How long do you wait to bond chins?

[GahhItsLee]

Ive had mine since the second and he had a cage mate... He always has so i feel bad taking that from him
He seems rather adjusted to my house and me
He will hop on me he lets me hold him he seems to be fine
So how long is the appropriate time to wait?
Do chins get lonely when there "friend" is taken away?

 

[InkedupTara]

I would give him time to adjust a bit longer and see how he does. Give him time to fully settle in but that is just my opinion on it.

 

[lauralynne]

Appropriate time to wait for what?
Sometimes they do go through an adjustment phase, but generally as long as they're getting plenty of interaction and time with you, they do fine living alone.

 

[GahhItsLee]

Appropriate time to wait for trying to bond him with another chin
And if he can live alone fine than ill wait i just feel like hes lonely... He seems bored sometimes too
Do chinchillas get lonely?

 

[ratcuddler]

Even if you get him a chin friend, you have to remember to do a 30 day QT. So he will need to interact with you for that time. Not all chins need a friend, although it is nice.

 

[GahhItsLee]

I know I have to the quarantine
Ive read up a decent bit on how to do it
I was planning on a 30 day quarantine than Play time together (not sure how many times you do this)
Than try putting them in the same cage if all goes right (cleaned of course no noone can "own" the cage) and staying up all night to monitor them

 

[Claire D]

I'm going to be blunt ........... you're not ready to take on the responsibility for another chinchilla.

Get to know this one first, keep him responsibly, learn about chinchilla health, behaviour & welfare for at least 2 years & then, maybe, consider whether another chinchilla is practical.

 

[cindyv3737]

You really don't need to get him a friend. Shell came from Petsmart too. She was in a cage with two others. I've had her since mid December and she is just fine. Instead of sitting on top of other chins she drives me crazy by pulling her pillow into her bedding, moving her toys, and hidey house. Just spend time with him and he will be fine.

 

[GahhItsLee]

Ok well I just didnt want him lonely
I dont know if they get lonely i figured they do since they are pack animals in the wild

 

[GahhItsLee]

And I dont know everything in the world about chinchillas but they doesnt mean im not responsible enough...
Ive had plenty of pets and they have all lived happy long lives
I wouldnt even think about getting another chinchilla if i couldnt handle it
I may not know everything about them but im learning everyday

 

[Jenn]

you have to remember also that if you do get your chin a friend, they may not even get along. He may have coexisted with a chin before, but a new chin may have a totally different personality and may not live well with your current chin. You could get your chin a chin buddy-a fleece chin - and see if that helps him seem less "lonely". I only have one chin, mainly because she has a history of not getting along with others, and she is happy. Give your chin as much attention as you can and I think you'll find that he can be happy without other chins around.

 

[GahhItsLee]

I know they dont always get along well together but i figured it was worth a shot if it could possibly make him happier and the fleece buddy idea was my second choice but i wasnt sure how well it worked
Thank you

 

[Jenn]

I'd love to try to get another chin for Tinkerbell to pal with, but I don't have the room for another cage or the money it takes to totally set up another cage with all the accessories. So that would be another consideration. If they didn't get along, do you have the room and finances to set up another cage? Chins are so fun and addicting, but sometimes it is better to settle for less, especially when I've heard horror stories of what one chin has done to its cagemate.

 

[GahhItsLee]

Yea i have a super pet cage right now (suitable for one chin)
And if i got another i was planning and making a huge cage myself...
Probably 3 foot by 3 foot by 6 foot...
Thats huge to me

 

[QnMidnight]

Also keep in mind that even if they do get along at first, it may not last. You'll need to always have a permanent back-up cage in case they fight later on.

I used to worry about my chin getting lonely too, but I've had him for over two years now and he seems just fine. He loves getting attention from us, and he has his fleece buddies if he needs some "companionship".

Another thing to keep in mind is that trying to bond him with another chin will affect his relationship with you. From what I've read, if it goes well, most chins are no longer quite as affectionate with their owners, they'd rather spend time with their chin buddy. Not to mention that if it doesn't go well, it may affect how much he trusts you. I tried to pair up my chin once, and they didn't get along (the other one attempted to attack my chin). My chin didn't want much to do with me for weeks after that, and made it quite clear that he didn't appreciate me allowing another chin near him!

As long as you have toys and such to keep him entertained, and continue to play with him and give him affection on a regular basis, he'll be just fine. My boy is!

 

[GahhItsLee]

Yea he isnt as affectionate as id like to not lessen his affection

 

[GahhItsLee]

Im just gonna get him a fleece buddy
Ill think ill make his new bigger cage anyway just incase i wanna get him a friend later on

 

[GahhItsLee]

Ill just tack this onto this thread...
Today after playtime he went into his cage and went right into his house and just kinda left his face in the doorway...
He looks so sad
Does this mean i should play with him longer or is this just something im misreading?

 

[cherylslittleangels]

I would think he's probably wanting you to play with him longer. My first chin was an only chin and he bonded VERY strongly with me. He'd never let me hold and cuddle him, but he used me like a jungle gym. During the day if I was watching TV, he'd hide under his blankey if I had him out and every so often he'd come out and pop his head out just to make sure I was there. I would have loved to have gotten another chin, but I knew that Abe would have been extremely jealous because I was his 'buddy' and I knew he'd probably end up fighting with whomever (unless it was a female because he kept trying to mate with me).

I would stick with the one chin. His loneliness problem is probably due to missing YOU

 

[Sierra]

I got my 2 year old chin a friend because I bought a FN cage and I thought maybe they would get along. I have not even tried introducing them together because I can only do it on the weekends when I am home from class so I am going to try after May when I am done with college for the summer. When I brought Sedona home, Phoenix was so mad at me and she just sprayed me whenever she got the chance and bit me hard enough to draw blood. She was so upset I thought about getting rid of her but now she is better and occasionally she will get an attitude with me because I didn't give her long enough playtime or just because she is ornery and wants me to know that she is ornery (kinda like Hayley throwing a fit when she doesn't get what she wants).

Phoenix gets playtime for at least an hour every night and Sedona gets a playtime just under an hour because Phoenix feels better when she is out longer than Sedona and usually gets a fresh chew stick while Sedona is out and Sedona doesn't get one. If I have a huge test to study for I will get them out for a short time that night but I promise them that they will get a longer than normal playtime the next night and that's usually how it goes.

I think you are developing a strong bond with your male chin and I think he might like it just to be you and him. Phoenix is still "mommy's favorite" because she was here before Sedona and I let her know that with the longer playtimes and special treats.