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Author Topic: Adding another Chin into the mix.  (Read 881 times)

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Beardysteve1

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Adding another Chin into the mix.
« on: August 05, 2014, 07:56:19 AM »
Hi Guys!

Well I've had Misty a few months now and things are all going well. She is becoming more and more tame by the day and we're starting to be able to hold her for very short periods of time before she jumps away. My gf and I are moving in together next year and will be getting a bigger place than I have atm. Once we more we'll be getting our Chin a much bigger cage and are hoping to get her a buddy.

I know it is wiser to get a pair of chinchillas together, preferably ones who are related and have shared space before. Could anyone give me some advice or their experiences of introducing chinchillas to one another? We will be keeping the old cage so will be able to keep them separate if need be.

Thanks all!
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GrayRodent

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Re: Adding another Chin into the mix.
« Reply #1 on: August 05, 2014, 08:37:26 AM »
Chinchillas can be a royal pain to introduce. It is better to get two that have already been paired and proven they aren't going to kill each other.
Genetic relationship with each other doesn't matter. A chinchilla that has lived alone all of its life will be harder to pair and some animals are not compatible with each other. The younger they are when you pair them the better. Also if you separate a bonded pair sometimes you will have to go through the introduction process again.

Introductions usually work and you can't expect to have problems but you will need to be prepared if you are in that rare group where they will have to live separately and permanently and have an extra cage setup available if one needs to be temporarily separated for health reasons. The introduction period may take months. You should have them in separate cages near each other (at least 3" inches apart) for at least two weeks before letting them in together. It's been my observation on these boards that two weeks is about all you need. In very rare circumstances chinchillas can get into a serious fight without warning. If you have a pair I strongly recommend having a wooden hutch where one can hide in to minimize the risk of a fatal quarrel. Proper cage size is also essential.

Since it will be harder to measure their food intake and fecal output each day weighing regularly will be imperative to monitor their health.
One thing to note is that my advice comes from second hand information and research and not experience. If someone has anything to add please do.
« Last Edit: August 05, 2014, 08:39:12 AM by GrayRodent »
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Beardysteve1

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Re: Adding another Chin into the mix.
« Reply #2 on: August 05, 2014, 08:44:20 AM »
Thanks Gray,

She is still quite young, only around 8 months old, so may bring this forward a bit if its easier the younger they are. I plan to get one of those two-stage cages which have a partition between them so, if worse comes to the worse, we can close it over and have them separate for as long as it takes.

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