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[SammyandChins]

You seem like you have a lot of chinchillas and have experience with them....so.........can  ask you a question and get your advice?

We adopted 2 chinchillas from the humane society 2 yrs ago. When we got them, they were a mom and her adult daughter.  They were very timid and could not be handled at all, but never bit. With a lot of time and patience, both mama and baby are friendly and social and have their own way to get me to come to their cage to pet and scratch them. They are in a double decker ferret nation cage.

These two were together in their previous home and in the same cage at the humane society. We brought them home and they had adjusted nicely, contently sharing a cage together and usually sleeping next to each other. Then last week, the mom suddenly attacked the baby for no reason. She was Unrelenting and chased her from the very bottom level to the very top and would grab large tuffs of fur in her mouth. I immediately separated them, closing off the bottom two levels of the cage from the top two levels. The baby settled down and has been content in the top half. The mom spends 75% of her time trying to break into the top level. I thought maybe she didn't want to be on the bottom, so I reversed them, with mama on top and baby on bottom. Now mama just tries to get to the lower level where the baby is. I have tried once to put them together again after the initial fight but MOM'S IMMEDIATELY attacked baby again.

I thought maybe baby was sick and that's why mama was going this, but baby has been fine, eating and drinking, and peeing and pooping normally. I do have a call into an exotic animal vet but am waiting to hear back from them. Do you have any idea why the older mama is viciously attacking her adult daughter after being cagemates for atleast 2+ years? Will they ever be okay to be together in the same cage? The big cage divided into 2 cages just seems like they are both in a too small cage (like one has the gross motor toys and the other the chewing toys as they won't fit each thing twice in the cage). Am I gonna have to rehome one of them? Will the one here be ok by themselves or will this cause social adjustment problems?

Please help? am desperate!

[GrayRodent]

Those are kind of strange circumstances. I hope someone who may have seen this will reply.
I do know that it's not uncommon for chinchillas to turn on each other.
I have two myself in a double ferret nation that I had to separate although with those two I can put them together to play under supervision and most of the time they are okay. No two chinchillas are going to be same so no two chinchillas pairs can be expected to behave the same either.

The good news is that half the FN cages is a good amount of space for a single chinchilla and in some cases two. You will have no problems keeping them sectioned off. Mine have been living that way for a year now and they are doing great.

I would expect these chins you have are incompatible with each other and should never be combined or even allowed to play with each other. I do know of some chinchillas that are fine interacting with people but they'll kill another chin if combined. I also expect it could be a week or two for them to accommodate to the new cage configuration. Just keep track of weight and fecal output. If one of them stops eating from either stress or health issues you need to know in advance to prevent serious problems.

Considering you have observed a sudden change in behavior that can in some cases indicate a health problem. Considering they are adopted I strongly recommend you have a vet examine your pet and seriously consider a tooth exam, at least a visual exam. Chinchillas can be prone to dental malocclusion if they are not bred properly or cared for properly. This is an incurable and fatal disease and it can be very painful. Although this is a potential cause it's far from the only possible cause of what you are observing. Chinchillas, especially females, can become very hormonal and also unpredictable.

Consider weighing both your pets at least once a week to monitor for any health issues. I don't expect you will find anything serious but a rule of thumb is to have a chin examined if you find a sudden change in behavior that can't be attributed to something in its environment.

Of course also consider environment. Has there been any new changes in schedule (significant changes in sleep or wake times), changes in temperature and humidity (room should stay at 73 degrees F or below), changes in diet, new pets like cats or dogs, or new noises like construction work going on?

[BLS Chins]

Its not uncommon for chins to decide they dont like their cagemates. I just had to split a pair myself today. Do you have several food and water areas in the cage? Have ther been any changes in the house? Stress can sometimes lead to fights. Health issues can also stress the chin and cause issues. Getting a physical would be a good idea, just as a rule out. Chins can be quite happy alone. As long as they are eating well and holding their weight I wouldnt be concerned.

[SammyandChins]

Thank you guys for replying. It's not what I was hoping to hear. I have a double decker ferret nation cage. If I divide these, isn't this too small for each chin to get half the cage? It seems like they don't have enough room, with litterboxes, food dishes, sleeping hammocks, exercise wheel, and toys in both halves, for each chin. Or am I spoiling them too much, and it is enough. Won't they be unhappy? Both seem to want to go to the other half and are trying to find a way to get around the blockage separating the 2 units. I love these girls so much and just want them both to be happy.
Thanks again guys!
Sammy

[GrayRodent]

Do you have shelving in your cage? You should have at least one level of wooden shelving. That should be sufficient. You can even install a shelf on a door in those cages. Even after a year my two chinchillas at times look for ways to get around the floor. In my case I can allow them access to each other (but I don't trust them to be unsupervised) so I'll let them interact but you can't do that. Don't let that stress you out. They'll be even more unhappy if they wound each other. This is just normal behavior for chins. They should start settling down in a week or two as they get used to their new surroundings. Chinchillas will constantly explore their cage until then regardless.