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[Omcl]

Hi there

I currently own a lovely little female mosaic chinchilla called Lady who is about 6/7 years old. I used to have two chinchillas. She lived with a male Chinchilla called John and they got on very very well. I have not had these chinchillas since birth, i rehomed them as the previous owner could not look after them anymore. Unfortunately a few months ago John passed away. It happened very suddenly and I am still heartbroken. At first Lady was ok with being on her own but I can now see that she is lonely and I would love to get her a friend for company.

I know that introducing older chinchillas to new chinchillas is not the easiest. However I am not a chinchilla expert. I love and care for my chinchillas very well but when it comes to things like this I would appreciate some advice. Lady is a 7 year old female chinchilla, what age and sex of chinchilla would be best for her to live with?

I would really appreciate any advice that can be given as I just want my little chinchilla to be as happy as possible. Please no rude replies because as I have already stated I'm not a chinchilla expert just a loving pet owner

Thank you in advance 

[GrayRodent]

No problem. Very sorry for your loss. My advice is to forego introducing a new female chinchilla with the intention of combining them, but to get another female and put her in a separate cage in the same room. If they are compatible they will get used to each other over a period of a couple of months and then you can try to introduce them if they appear to be ameable towards each other. That way you won't feel pressured to combine them.

With breeding pairs it is going to be harder when separated. I think she'll get over it and become accustomed to her new situation. It's not necessarily the best thing to introduce a new chin.

Chinchillas are finicky creatures and not always compatible with each other. It seems there are more successes than failures but I'd hate for you to lose one or both in a cage fight. Please do not combine her with a male chinchilla as this will likely result in breeding. I know she was with another male. I'm guessing it was neutered if there were no kits or was somehow sterile. Chins are capable of breeding indefinitely.

And if anyone gives you a rude reply please message me if I don't catch it first.
God bless.

[Nibbler]

Sorry for your loss. These little animals are so easy to get attached to.

My rescues have been all separated from their mates. They were all part of a breeding herd. I do not know the age of my rescues. All that info was lost when our Aunt passed. She had been breeding since 1999. All I know is I have all adults and I have not had much problem making new pairs. As Long as the territory is neutral. You have to give them time to get to know each other too. You can teach an old chin new tricks that is a fact. Mine were NEVER pets. Now my little guy Nibbler is the best pet and he has to be 5+ years old.

I would find a rescue or breeder to help you find a good match. Females pair up well with other females if done right. I have had best luck pairing up females than I have had with males. Male just want to fight. Some females fight but most of the time they are passive aggressive and that can be bad too.

I am all for keeping pairs or more of Chins. I think they do better with a friend. Yes they will live fine alone but life is better with a friend. UNLESS you have lots of time and spend it all with your chin. If you can be your chins friend it will be fine. 

[GrayRodent]

Yes let me clarify. It is harder on the surviving chinchilla when breeding pairs are separated. There are going to be behavioral changes but it should stabilize with time. Sometimes a chinchilla can go into depression at first so monitor food consumption and weight closely for the next couple of weeks.

I do not discourage anyone to attempt to pair chins as long as they are same sex or if one of them is sterilized. Pairing is a process. It can take weeks. It does not always work so I always advise owners to be prepared to have independent cage setups or compartmentalized cages in case it does not out.

[Omcl]

Thank you for both of your replies, I'm very grateful and always eager to learn more about these beautiful little creatures. I think the best option for me would be to introduce my chinchilla to another female chinchilla. I'm going to take some time to think over this decision and look for the perfect companion for my chinchilla. I understand that introducing chinchillas can not always go well and I'd hate for anything bad to happen or to lose another chinchilla. I just hate the thought of her being lonely at the moment. In regards to her having been in a breeding pair, as far as I am aware she has never had any babies. The person who I got them from said that the boy was not neutered but neither ever had any interest in breeding

[GrayRodent]

I strongly suspect one was sterile which is rare. Chinchillas can breed at just about any time and all it takes is a few seconds. You don't know which one so if you're going to pair female certainly is best. I hope everything goes well for you. I recommend at minimum two weeks in the same room with the cages at minimum 2 inches apart before trying to introduce them in the open.
Put them together in a dust bath in an area such as a shower stall where you can break up fighting and observe them easily. Typically there is going to be some ruckus at first and dominance mounting. This goes for females too. If they start pulling each other's hair they should be separated immediately. If they start spraying (males do not spray), it may be better to separate them but hair pulling is a danger sign.
Some chins are so nasty they'll kill the other in seconds but that is quite rare. Be very observant.

[Nibbler]

Even if you don't get them to live in the same cage together just having another chin in the cage next to them is nice. They love being around other chins. out of the 40 rescues I have had only 2 females fight and not get along. My males have been a bit more annoying to to pair up. Each one is different. Personality just clash sometimes.

good luck .