wow Chinchilla's are complicated. Having seen them rough housing and mounting I looked up dominance and connecting a few dots I am now trying to work out if one is being bullied or is just acting in the normal submissive way.
The facts- 2 male chinchilla's, brothers taken from the same litter after approx 3-4 months
- They are new pets, we have only had them 9 days (new territory?)
- We recently replaced their cage because they could escape their first one through the bars. They have been in the new cage 2 nights (more new territory?)
They get long playtime sessions (around 30 mins - 1 hour max) once per day, where they always start timid/cautious, gradually explore and play more, but at around 30-40 minutes suddenly peak in excitement and go crazy
- Vocal noises: Normally silent, they both start squeaking rhythmically. It's mostly like chirping, which I have read is a "good" noise? There isn't any hard barking or shrieking
- "Kissing": They touch noses and rub faces
- Jumping: They jump around each other, directly upwards, and occasionally into/off the walls
- Chasing: They run around the room far apart - at max speed, then chase each other in small circles
- Mounting: One repeatedly tries to get on top of the other. The other wriggles free except once when he let it happen
- Biting: They don't REALLY bite each other near as I can see, but they definitely try to get their mouths around the back of the others neck
Most of this seems playful and happy to me, and initially saw it as them getting comfortable; but...
Warning Signs?- 1 of the chinchilla's is notably more timid and less active than the other
- Although most usually chirp the same way, after the mounting 1 ran to a distance and changed the squeak pattern to a whimper
- 1 of the chinchilla's is always first to the food bowl and the other waits, at a distance. I cannot really tell if one is thinner or eating less than the other yet
- At night, they do jump and bang around the cage, but when we look they either freeze, or appear to be jumping between the floors without bothering each other
- I don't see any fur around the cage, but one (And it could be because I am looking) seems to have a frayed tail
One really good sign (as far as I know?) is they sleep together; both in the hanging tunnel, or both in the corner with one slightly on top of the other.
What I don't want is to wake up to one having been mauled to death suddenly, or one to be unable to eat out of fear of the other. Let me know if any of you are Chinchilla psychologists. I am not TOO concerned right now, but would love some reassurance from an experienced person.
- but I read so many do's and dont's that I have become a little paranoid