Getting two chinchillas

[Sonia99]

Sorry for posting again but soon I will be buying 2 chinchillas (of the same gender) from a pet store and I wasnt to know how I could introduce them to each other.

The thing is, since they will both be knew, neither of them will be comfortable with me. I would get a pair from I breeder but I can really only get them from Brooklyn or Manhattan (NY) and there are no breeders me (if someone knows one please tell me).

The chinchillas I will get will be around 3-6 months so I was wondering if I should put them in the same cage because I dont want to try to introduce them while they dont know me because if I need to break up a fight they will hate me.

So do I have to wait until they are used to me (which will take a long time) to introduce them or can I put them together? How should I do this? Thanks.

 

[Godofgods]

are they housed together at the pet store? If they are already housed together then they should eb able to stay together. If they are to separate chins, then you'll probably want to do quarantine.. Then let them adjust to the new environment, new cage, new ppl, before attempting an intro.

Remember, the two chins might not get along. Even if they do, it is possible that one day they no longer will. In either case you need to be able to house them both separately.

 

[Smidgeyy]

Whether or not they were caged together previously is important.

If they haven't been housed together, I agree with Godofgods... You want to give them time to get comfortable with everything before stressing them out any further. Some chins warm up to you rather quickly.

 

[Shenanigans]

If they're seperate, getting to know you first will also give you time to know their personalities and get a feel for their behavior so you can choose the best method to intro the two and have a better sense of how things are going than if you were unfamiliar with them.

 

[Mandy]

Are you opposed to adoption? There are rescues out that way, or others that can be transported?

Aside from that, others have already given great advice. Introductions should be taken slowly.

 

[Sonia99]

Are you opposed to adoption? There are rescues out that way, or others that can be transported?

Aside from that, others have already given great advice. Introductions should be taken slowly.

Im not opposed to adoption but I dont want chinchillas that are too old and not used to human contact at all and I cannot find any breeders any closer than like 4 hours so I have to get them from a pet store unless a breeder could come closer or somehow transfer them.

As for the rest of the comments, thank you for your advice, I will find out if they are housed together and decide from there

 

[FayeEsquire]

I'm glad I caught this thread. Right now my boyfriend and I are in a difficult situation. We're not sure if we should or shouldn't get a 2nd chinchilla and there is one in need of rescue we're thinking of adopting.

We currently have one male who just turned a year old 2 months ago. He's spent most of his life as a single chinchilla and for the most part, he seems ok with it. We're very interactive and social with him but knowing that they normally live in herds, I've been thinking about getting a 2nd one. Our current little guy doesn't seem depressed but I've noticed moments of loneliness; he'll sometimes whimper sadly and we've caught him cuddling with stuffed animals - which sparked the idea that maybe he really does want a friend.

We've been thinking about it for a few months now because as we do more research on introducing chinchillas together, we become more afraid. Our biggest concern is that the two chins just won't get along at all. We don't want to put either one at risk of danger and we'd both feel horrible beyond belief if anything happened to them. We don't want our lil' guy to get hurt and don't want to bring a new one in with risks of possibly having having them totally seperated for the rest of their lives.

So my question is this: Is it really that risky and dangerous to introduce two older chinchillas to one another?

I know it will take lot of time and dedication to ensure they slowly and safely get use to one another, but is it worth it for the benefit of our lil' dude being able to have one of his own to play with. And if it is...Is it better to get another male or female? We're not looking to breed so that alone already makes me want a male; but I wasn't sure if there was a better chance of them bonding if it was a female. Also, should we try to get one that is about the same age as our's or would it be better to get a younger one? I've also read that once they do bond, it is best to keep them together at all times. Is that true? I'm scared of them getting into a fight if we housed them together one day when we're not home. I don't want them to hurt each other...or worse...when we're not there to stop it. Would it be ok to keep them in different cages but near each other?

 

[Shooper]

As far as bonded chins and intros go, you just never know in my opinion! I had two males that loved each other and lived happily together for years and then suddenly they started fighting and I had to separate them. I now have 4 males that all live separately, none of them get along. Sometimes bonding goes great and sometimes not so much. I would just suggest that if you are going to have 2 chins (even if they live together fine), always be prepared with a way to separate if needed.

 

[mercynursie]

My first thought is to make sure that they are positively the same sex. Most pet store employees aren't knowledgeable enough on how to sex a chin!

 

[Sonia99]

My first thought is to make sure that they are positively the same sex. Most pet store employees aren't knowledgeable enough on how to sex a chin!

Yeah I got them, the pet store has a 30 day policy so one they are comfortable with me I can check

 

[Godofgods]

Yeah I got them, the pet store has a 30 day policy so one they are comfortable with me I can check

you may want to check a bit sooner then that, even if it temporarily stresses the relationship. It takes chins only moments to breed. If you wait that long aand it turns out to be a male/female combo, then there is a pretty good chance that the female will be pregnant.

 

[Godofgods]

So my question is this: Is it really that risky and dangerous to introduce two older chinchillas to one another?

It can go great, it can go bad. No way to tell ahead of time. But even if it goes great, you still always need a second cage available in case they suddenly decide to go at it one day.

I wouldn't suggest introing a male and a female. Thats how i wound up with 5 chins instead of two. (two of which are lucky to have survived)

Theres many intro methods you can read about, just do a search on these forums for intro. But if your worried about them being together when your not there for a while, at the end of an intro (if all goes well) you add a step of letting them out together to play happily, then putting them each back in there own cage. Then advance on day to maybe letting them out shortly and putting them both back together in a nuteral cage for a bit, while you stay and watch them. Then you can return them back to there own cages. - Slow methods to get them used to being together after they have been introed.

 

[david]

I had four at one time and they a handful . It can take months to get them together. One will attack the other and fast . What I always did was keep them in separate cages and keep the cages next to each other . Slowly let them out together while u are in the room with them and break up the fights fast . It will take time and patients .