Chinchilla Introductions

[kvatore]

I have two wonderful chinchillas that do not get along. I have had them in separate cages side by side for several weeks now. Tonight I took them out into an enclosed but open space. Enough room for them to roam, but not so much that I couldn't intervene if they fought. At first they just ran around and occasionally one would come up behind the other and sniff and then the other chin would jump and run away. This lasted all of two minutes before one pulled out some fur. I separated them after that because they started chasing each other. What I'm wondering is when it's considered violent behavior. When do I need to split them up? Is fur pulling just a part of the learning process for them? I know I need to be patient and that this is a slow process. I'm just curious as to when the limit is reached for them. Any help is appreciated!

 

[Rara814]

Well chin intro can be tricky because all chins react different. And some times they just cannot be paired I have one like that, and another who will not get along with any of them but his cage mate. Fur pulling is a sign of aggression, however it is something they may do only at first. I would keep them separate a while longer and only give supervised play time. One thing you may want to try is during playtime, offer a treat and get both of them to come to you, it gets them close to eachother but focusing on something else. When you do put them together in the same cage, if you are going to, give them both a bust bath in the same bath so they have the same sent, also wash or replace as much as you can in one so it becomes neutral territory. I hope this helps.

 

[BumbleBeest]

I am getting a second chin soon and will be trying out the dust bath trick!