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[alexjackson617]

Hey Everyone,

I'm new to the site and to chinchillas, so hello!

I need a pointer... I am getting a young male chinchilla from a breeder in the next couple of weeks and I have had my ferret for 3 years. I know to never let them play together but I've read that they can't even be kept in the same room due to the chinchilla being stressed over the ferrets presence.

Has anyone had experience keeping them in the same room? I can make arrangements to house the in seperate rooms if need be but it will be way less ideal. So let me know what you guys think.

Thank you,
Alex

[GrayRodent]

My recommendation is to keep them separate rooms. Especially the first few weeks you get your new chin because they are typically stressed after being relocated. A stressed chin will not bond with you or anyone else and can get sick and die.

Severe stress can lower immunity and allow sickness to take hold. It can result in digestive problems that can be tricky to treat as well because it throws off their delicate balance of intestinal flora and fauna that thrive at a certain gut transit rate and food intake level. Disruptions can allow pathogenic organisms to bloom and make it worse. Some stressed chinchillas can go off their food compounding this problem and in some cases it can be fatal.

Some animals are naturally calmer than others so how it goes from there is going to depend on your chin's emotional disposition. Either way there is risk involved.

[Marip]

My ferret and my 3 chins are in the same room and their behavior hasn't changed .

[jmdebb]

honestly, i had two ferrets in my chin room and my chins didnt stress over it, but all chins are different.  just please make sure the ferrts can not get out if you do put them in the same room, i know they are good at getting the doors on their cages open, i used to clip the doors [using the same kind of hooks that are on the dog leashes] shut so they couldnt get them open. 

j

[Snickerdoodlesmom]

Sorry that I don't have much advice to offer here, but that is one cute ferret!
I would think that to get him used to his new environment, you should introduce him slowly to everyone who will be in his life. So maybe move the ferret somewhere far from the chinchilla, yet still in sight range.