Well you know I've been having a little trouble getting Cheech (1 1/2 year old female) and Chong (5 month old male) together. I finally found out the reason why.
At first I was putting them together in neutral small cages, neutral big cages, each other's cages, all with no luck. It was also such a pain letting them out one at a time because no matter what we did, they would always go over to the other's cage and start fighting and poor old Chong got his other finger bitten but no where near as badly as the first time. I was so worried this was the reason he didn't like Cheech, because he associated her with pain, but I couldn't be further from the truth.
Eventually I plucked up the courage to let them out to play together (I was scared if anything happened I wouldn't be able to catch them.) And it started off fine. They mostly ignored each other, having brief encounters with a bit of fur flying, then I noticed something. Chong just spent the entire time sneaking up on Cheech and trying to jump on her back and mate with her. Every time he did it she would turn and try to bite him, he would run off to a safe distance and then try again. I've let them out a few times now and all he does is that. She isn't having any of it and just stays away from him.
I introduced the sand bath to try and get them to interact a bit more and Chong just tried to jump on her when she was in there, hanging on for dear life until she turned round and ate a clump of his fur. Is there anything you can suggest? At first Cheech was so interested in him but now she just stays away, I don't think she's ready for babies, lol.
On another funny note, she seems to be a little jealous of Chong too. I've been teaching him to be cuddly because Cheech being a pet shop chin has never really liked being picked up and she was a bit too old to teach when we got her, but since she's seen Chong in my lap she suddenly wants a cuddle too! It's amazing. And one day she snuggled up in our pillows and went to sleep for three hours while we scritched her ears. We un chin-proofed the room and started watching a DVD and she was still there, eventually getting bored and going back to her cage. It's taken a year to get her fully settled in but it's so worth it and part of that process has been Chong, so I'd love them to be together properly.
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Topic: I've found out why they won't be friends... (Read 1859 times)