Is this too aggressive? Video to review

[suzi1780]

So I am working on intros between Maddie, Mitzie and Lizzie. I had first started over a month ago but stopped after I felt like it wasn't going well. I started working on them again yesturday. I retrimmed Maddie and Mitzie's whiskers. I also replaced all the shelves in Maddie and Mitzie's cage and changed the location of the food bowl and wheel to try and make it a more neutral space. I have been trying the cage in a cage method. When Lizzie is in the small cage, both Maddie and Mitzie harrass her and it seems to me to be rather aggressive. I am wondering if this behavior is normal when trying intros, or should I just give up on the whole thing. When I paired Maddie and Mitzie together I saw no aggressive behaviors so this is new to me. I have also thought about trying the whole put them all into a carrier and drive them around in the car idea, but have not tried it yet. Should I? My only desire to have them all together is so Lizzie doesn't have to live alone, but if she has to then that is fine. Oh and I have been blocking Lizzie off with a wood house so they can't get to her as much, but I moved the house to shoot this video.

 

[GahhItsLee]

The video wont play for me.
Not sure if its just my connection being bad or what

 

[Peep_erz]

That didn't seem very aggressive to me at all. I think you are doing a good job with intro's and just keep doing what your doing. The chin in the smaller cage seems annoyed but that is normal for intro's. Good luck!

 

[RDZCRanch]

It doesn't look too aggressive to me...then again they can't get at each other. Just keep switching them around to get them introduced. That didn't look bad at all though...no bar shaking or spraying. Good luck!

 

[suzi1780]

thanks everyone, I am glad to know everyone feels like it's not aggressive

Now as for spaying, there has been PLENTY of that, and I tend to be in the line of fire when that happens, I have gotten it in the face more than once :wacko: the spaying tends to be Maddie and Mitzie when I first let them out of the cages and put Lizzie in. Maddie and Mitzie fuss at each other and spay each other then after a few mins they are fine with each other and move on to harrass Lizzie. Lizzie has also spayed them when she is inside of the cage.

 

[AmandaDi]

I think it looks typical too. I agree with RDZRanch, make sure you switch them up some as well so one doesnt feel too dominant.

 

[Olallie]

I agree, there was no biting on the bars or shaking. No spraying. They just seem curious.

 

[suzi1780]

Thanks again everyone, I guess I am being a protective Mommy When I got home from work today I put Lizzie in the show cage and Maddie and Mitzie running around, Maddie and Mitzie again fussed at each other and sprayed each other (woohoo I didn't get hit this time) and then harassed Lizzie for a few mins but now everyone is passed out and not making a peep so I will take that as a good sign. I will let Lizzie out in a few hours and see how they do and then maybe keep Maddie and Mitzie in over night. I worry about having Lizzie in while I am sleeping or away from home, just because I am a worry wart. I have been keeping Maddie and Mitzie in Lizzie's cage (the top part of the FN143) when I have been away from home or sleeping and Lizzie is staying in Maddie and Mitzie's part, my thinking is that way Maddie and Mitzie won't feel territorial over that part of the cage.

 

[Ippo456]

Thanks for posting the video. I've been meaning to reintroduce my chinchillas (tried introducing them once almost 2 years ago to no success) & want to try the cage-in-a-cage method. I have a question: the small carrier cage where the white chinchilla is in, are the bar spacings small enough so the grey chinchilla can't get/bite the white chinchilla? The reason why I'm asking is because I want to buy one too & I don't want any missing digits in the introduction process.

 

[Hope]

My pair were doing this and I felt it was too aggressive for me. I also noticed a small wound on his nose after these types of interactions through the cage bars. I read about a million blogs and in the end trimmed whiskers to no more than a half an inch (leaving a night light on so that they can get around OK in the dark) and used vanilla on the noses (I know not everyone is a fan of this but it completely worked for me)! It was night and day and they were sleeping peacefully together within a few hours. Literally a miracle!

 

[Hope]

Also....I tried rubbing the urine scent from the passive chin on the fur of the aggressor. This also had a huge impact too and in my case the female stopped attacking, lay at his feet and the male got so excited that he immediately did a mating dance. Funny aren't they?

 

[suzi1780]

Thanks for posting the video. I've been meaning to reintroduce my chinchillas (tried introducing them once almost 2 years ago to no success) & want to try the cage-in-a-cage method. I have a question: the small carrier cage where the white chinchilla is in, are the bar spacings small enough so the grey chinchilla can't get/bite the white chinchilla? The reason why I'm asking is because I want to buy one too & I don't want any missing digits in the introduction process.

The spacing is small enough so a chin can't get in and bite, however toes could get bit if the other chin has them resting on the bars, but that would be the same with any cage. It is a show cage from Ryerson's http://www.ryersonchinchilla.com/

 

[CommonYak]

This doesn't look too aggressive to me. They definitely look more curious than anything else.

I think if they were being "too aggressive," I think their interactions would be much more abrupt, sort of like they were trying to attack each other through the bars. One or both would end with one or the other running away from the other. I don't see that.