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Q & A / Introducing Male to Female
« on: May 13, 2014, 11:06:27 AM »
Hey all. I have a 6-7 year old female chinchilla named Houdini (we aren't sure of her exact age, she was a rescued chin) who lives in a very LARGE multi-tiered cage. The cage has a separation area in the middle that can separate it into two large cages (top and bottom).
Recently I have thought about rescuing another chinchilla who happens to be a male, and he is approximately 1-2 years old. I am not interested in breeding them, but rather want a friend for my female (we would neuter the male). I have extensively researched how to introduce them but I was wondering what everyone's experiences here have been introducing a new chin to an existing chin? And also what method worked best for you?
I should mention I previously owned two other chinchillas, a spayed female and a male who lived together for about 5 years until the female passed away at the age of 13. When I first got her, she was solo for the first 3-4 years and she adapted well to the male. I know one chin's behavior isn't indicative of how another will respond, but I thought I'd mention it.
Houdini has been on her own her whole life as far as I can tell, and I have personally owned her since 2008. I'm worried she won't adapt well to a new friend since she's been solo her whole life so I thought I'd seek some advice here.
Any comments are appreciated!
Recently I have thought about rescuing another chinchilla who happens to be a male, and he is approximately 1-2 years old. I am not interested in breeding them, but rather want a friend for my female (we would neuter the male). I have extensively researched how to introduce them but I was wondering what everyone's experiences here have been introducing a new chin to an existing chin? And also what method worked best for you?
I should mention I previously owned two other chinchillas, a spayed female and a male who lived together for about 5 years until the female passed away at the age of 13. When I first got her, she was solo for the first 3-4 years and she adapted well to the male. I know one chin's behavior isn't indicative of how another will respond, but I thought I'd mention it.
Houdini has been on her own her whole life as far as I can tell, and I have personally owned her since 2008. I'm worried she won't adapt well to a new friend since she's been solo her whole life so I thought I'd seek some advice here.
Any comments are appreciated!
