Chinchilla bonding problems! Please help

[Katie'sChinchillas]

I got my very first chinny Rose about a year ago. shes a white ebony and my life and I love her to death. I thought she would be lonely in her cage by herself all the time (even though she gets an hour and a half of play time every day) so I got her a friend who is now 6 months old. Rose seems to be very territorial and agressively chases the newer baby around durring playtime, and they tend to try and spray each other but it doesn't work, and try and nip at one another.

I have resently took and old guinea pig cage, put some hay in it and a hidey house and put them and it in the other room where they have never been. Since no smells were there with them, they were perfectly fine for the ten minutes in that cage. But what should I if I want them in the normal room and in one of cages I have already?

The thing is i think rose is territorial over her cage and the entire room, if thats even possible. I'm not sure what to do here so i would appreciate it so much if I could get some advice on this situation.

 

[Anfsurfer]

Just because they were fine in that different cage in that different room for 10 minutes doesn't mean they would "always" be fine in there. It's good to do that for initial introductions because they will both feel out of place and on the same turf. But once time has passed and they start feeling confident again, Rose could be back to her old self. That's why when introducing chins, you really need time to observe. I tell people to do it on a day when they can be home for a few days, like on a friday after work.

I've been through two introductions already, and possibly another soon. It's VERY stressful and time consuming, even when it goes well. Have you tried "Smooshing" them for a good period of time? (Smooshing=putting them in a carrier just big enough for the two of them, forcing them to figure out if they can get along in that space) I think that might answer the question whether it'll ever work. You HAVE TO be ready to pull one out if serious aggression occurs, but allow them to keep going if they just struggle for dominance. I think there's more detailed threads on here about smooshing if you want to have a look.

 

[Vcchinchilla]

smooshing is very dangerous, what if you dont pull one of them out fast enough, you can get a seriously hurt chin and a heavy vet bill

i know it's stressful and you might feel like crying, "why are they not getting along... especially rose, i got the baby for you"

i got da vinci for mei mei

the start i did the cage next to cage, and boy were they kacking a storm, first three nights i put da vinci back in to his bathroom for the night, just in case he was stressed having to stare at each other, i did this until they stopped kacking and sit sort of close to each other

also
you can try keeping the cages close together but i heard of chins dying of acute stress (thus i put da vinci away at night) until they stopped kacking at each other

that was 3 days so i started play dates, the first date there was so much fur flying i nearly cried i wanted to give up i gave it a 2 days tried again less fur flew...

end of the week i'm super stressed even tho the second time less fur flew, I was willing to give up maybe find another home for da vinci or split my FN cage permanently .....my family and friends encouraged to do another free run date (these date are in a bathroom with da vinci smell, he spend quarantine in there) third time i am ready to throw blankets and grab which ever i can if more fur fly , but instead it was meimei fur that flew just a little

few days later i switched cages on them after an hour they seemed interested in each other nicely so i pushed the cages together with doors open and they played nicer then the first day, a little bit of aggression here and there... but no fur flying

so i split the FN cage and put a fleece hammock over the hole the next few days they spent a few hours in the top and another few hour at the bottom

they would spend time like that until i went to bed then they were seperated again but i start to notice meimei in the upper cage pushed the fleece aside so there was a hole they always hung out there together and will always stick their nose thru the hole to see if the other one was there or confirmation maybe comfort?, da vinci was a neglected chin he didnt like me at all but he looked like he liked meimei tons ...then i knew they were ready

if theres no blood you can keep doing play dates until they are ready, it helps if you have some body there to help separated at the other end of the room even if it's a bathroom

like all others say if it's too much aggression try again in a few days

i'm cheering you on
=)

 

[sweetcheeks]

Just thought Id share my recent success story. I wont go into the full story but basically had two chins that were once bonded but lived separately for years and got used to being alone. They lived separately in their huge QC Mansion and Townhouse...separate cages to clean, separate playtimes...was really hard on me being busy in school. I always wanted to retry all the introduction methods I read about but was scared and really too busy to commit to it. But now i have more free time and plan on moving soon and this two cages thing was bugging me and I missed the times my two boys would play and cuddle together.

So Ive been having their cages side by side for years, and decided to do a mutual playtime...wasnt soo bad...some chasing and fur throwing. My asher is more timid and nervous and didnt like the idea at all. So tried it again about a week later. Same thing, and Asher took to hiding half the playtime and barking and clicking his teeth whenever Kayden came near. After about an hour...I stopped...didnt want to stress Asher out too much. So I put them in opposite cages for a few days.

After about two days I decided to try the car ride method. I was determined to give something new a shot. I did it early afternoon like 1130 when they were still sleepy. Dabbed vanilla on their noses and hineys. Put a couple of folded up towels in my little cat carrier and just left enough room for the two of them. And prayed and put them in quickly.. No fighting or aggressive behavior. I think they were just freaked out and wondering whats going on. So I quickly and nervously put them in my passenger seat of my car and went on a hour drive. To my surprise and relief no fighting or anything...they just sat right next to each other and looked around. After about 15 mins they started cuddling and sleeping next to each other and they continued till I got home. Seemed like a waste of gas but I wanted to make sure it was long enough.

I already had a brand new FN cage all ready and set up when I got home so I just put the cat carrier in the cage and opened the carrier and let them get out and explore. Everything was fine. It was as if they never fought before. They bounced around the cage together and went to sleep. Everything in the cage was neutral and new. So far its been like 3 days in the new cage together and everythings been peachie.

Sooooo you might want to give the car ride method a chance. Worked for me!

 

[valkyrian_knight]

I have this same issue. Except it's bonding 1 with a pair. I went to the rescue to bond my one with another and she bonded so well at the store. I asked the rescue people if I needed to separate them for a while but they said they would be fine. I took them home in one carrier and they were fine with the ride home.
THen when we got home, they started fighting and spraying. All seemed stressed after I separated them. The pair even seemed agitated with each other.
I eventually got two cages and put them side by side but they still stressed each other out.
My question now is what is considered no longer compatible? I read it's when blood is drawn. I've had each side end up with bloody paws. Nothing too serious. Is that where it ends?

 

[Dreamlite]

Some chins are just happier on their own. I've been on the other side where aa chin has killed another. So until they are completely compatable I wouldn't let them out of my sight! I also have another female who for some unknown reason hates any chin that isn't a white color. She will chase and bite till she draws blood. And I have tried every type of pairing her up. If your chins aren't getting along 100% play on the safe side and keep them seporate till you are there to watch.