Behavior between our 2 boys that are brothers

[anxious.sunflower]

Hello, I am new to this forum and to owning chins. I have done a lot of research on them but really wanted to actually get some advice from people who also own them and who have been through all this themselves rather than just googling things. We recently adopted 2 boys they are brothers and they are 15 weeks old. They have obviously been housed together their whole lives so far since they are brothers but i know since they are still babies they are still trying to establish dominance. Most of the time they are cuddling and sleeping together or playing but they sometimes chase each other around a little and one of them will get on top of the other one to hump them, it's usually just for a few seconds and sometimes the one underneath will make a little squeaking sound and it doesn't ever last long so I am not to worried about it but I just wanted to ask if there is ever a point I should be worried or look out for. I guess just asking if there is ever a point where i should put my hands in there to separate them and what is normal behavior.

 

[Amethyst]

First I would double check that they are in fact both males, misgendering chins is VERY common especially with young chins. If you don't know how to check just ask, but basically if there is a "gap it's a chap" (boy) both male and females have a cone, if there is a gap between the cone and butt it's a male, if there is no gap it's a female.

It is also fairly normally for them to be establishing who is going to be boss, chins start going through puberty around 4-6 months +/- so they would be right around the right age. Watch out for excessive chasing, like more then a minute, as well as barking, pee spraying at each other, fur slips, and obviously any actual biting. Unfortunately it's not uncommon for a bonded pair to split for any number of reasons, and when they go through puberty is one. It's very similar to when a human is a teen they can get moody and even have a personality change and that can cause them to no longer like each other, just because they are brothers does not guarantee they will be friends for life. Chins can and often do fight to the death when they do fight, so you do want to keep a close eye to make sure it doesn't turn more serious.

A few things that can help, is one make sure you have two of every resource in the cage (food bowls, water bottles, hay feeders, etc). I know most bonded pairs often sleep and eat together but it's just one thing that can be fought over so it's best to prevent that from being a possibility. Also make sure there is at least a couple different sleeping/hiding areas in the cage, couple be tunnels, houses, hammocks, or anything like that, again even though they normally sleep together it's not uncommon for one to need some personal space sometimes. Speaking of personal space, make sure the cage is also large enough to allow them to get away from each other if they want/need to, ideally at least 8 cubic feet per chin, not all chins need personal space, but some do.