Buying a Chinchilla..Or Two?

[Dabunster]

I am about to purchase two baby chinchillas in a month or so from a breeder. I have decided I want two males also they will hopefully be from the same mother as two mothers are pregnant at the same time. Should I definitly buy two males from the same mother? Or is it okay to buy a male from each mother? Also, I heard if i only buy one chinchilla they will bond to me more but I need to be more socialable with it. I have already set aside 1.5 to 2 hours of everyday of mine to be with them, but I am nervous because if I buy two im worried they wont love and bond to me as much, and instead of bonding and liking me they will in turn bond with eachother, not caring about me as much. Can somebody please explain and tell me about this dilema? I understand it can take years and so much patience to tame them but I really want a friend that likes me, If I buy two will they still love me? D,x I just want them to still genuinely want to spend time and run around with me, and you know enjoy it when I come up to their cage and talk to them, or run out onto my hand sometimes during play time. Do they just wave you away and not really care you are there if you have two? If so it might turn me off to buying two, even though I really would like two. Any advice about this would help I have done almost 15 hours of research on them and I think they are wonderful little creatures. I did not however find a lot of info about this particular topic.

Thanks,
Hunter

 

[Godofgods]

Some chinchillas are quite personable, some are not. I have 5, and only one of them is rly at all personable. And they all hate being picked up.

If your looking for a pet to bond with like a dog, then a chin probably aint the right pet for you.

Getting two chins that are already bonded is usually the safe way to go if you want two. If you get two separate ones then you need to deal with quarantine, getting them used to new environment, used to new ppl, and then used to each other, and hope all goes well. This process can take a few months.

That being said, two bonded chins can one day turn on each other unexpectedly. So you always need cages to be able to house them both separately if that ever happens.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

I wean all my male kits together and all my female kits together so they bond with each other. I have found that it doesn't stop the pair from bonding with you. Also yes, they 'might' turn on each other but most of the time they don't. They remain pals for their lives. As said some chin are more sociable with humans than others.

 

[Tinytoy]

I think little animals who live in groups get very lonely because they are quite social. You have set aside one to two hours a day, but there are twenty two oor twenty three that you will not be there. Small furry animals spend a lot of time grooming, licking each other, fighting a bit, snuggling and speaking their own language. In almost any animal, a single one is very lonely. Sure, you won't get 100 percent attention. My preference is that they have something to do and that will enrich their lives when you don't have time for them. I mean, you are taking on a fifteen to twenty year commitment. Chinchillas live as long as some small dogs. Will you get married, have kids, switch jobs?I don't think a person can even know where they will be in five years, let alone twenty, so promising to give them an hour a day is pointless.