Bonding

[cooljm94]

Hello,
I am trying to bond my 3 year old female with my 2 8 month old females.
They are all about the same size.
Before combining them I had them side by side for about a week. I saw no aggression. So then I put them in a neutral location (the play pin) and they all acted fine. Then I moved to the FN where they could go to the 3 year olds level or their level.
Everything seemed fine for the first day, besides the shyest chinchilla, Lilo, attempting to avoid the oldest.

A day or two later I went to combine them again (since this was the time I could supervise them more), my oldest began to annoy my other chin Kelsie.
They began attempting to spray each other and Kelsie kept avoiding her.

Now today (about 5 days later) I combine them again. This time when I combined them, my oldest, Kanga, chased them both around. Kelsie hid from Kanga but Lilo couldn't get away. Lilo tried but Kanga would come around and the would bark at each other and fur was flying around.

No one got hurt, but I am wondering wether or not I should go back to the neutral setting? Or deep clean their cages to remove the "territory"? Any other suggestions?

 

[Cuddlebug]

Start over with the side by side cages. Before trying a neutral territory, try switching cages every couple of days, then do the neutral territory. When you get to the point of placing them all in the same cage, deep clean it first and totally rearrange it so that it is a new cage to all 3.

 

[jordan60831]

I have two males. It took a year of side by side cages and supervised play time before i purchased a new cage and moved them in together. i purchased all new items so nothing would smell like either one. now they cuddle and love eachother, but sometimes they still have spats. my thinking was better safe than sorry. i read some not so happy stories about chins injuring eachother when forced into the same habitat too soon.