I'm new to Chinchillas

[Yoyis37]

I'm new at this so please be patient with me

I have 2 chinchillas (they are actually my daughter but she left for college)
First she told me they are booth females but it turns out one is a gray male and the white is a female so they are in two different cages because I do not want babies. Can I let them out together to play? I will be watching of course but I do not know if is a good idea....

Also the female one spray pee on me for the first time yesterday she never done that before I was trying to get her back in her cage is there anything to avoid being spayed?


Also I have a very large cage with 3 leves and a small one 1 level I alternate the chinchillas one day at the time but they both seem to hate the little one any advice where to purchase a large cage?

 

[Stackie]

Nope, absolutely no playtime between a male and a female if you don't want a pregnancy. It literally only takes seconds for the male to impregnate the female.

Female spray pee when they are scared, agitated, or just in a bad mood. Try to avoid grabbing her unexpectedly. A good way to get them back into their cage is to lure them into their dust bath. Once they get in the bath, pick it up and place it inside the cage.

Many pet owners, including myself, love Ferret Nation cages. They are large, very well made, and you can do a lot with them. They are on sale with free shipping at www.ferret.com. If you get the 142 (a two level), you can either separate it into two cages or leave it as one large cage.

Another good cage is a Quality Cage Chinchilla Mansion, found at www.qualitycage.com

 

[tunes]

No, definitely do not let them out to play together. It takes just a few seconds for him to impregnate her and it's just not worth the risk.

Your female may be spraying because she's new to your household. Have you had her for long? Sometimes after you give them a little time to settle in, that will stop. If not, there are a couple things you can try, like when she rears up, toss a handful of shavings at her belly. It can distract them so they forget to spray. I've also used a small pump type water bottle to spray back. Once or twice with the water bottle, and they seem to get the hint. You don't want to soak them or make them dripping wet, just a mist to return the favor.

There are a lot of places where you can get cages. A huge favorite with pet owners here is the Ferret Nation 142. Do a google search for that and see if that is something you might be interested in.

Welcome to CnH.

 

[lauralynne]

Seems your questions have been answered, so I'll just add a WELCOME!

 

[3CsMommy]

Welcome aboard! If the two chins were in their cage together for any amount of time, you've got a little less than 3 months from today to be concerned about a litter. If that happens, it might be best for all of them if you keep a male kit to move in with Dad and a female kit to move in with Mom so everyone can have company and the kits have a good home. Another option is to find a good, experienced Chin vet and have Dad given a vasectomy so he can eventually live with Mom again.

You've gotten the cage recommendations you've asked for, though I'll say that as an owner of a Quality Cage (have the condo currently and used to have a mansion), you're probably better off going with the Ferret Nation. It's easier to clean, easier to move around, quieter once you put in a wheel and hanging toys, and gives you a huge amount of space for the money. You've come to the right place to figure out how best to care for your little fur balls. Have fun!