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[OwnedbyNimbus]

Hello!!

I adopted a male chinchilla from a rescue in February. I named his Nimbus, and he's the love of my life... but we're not bonding very well. He had a rough past of being a "stud" for a breeder who then ignored his chins for some time, a few months or so, before dumping them at the rescue.
I know that it'll take more time for us to be close, especially after his previous interactions with people, but sometimes I feel like he's very lonely and stressed out. I worry about him a lot. He's 2-years-old (possibly), definitely an adult, and he was not part of a bonding pair. He only came in contact with the female chins he mated with and a plush Chinny Buddy I bought for him to keep him company. Well, instead of it keeping him company, he would beat it up and throw onto the bottom of the cage every night.
Should I adopt another chin to get Nimbus a friend, or does it sound like he'll just fight and injure a new playmate??

Also, is there any advice for how I can make his life less stressful? I've given him a sheet over his cage to help him feel secure, I don't change his toys or move his dishes/furniture around when I clean the cage/he gets to listen to a radio every night and when I'm not home during the day. ...Is there anything else I should be doing?

Thanks so much!!

 

[Riven]

Chins aren't lap pets. What is indicating that he is stressed out? Being a "stud" doesn't mean anything to me. My males weren't treated poorly, many of them were standoffish, they'd just prefer to be by themselves, they'd come to the door if I had a treat or what not but often stayed in the run. You say he only came in contact with the females he mated, but chins aren't like dogs or cats that you just put them together for one or two times they mate and you're done, you leave them together because they are selective breeders so the male is allowed access to several females at a time, either in a run or colony, it's very possible he had a favorite female he snuggled with, most males do. The great part about chins is they don't require daily handling, even chins that are handled all of the time may never become "friendly" to the point they will jump out into your arms. A lot of it is personality.

He may or may not take a cage mate, if you get another male there is a chance he may see it as another male taking over his territory.

I'm not sure if it's your impression, or what the rescue told you about breeding, but it's not a cruel life as long as they are cared for well to be a breeding chin, my breeders were healthier than a lot of pets because their health was pertinent to my breeding program. Then again my husband is always shocked when we go other places because he said I took exceptional care of my chins... who knows.