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[littlewomann]

Hi guys, i'm a new Chinchilla owner and i really need some advice!

I have two chinchillas, both males (brothers) and i got them at the same time, they're roughly 4 months old and one is a standard (cheeko) and the other is a mosaic (Peppei).

I've had them for about two weeks now and for around a week the Mosaic keeps pulling on the Standards fur which is resulting in him having gaps in his fur and really thin parts around his back legs and tail.
I've tried blowing on his face lightly or tapping his nose or side of the cage to make him stop, which he does, but then he just continues again.

Also they both keep mounting each other, is this normal?

I'm not sure what to do, and it's keeping me up at night with worry, watching them, making sure they're not fighting. They cuddle up to each other and both eat and drink fine.

Any advice?

[GrayRodent]

I wish I knew what to say. My first inclination is to say they are not getting along very well but chinchilla introductions can be complex. Here are some important questions that can help you determine if they need to be separated. One is how much does each one weigh compared to its healthy weight two weeks ago? The second is is the mounting constant or just on occasion? If the weight is more than 10% lower you need to separate them. If the mounting is constant you need to separate them. Some hair pulling is to be expected but the level you describe indicates to me there is a problem.

Perhaps someone with more experience can comment.

[littlewomann]

I honestly don't know their weight and i didn't really ask for their weight from the woman i bought them from.

I've read that what they're doing is trying to establish who is boss between them.
But the only thing that worries me is peppei (Mosaic) pulling on Cheeko' (standards) fur.

The three tier cage i have has four bowls, so they both get food fine and there are tunnels, nesting boxes, hammocks, chew blocks and stones and wood for them to occupy themselves with.

Should i just watch them and let them get on with it?

Is it because they're in a new cage and new environment, i really need some advice.

This is the cage i bought: www.amazon.co.uk/LITTLE-FRIENDS-Triple-Chinchilla-Ferret/dp/B00GO0K80W/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1429950508&sr=8-6&keywords=chinchilla+cage

[GrayRodent]

I've given you some sound advice. If they are both losing weight and it gets out of hand your pets can be in real danger of dying. If they are not letting up and they are constantly after each other you should separate them. If they are getting along for the most part and they are letting each other rest then you are probably okay. Because what you describe seems like an excessive amount of fur pulling I think there might be something wrong. In my two chinchillas there is some occasional fur pulling that I notice on my grey but it's only a few little tufts and it's not every day. They will have establish a dominance pattern and it takes a couple of weeks which is quite normal. But occasionally you get chinchillas that are equally dominant and they will wear each other down or fight each other to death although it's rare it can happen. If you've seen no progress at all since the start I highly recommend separating them, taking them to a veterinarian or someone who can tell you if they are at a healthy weight, and maybe start the process over in the future once they are both in good health and have lived in the same room for a while.

You may have some additional input this week. There are people with experience who come here often.

[littlewomann]

Sorry i'm just really worried about my Chinchillas, they are currently sleeping together snuggled up in a hammock.

I will start weighing them and see how it goes from here.

[BLS Chins]

The only problem with getting kits is there is no way to know that they will get along long term. They may be going through puberty and the hormones can cause males to fight. If they are pulling hair and leaving bald spots then they should separated. They can fight and seriously injure each other. I would take your time and try reintroducing in a few weeks after they fully settle in.