Bonding two chins- Next Step

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furbabies33

Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2016
Messages
15
I have two females that I introduced and would like to bond. I've read many posts on this forum regarding the topic but would like to know when I should make my next move and place both chins in the same cage.

So far, I've done the following:

1. Quarantine
2. Cages next to each other
-No biting or scratching at cage bars. One chin seems to look for the other but mostly they ignore each other it seems.
3. Play time in a neutral area
-No chasing, no mounting, no spraying
-They have begun to groom each other. I did hear one of them make a squeaky noise. It didn't seem to be a bark or knack but not a normal "communication" noise either (well in my opinion.. but I also don't speak chin lol).
-They take dust baths together
-They jump in the same carrier to travel to the play area. And actually on accident, the smaller chin entered the other's cage and there was no bad interactions.

What other signs should I be looking for?

Again, when should I make the next move and place both in the same cage? I have a ton of new wooden shelves and toys coming in the mail next week and thought this might be a good time as the smells would be neutral. I don't have a brand new cage so I will have to scrub one down and add the new shelves.

Any suggestions are appreciated! Thanks!
 
It sounds to me like you are ready to try them together in one cage. Before you do that though as you said, do a good top to bottom cleaning of the cage you are planning to have them both in to remove any scent and make it smell neutral. Also rearrange the cage as much as you can so it also looks like a new cage, or simply use the new stuff coming in. Make sure you also put two of everything in the cage (water bottles, food bowls, hiding places, etc) too to help avoid resource guarding and fighting. I would still keep an eye on them for the first couple days though, possibly only letting them in the cage together when you are there to watch them.

If the squeaky noise you are talking about is like the "Chatter" sound on this site http://www.cheekychinchillas.com/chinsounds.html they are just chatting. My boys chat all the time, especially when out exploring or I put new things in their cage.
 
I'm excited and nervous to give this a try! I also have bass pans coming in which will help neutralize the smell and great idea on rearranging the cage. I plan to put them together on a Friday so I can keep an eye over the weekend.

Thanks for the info!
 
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