Intro: when to take away the barrier

[Chinnyluver]

Introduction in progress and it seems to be going very well. I read a lot of threads before starting and someone posted suggesting a version of the cage within a cage method in which you split an FN in half with chicken wire and allow each chin half. I can't find that post again to read about how long she waited/ what the signs were to suggest it is okay to remove the barrier. It is two small for them to bight each other through the bars, and I lined the outside with fleece because I was worried we missed some points from cutting. They have been together for several hours and at this point seem to be ignoring one another. Lilly sprayed once and there was some cackling and standing on hind legs on both sides but no fur sleep. both chins have eaten so I'm hoping that means they are feeling more comfortable. They seem to be getting used to each others' presence but I've read to many horror stories not to be paranoid.

 

[halfstache]

That is the method that I have used, and you'll want to wait quite a while. The method I do utilizes two hidey houses and a wire barrier inside a ferret nation. The hidey houses each have two circular holes in them, so what I do is start off by positioning the hidey houses right next to each other along the wire. I do this starting off with the houses set so that the holes do not line up in the middle. This way when the chinchillas need a break they can hide in their individual house and be unhindered. Once things seem to settle down some (the point that it sounds like you are starting to get to, although I'd wait another day to move on to step two) anyhow, once things settle down I turn the houses so that the holes are facing one another. This makes it sort of like one big hidey house with a strip of hardware cloth separating the two halves. Now when the chins enter the houses at the same time, they are sleeping right next to one another and pick up more of each other scent. I'd wait a couple days after having turned the houses and then try removing the hardware cloth divider. Sometime you still get trouble, depending on the individual chins, but usually it works really well. I'd watch them for quite a while after removing the barrier, because sometimes they don't realize that they are together as they are exploring the suddenly bigger cage, but once they do make that realization, then things may get ugly. Hopefully all goes as planned and they bond right away nicely. But always be prepared to have to separate them.

 

[Chinnyluver]

Okay thank you! Their hidey houses don't have the two holes but Cindy's is one of the natural superpet log bridges (not sure what to call it) so I could get Lilly one of those and make them face the wire when the time comes. I'm prepared for them not to bond but I'm very hopeful they will.