinchillas bonding with other chinchillas to give you some insight I guess that would be the best option.

I hope this helped!

[Moxie]

This link might help

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mdw29_KnjgY

[Moxie]

(I found that random link on YouTube there are plenty of other videos like that if this doesn't help)

[arinlome]

Thanks I'll try to use a room or hallway instead of the playpen and I'll make sure to stick to the pairs instead of 4 at a time. I'm glad to know that the timing isn't unusual either. the only experience I've had was a very fast, easy introduction and this was not what I expected.

[Moxie]

If you have any more questions feel free to ask!

[GrayRodent]

I'm not an expert on chinchilla introductions. The fact is it kind of scares me and I'm afraid of giving advice that results in an necessary injury to a pet. However I pay close attention to others on this board who go through it from time to time so I'll tell you what I do know but chances are you probably know already.

First of all males are going to be the easiest to pair together. They tend to be less territorial than females but like you said, each animal does have its own personality. Some animals are not compatible although it's rare I've seen it. And some animals get along fine for years and then turn on each other without warning and sometimes it's fatal to one or both. In theory you're better off having one to a cage but four is not unheard of. So you have been warned. Mix them together at your own risk.

Make double sure they are all males as sometimes chinchillas can be hard to sex. If you have a female in with multiple males the males will attack each other during estrus. This has been an issue with some owners.

The best thing to do is just keep all of them in the same room for about 2-3 weeks to start. Make sure there is at least 2" of separation between cages (Although the video puts a cage in a cage I think the side by side method is just a little safer and if you mix bedding it should have a similar effect. Choose which ever method works best for you) . I'd start with two to one cage, then add a third and let them settle down, then add the fourth. Make sure to have a place where a chinchilla can hide from an attacker. I'd recommend having at least two wooden hutches in your cage at all times. Chinchillas can also be sensitive to human menstruation so also beware. Males fight over  females whether one is there or if they just think there is.

One breeder who often gives advice here recommends introducing a pair in a travel cage inside of a moving car since it is an alien environment and there is less of a chance any will become territorial. She reports a 100% success rate doing that. Mixing soiled bedding between cages is also recommended sense they are very sensitive to smell.

Chinchillas have good memories. They remember traumatic events but fortunately they also remember routine. So if your pets are all together for a while and not stressed out they will have a better chance of getting along when you actually put them together. If any of your chinchillas is used to being solitary it is less likely to accept another chinchilla.