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5melrose5

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Jul 13, 2009
Messages
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Hi all, I am new here. I live in BC canada and I adopted/rescued(he was attacked by 2 pit-bulls and survived) my one year old male chin named Rigsby. I have some questions,as I am a new chin owner,I have only had one for 5 months. One is,if I get another male,what are the odds that they will get along? should I get the same age or does it matter? I do have a chance to adopt a very young chin. Second is, do I leave the lights on during the day and shut them off at night? Or do the opposite? Rigsby freaks out when I turn the lights off! What I do is I leave the lights on during the day and shut them off at night,but leave only the TV on at night.Is that OK? I have seen him asleep during the day and so I shut off the light,but then he bolts up wide awake and panics until I turn the light back on?! I just want to do what's healthy for him.The last one is what kind of chinchilla is he?
chinonmagrack.jpg
I have assumed he is a standard grey? He is very light grey colored now, way lighter than the photo.Thanks for any input.
 
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Oh wow, welcome and your baby looks wonderful for surviving that attack, poor baby. Glad you rescued him. You can post in the new chins owner section or read up on the FAQ's on this forum, its very helpful and may answer some questions you already have.
 
Welcome!

One is,if I get another male,what are the odds that they will get along? should I get the same age or does it matter? I do have a chance to adopt a very young chin.

There's no way to know for sure until you try an introduction. Some chins do great with a cagemate, others are meant to be singletons. It's going to totally depend on the the two chins personalities. Even with bonded pairs who have been together forever, they can turn on each other for no reason. Always have a spare cage ready to go just in case they should. If they do, separate them immediately. Older and younger pairs usually seem to work out easiest with introductions. Also, don't put them together until you observe a 30 day quarantine with the new guy.

Second is, do I leave the lights on during the day and shut them off at night? Or do the opposite? Rigsby freaks out when I turn the lights off! What I do is I leave the lights on during the day and shut them off at night,but leave only the TV on at night.Is that OK?
I have seen him asleep during the day and so I shut off the light,but then he bolts up wide awake and panics until I turn the light back on?! I just want to do what's healthy for him.

That could be because of the attack. Maybe he was attacked in the dark. Maybe he is uneasy because of what he hears in the dark. It's really hard to say. I would try leaving a night light on, rather than a huge overhead light. He'll be able to see, but it won't be blinding and he'll still mostly have the sleep/wake cycle going on. Lots of people leave a radio playing in their barn for their chins, so you could do the same thing for him and it's sometimes very comforting for them as it helps block out some of those scary sounds.

The last one is what kind of chinchilla is he?
Looks like you have a beige there, and he's a cutie. :)
 
Since Peg has already answered all of your questions, all I have to say is...

Welcome! :)
 
Hi and :welcome6: to the forum!
Thank you for rescuing Rigsby, he is lucky to have you! It's a miracle that he survived the attack. Poor baby,it's just horrible what he he went through.
And Rigsby is so cute!
 
Hi and Welcom to CnH. Happy he has found a good home.
You will find this forum to be a treasure chest of advice and help.
 
:wave: Hi and welcome to CnH

Lovely looking chinny you have there. :D
 
What a story

I know! I answered an ad from a girl about 20. She was desperate to find a home,as she was in an accident and had to move back home with her parents so she could recover. Her parents got 2 pitt bulls after she left home,so when she moved back it was a nightmare.The poor chin was locked away in a room and never let out,for fear the dogs would harm him.He was in a too small cage with 3 solid sides so air flow was bad, and no wheel. I went to meet him and her and the dogs came out of no where and attacked him,got his tail. She and I both dived in between him and the dogs and we managed to get scratched up a bit, but the chin was ok. Poor chin he was so scared and almost bald in spots after he let so much fur go! He held his tail close to his body for a few days,never moving it.We were worried it was damaged but it turned out to be ok, probably sore though. Anyway I actually wanted a baby chin, but I could not leave him there, and now he is very loved and we are so happy. Still kind of untrusting of people except me, he takes off back to his cage if anyone else enters the room, when he is out. BTW I like the name misshellyshel because my moms names for me and my sister are Missey and Shelly,but she always mixes them up and says MisShelly instead, lol!
 
Wow, that's quite a story! I'm so glad you took in Rigsby who obviously needed a much different environment to keep him safe and happy. It doesn't sound like you have had him for very long, but it sounds like he is adjusting well and will continue to settle in and become trusting again with lots of love and patience. Hopefully, if you do decide to get another chin, he would be receptive to having a buddy. But you won't know how he'll react, unfortunately, until you do try. Best of luck!
 
Welcome, its awesome that you are giving that chinnie such a great home after a horrific past;)
 
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