Asking for advice - getting a second chin

[orenlibane]

Hello all,

we are new here.
we bought an amazingly cute chin 2 months ago (codename: Fushi).
he is 5 Months old and already entering pubrtiy (humping my gf hand all of a sudden).

we were thinking of getting another chin for him but we just not sure if to get a male or female and if we do, how old?
we dont have room for 2 cages so i heard we can take a small cage (like rabbit) and put 1 of them in the small cage and the small cage inside the big one, just so they will start and know each other.

i would really like your opinions, he just seem lonly and i feel a cuddle buddy will not be like the real thing.

http://s24.postimg.org/e60ox34g1/10..._1906096042315945049_n.jpg?noCache=1398622250


Thanks in advance,
oren and chen!

 

[Amethyst]

Right off the bat if you don't have room for 2 cages then you don't have room for 2 chins. The cage inside a cage method is after a 30 day quarantine period, during which the new chin is houses in a separate cage preferably in a separate room. It's also generally done after the chins have lived near each other or had playtime together to judge compatibility, toes, tails and noses can end up getting bit or bit off with the cage inside a cage method. Also there is no guarantee the two will get along, or stay getting along days/weeks/months/ or even years down the road in which case you will need 2 cages forever. If you do end up finding you do have enough room for 2 cages later on, like if you move or somehow make room, another male would be better unless you plan to breed (in which case you will need probably at least 3 cages), if you put a male and female together then will breed.

 

[ServantofBlueberry]

Why does he seem lonely? Does he get enough interaction for you guys? Does he have enough toys to destroy in his cage? I second whats stated above, if you dont have room for two cages, then you shouldn't get two chins. There is no guarantee they will get along, and then what happens? The other chin gets put up for adoption? I just got my second after having my other chin for a year, and I can tell you, its no walk in the park. I have the new girl in a separate room, which means I spend multiple hours between cages so every one can have play time, I have two more weeks to go before I can bring the other cage into the room my original chin is in, and then its still separate playtimes for who knows how long, until I feel they are comfortable enough to be introduced, and then you cant just throw them in a cage together. After ALL of that, there is still a chance they would want nothing to do with each other. Then its separate playtimes, cages, cage cleanings, water bottle changes, loads of fleece to wash etc. for the rest of their lives, which should be the next 15 plus years.
Im not trying to discourage you, I just want you to have a realistic view of what its really like.

 

[tunes]

Chins do just fine on their own. I doubt he's lonely, probably just being a chin. If he's eating, drinking, peeing, pooping, and playing, then he's fine.

On getting a second chin and considering a female - if you get a female, you will have offspring. They aren't going to act like brother and sister. You will need a new baby safe cage and weaning cages. You will also need to be prepared to keep all of the offspring because you may not be able to rehome them. In addition to that, you need to consider where your chins came from and if they are of breeding quality. Do you know where they come from? Do you have an excellent chinchilla vet in case of an emergency C-section at 2 a.m.? Are you prepared to hand feed kits every 2 hours, 24/7, for several weeks if mom can't or won't care for them?

Now, if you are thinking about a same sex companion, you can always give it a try, but as mentioned above you would need to observe a quarantine period in another room (in the same room is completely pointless) and then you would always need another cage in case they turn on each other and fight. You need to understand that even though they may get along for six months or even six years, at ANY time they can turn on each other and then you will need that second cage immediately. If you don't have room for a second cage, don't get a second chin.

 

[fuji9991]

I have had a single chin for 12-13 years now and its been fine. If you do get a second chin I reccomend a same sex and be aware you can't always trust someone to tell you what correct sex a chin is. If you get a male and a female kits are a certainty. If your familiarity with the animal is novice I don't reccomend breeding.

What I learn from owners of other chins is that most chins want their own space and time anyway, so owning 2 chins is like owning 2 single chins with seperate cages and sometimes seperate rooms. Having a bonding pair is not always common and that bond can break unexpectidly at any time.