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[Rachael29]

Hi Guys
So i dont think I am having much luck with chinchillas. I will explain the back story quickly.

We got 2 chinchillas Onyx and Coco - cust6 over and juct under a year - been together since 6 weeks old, they came from England where the breeders friend had took them. the Breeder went to get them for us and sold us them. They got on for a good while (few months) Then Onyx started to mount and it became agressive, Pulling cocos fur out ETC.

We went away to get maried and on our honeymoon - for these 3 or so weeks they were with the breeder - we were in contact everyday and she said they had 1 chasing session in the whole time they were there, so we thought the issues were just related to adolecance.

So we picked both of them up and took them home - we had sterilised the cage all new toys ETC so that there scent wasnt there (breeders advice).

but within seconds Onyx started to mount Coco again even more aggresive than before and pulling more and more clumps of fur out of him. So we contacted the breedeer she said make the cage we had smaller as they might just be used to a smaller cage because the cage they were in with her was concideribly smaller. We done this and it near turned really bad. So we took the decission to seperate them.

Onyx was and still is coping well on his opwn however Coco didnt want to come out at play time anymore and when he did he was looking for Onyx so thinking he was lonely we sent him back to the breeder to be paired with a Kit we named Shadow.

Coco was away for a week or so and the breeder said they were getting along perfectly and the baby was putting on weight and they both stayed snuggled all day and enjoyed each others company .... We though great! Coco can finally have a calm little buddy to snuggle with who wont bully him

..........

Well we have had Shadow for a month and a half now and he has started to mount Coco aswell They chatter to each other then Shadow comes running to mount Coco.
Coco hardly tries to do it back just maybe when the baby is getting carried away very little anyway.

So eventually my question is could Coco be telling them to do this in chin talk? i have no idea why Onyx would do it and now Shadow is doing it. it is mostly chasing *(Shadow chasing Coco) however this could be to catch up to Coco to mount him.
We used to shout at Onyx for doing it but we are trying not to shout at Shadow to see if it makes a diference

It is really frustrating is it something we are doing or is Coco asking for it? or does he annoy other chinchillas or should coco just learn to be a man and show everyone whos boss. will Shadow grow out of it just because he is only a few months old and doesnt know any better?

If you have stuck with me through all that you deserve a medal!

Any advice anyone can give me would be appreciated

[BLS Chins]

Some mounting is normal. That's how they work out dominance. Hair pulling it's a sign of aggression. Do you have several food areas and more than one water bottle? Fights can be over many things. Cage size, good/water, treats, personality..... how old are your chins now? It's likely they got along when they were younger and one the hormones kicked in.... They turn into brats and it's not uncommon for them to argue. If they are not getting along, the best thing to do is separate them before someone gets hurt

[GrayRodent]

Your story sounds kind of like mine unfortunately. I have two chinchillas. They were borderline for months and when one outgrew the other it got worse until there was fur all over the cage. I wasn't going to risk it escalating from there. They are in two sections of a large cage now and separated. Both of them seem to be happier now. I just have one chinchilla that is very dominant and the other decided enough was enough. The dynamics of three chinchillas is even harder.
Keep in mind chins have very good memories. Once something is ingrained or learned it's really hard to undo it. You may need to just keep them separate for a few months and try again. It is possible they are just not compatible and will just do better separated.

[Rachael29]

So onyx is on his own he seems happy enough apart from wanting out for 7 hours a day lol and chewing the cage sometimes.

Onyx on his own he is about a year and a half
Coco in the cage with shadow is a year and a half
And shadow the new one is about 3-4 months old

Fur pulling isn't an issue with coco and shadow. They have shared food and water with plenty of hay.

We think coco and onyx just outgrew each other so we separated them.
The 3 chinchillas are not in the same cage. But I'm thinking onyx was the dominant one so he was moved into a cage on his own.

But shadow is just a baby. Is this normal behaviour for a baby? Also when coco has mounted back which has been like twice shadow went into the cage and lay down flat on the shelf like as flat as a chinchilla can go then after a few minutes he's running about normal again.

Should this behaviour be something I try to get rid of from shadow like tell him off for or let it run its course and they will be fine?

[GrayRodent]

Chinchillas have a dominance order that has to be worked out. One will always be more dominant than the other. In my case my chinchilla is so dominant that he can't cope with himself so he gets beat up by Spot. It's nothing that can really be altered externally as far as I know. It's like a hard-wired program. The best thing you can do make sure they all have ample food and water, a clean cage, and a calm environment. Even chinchillas that are well bonded can turn on each other if they are stressed or become ill. There's also the factor of hormones which can be very unpredictable. As soon as they are weaned you can have these kinds of behaviors.

[Rachael29]

i hope they work it out. Maybe Coco is just the type of chinchilla that is dominated by his mates. I feel bad for Onyx now and seperating them .... but he was pulling clumps of fur from Coco. I wont shout at Shadow for doing it and hopefully it works out. Oh and btw dont know if it means anything but when the mounting happens with coco and shadow there is a smell ..... Like a pee smell but its weard ?? I looked it up and aparently its a smell they out out when they are scared? is this true? Is that anything to be worried about? Im sure its Coco thats making the smell, it goes away in a matter of about 10 seconds but its really strong....... Any advice?

[GrayRodent]

Yes male chinchillas have scent glands by the base of their tail and they use them for different situations. That is perfectly normal.