Help! Chinchilla fighting..

[UAEChin]

Hello all,

Thank you for taking the time to read this, I have 5 Chinchillas living in the same cage, first three came in Jan, and other 2 I bought a month later, they were all ok together and never had a problem, but yesterday I took one of them to the vet( one of the new ones), which was roughly an hour time and when I put him back in the cage, only one of the old chinchillas started fighting with it, pulling its hair and attacking it. the others are all fine with it, I tried removing the trouble maker but every time I put her back in she would go on a rampage attacking that one. can anyone please give me advice on what to do ?

Thanks

 

[Dreamlite]

Some chins do that. Keep them apart. I've had chins kill cagemates so be glad for the clear warning. They can get along great for a while then change their minds. Chins are very picky.

 

[lauralynne]

You definitely must now keep them apart.

Also, what sexes are your 5 chins?

 

[mknoblich1]

I've only brought my chins to the vet once for a checkup (they're both 1)) so have never experienced this. I have read though that if you can to take all your chins at the same time to the vet. This is because the chin you take to the vet may no longer smell like the chinchilla that you took out and your chins that stayed home will think its a new chin and be territorial. You could try to reintroduce them slowly to one another just like if you had a brand new chin. There is lots of good information about introducing chins on the site. Laura had a great question before when she asked what sex the chins are. They may be fighting over a male or female if you have a mix.

 

[Lynn & The Chins]

It's true about "vet cooties". Anytime I have to take one my bonded pair anywhere, they BOTH go. It's not just vet cooties, but then that way, when we get home, nobody "owns" the cage. Things are as they always were.

Good luck with your baby. Maybe give him a roll in the communal dust bath so he'll smell like the other 4.

If blood has been drawn, then you WILL have to separate. If the attacker is the odd man out, then he becomes a singleton. If the other 3 accept the one who went to the vet, he's probably OK, but keep an eye on them. You must remain forever vigilant, as any pair/group of chins can start fighting at any time.

 

[UAEChin]

Thank you all for replying back, I will keep all what you said in mind. It just absolutely mind boggling how they would just turn against each other lol.

You definitely must now keep them apart.

Also, what sexes are your 5 chins?

Is there any chance I could try reintroducing them together or manage a way to make them live in peace?

3 females 2 males.

 

[UAEChin]

It's true about "vet cooties". Anytime I have to take one my bonded pair anywhere, they BOTH go. It's not just vet cooties, but then that way, when we get home, nobody "owns" the cage. Things are as they always were.

Good luck with your baby. Maybe give him a roll in the communal dust bath so he'll smell like the other 4.

If blood has been drawn, then you WILL have to separate. If the attacker is the odd man out, then he becomes a singleton. If the other 3 accept the one who went to the vet, he's probably OK, but keep an eye on them. You must remain forever vigilant, as any pair/group of chins can start fighting at any time.

Thank you very much, that was very helpful!

 

[lauralynne]

They need to be separated into male/female cages. If it was one of the females attacking, you need to have her caged alone, the males caged by themselves, and the other 2 females by themselves.

 

[Dreamlite]

Male + female = babies. Do you plan to breed? Do the chins have pedigrees? They should be separated. Males together and females together.

 

[Cuddlebug]

Also, two males in the same cage with one or more females is asking for trouble. You males could start fighting over one or more of the girls. They can and will kill each other if you keep all 5 in the same cage. Separate them ASAP. If they are not pedigreed chinchillas from a reputable breeder, they should never be allowed to breed. No shared cages or playtimes.

 

[ticklechin]

Sounds like mayhem and death waiting to happen.

 

[Vyxxin]

Just for an idea regarding the force of a chinchilla bite...I was recently grooming an otherwise VERY placid female. She apparently did not like the comb out, and spun grabbing my index finger. Her top incisor punctured the whole way through my fingernail at the thick part near the cuticle, her bottom incisor penetrated my finger darn near to the bone...massive bleeding, tissue damage...etc.

NOW, imagine if she'd bitten another chinchilla?!? My point is, I have NO idea why on earth you'd put that group together. First, they will breed and you'll have no idea who is breeding who. Second, it's a rather large group for chinchillas to begin with. AND, as mentioned by everyone...it's just asking for trouble. The males will usually fight over the females especially when they're in heat...the females may fight with each other over territory...it's all a VERY dangerous situation that should not continue.

Three cages for now, one for the males...one for the two females still getting along...one for either the chin getting beat up or the chin doing the beating. The third female MAY at some point be able to be reintroduced to the other girls...slowly...but they may never all bond again.