Chinchilla Community Forums
Chinchillas => General Chat => Topic started by: Jenova on February 03, 2010, 08:22:01 PM
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Just thought I'd let you know that I have started the bonding process. They've been going in each other's cages for a while so last night I put them all in a rabbit sized carry case together. A few squeaks but nothing too bad. They were starting to get a bit stressed by the lack of space so I transferred them all to Chong's (dad) cage. To my surprise the first fight was between Snake and Chong, but after that both the babies and Chong were intermittently fighting. Nothing too serious I should add, just fur pulling, squeaking and squaring up to pee (you know where they stand up as tall as they can and kind of stick their crotch out at the other chin) but no actual peeing.
Cheech (mum) was just wondering about chewing things and even though the babies started to attack her when she came close she still stayed her normal laid back self. She really is a special chinnie. She pinned Chong down and groomed him and he groomed her for a little bit too. Chong also tried to mount all the girls which they weren't to pleased with...
I then put the door of Chong's cage against the door of the girls' cage so they could all wonder between the two but Chong seemed a little scared of them and just stayed in his cage in his box attacking anyone who cam near, even Cheech. So I stopped the bonding then.
24 hours later (tonight) I put them all in my new cage (which is almost finished!). There was a little bit of fighting but Chong just wanted to avoid them all by going to the opposite end of the cage to them. And it's a big cage... I left them in there for a few hours but to be honest I think it's too big to bond them in. I really need them to be in a small space like the carrier but they get stressed being in such a confined area and concentrate on trying to get out rather than each other. Oh, they've also shared a few dust baths with no fighting other than the scrap of four chinchillas trying to get into a bath that fits two at the most. rofl
Chong is also missing a big clump of fur from his bum. :(
I'm now deciding whether to give them a day or two break before I try again and also where best to do the next introduction. But all in all I am very happy with how it's going. There have been no major fights and no one is too stressed.
I'll keep you updated. ::nod::
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Sounds like a good start. :)
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AAAAAGH! They're too clever! :doh:
I put them in the carry case again. I left them on their own as obviously they act differently when I'm not there and went to check them a few minutes later...
... only to find they had twisted the catches on the carry case from the inside and caused the door to fall off and they were running around an un-chin-proofed room with the door wide open!
Yeah... I don't think the carry case was a good idea. :2funny:
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Been there!!! rofl Gotta love their escape ability!
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I can just see the now ::taunt:: :2funny:
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I forgot to say: They're all in the new cage now!
I took the plunge, took the bottoms out of the two old cages and used them as the floor of the new cage. I've still got Chong's cage set up with a makeshift floor, but they're all in together. He's still staying well away from the girls, but everyday he gets a little bolder. It's not completely finished as I need to put in another huge shelf and a few more small ones but it's livable and much better then the old ones. The girls had destroyed their cage so much is was dangerous and it's been chucked out, but the other is set up incase I need to pull Chong out at any time.
I'll get pictures soon. :)
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::silly:: Chinchillas are very smart ... and some are a bit bold and brazing about it! I have one chin that I have to triple lock her cage. She kept opening her cage and we thought that Lady, our Great Dane, was doing it ... but ... no. Miss Priss was doing it all by herself and seemed indignant at the thought we were giving the dog the credit. She made sure we were looking at her (by making loud noises), then she jumped on the door of the cage and promptly took the end of the latch in her teeth and pulled backward ... when she released it, the cage door flew open with her still attached! :D She repeated this several times, while we searched for some locks. We attached two extra locks, to her dismay, and made sure she could not operate them. :::grins::
Once they get that taste of freedom, they work at getting as much of it as possible! rofl
::wave:: Jo Ann
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The cage I'm using is a parrot cage and has a parrot proof lock on the front door. All well and good, it really is secure... but the side door is just a lift up and open one! What's the point in putting a good one on the front when the side one is so easy to open? I've tied it with a chain, but if I hadn't Big Boss would have been out of there before the end of the first night.
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I was taking pictures to update my new cage thread as it's almost done... but look what I caught on camera... all four of them together! :::grins::
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y169/jenovabug/Chinchillas/DSC00280.jpg)
And here are the otehr pics if you want to see the cage. :)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y169/jenovabug/Chinchillas/DSC00278.jpg)
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y169/jenovabug/Chinchillas/DSC00281.jpg)
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That cage looks great, and I am really happy to see the family all together and happy! HOpefully they will be fully bonded for you soon ;)
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awww how sweet eh!!
I love their cage, bet they do too. ::nod::
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Nice! What kind of cage is that?
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It's a parrot cage. ::nod::
I didn't get it from here but it has a picture of the same one.
http://www.animalanticsonline.com/ViewItem.php?ItemID=838
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Awesome news!
They were all asleep together this morning!
;)