Mixing up Chins?

[Vera]

This may be a silly question, but for those of you who have two chinchillas of the same color... do you ever get them mixed up??

 

[Brittney]

Every now and then since I got Ande I get my boys mixed up. I can't tell them apart from afar, but once I'm up close Bryson runs over and wants some love. Their ears are different also, as well as their colors, kinda.

 

[addictedtochins]

Sometimes I have to look for 1-2 seconds to be sure who I'm looking at, usually if it's dark, but their body shapes and sizes, their actions and the way move is 100% individual.

 

[burritothechinchilla]

When I get another chin so I don't get them mixed up!

 

[arf2184]

I currently have 10 standard grays and I have no trouble telling them apart. They all look different and have very different personalities.

For those that have trouble though (like if you get two chins and haven't had time to get to know them yet) you can always mark the ear of one with a permanent marker. It'll fade eventually, but by then you'll know them well enough to tell them apart.

 

[Vera]

good idea marking their ear. I was thinking about getting another chinchilla, and wanted to adopt one from someone who doesn't want theirs. There aren't many chinchilla owners in Utah though and from what I've seen most that are looking to be rehomed are standard greys like my own. I just wanted to be sure I wouldn't mix them up all the time.

 

[saphire]

I don't understand why the greys are so often the ones up for adoption. I find them to be every nice color and the different shadings they can have. Anyway thats me.;(

 

[Laurie]

I have 4 beige chins and all of them look different! Abby has huge ears with lots of freckles on them as well as her nose. Leonard is easy to tell apart because he lives by his lonesome, but still I'd know his super cute face anywhere. Bobo and GiGi share a cage, mother and daughter. GiGi has a real "rattie" face just like her daddy had. Sometimes when I'm far away I get them mixed up, but upon closer inspection you can always tell who's who!

 

[3CsMommy]

There are different body types of chinchillas as well, so I end up telling mine apart because one is more "Brevi" looking-- round, chunky, lower set ears-- and the other is longer and "rattier" in the face like a Lanigera. I've only mixed them up to the tune of problems once, when I tried to let a friend of ours hold the calm one, Cervantes (the Lanigera), and picked up Crash, the Brevi, by mistake. It turned out to be a good thing, though, because now I'm really the only person Crash doesn't like holding him... but I'm the only person he grooms too, so it's kind of a trade off.

 

[chinsNdobermans]

I can always tell all of my same-color chins apart. My husband still has trouble sometimes but they all have some identifying characteristic that makes it easy for me.

 

[Vera]

I don't understand why the greys are so often the ones up for adoption. I find them to be every nice color and the different shadings they can have. Anyway thats me.;(

I love greys too. In my opinion they are even prettier than some of the mutations. I think people give them up more often because they are more common, cheaper, and standard. So when un-knowledgeable chin owners find out about mutations they trade in their pet for something a little more "luxury".

also, Greys are what you see in the pet store so people who buy them on a whim and just cant take care of them.

 

[crazycritters]

I can pretty much tell our guys apart . now my husband is another story, my 6 yr old does a better job at it then him.haha but I have had a couple of females that I got at the same time that were caged together .(there was two of them) so I took one and just blunt off the end of the hair on the tip of her tail .then mark it on her cage card that that is the one with the cut tail. just a suggestion it will grow back and by then you will be able to tell them apart by there personality and looks.the more you get to know them the easier you can pick them out of a crowd.

 

[Siylvat]

We have two standards. I don't have much trouble telling them apart, but sometimes my fiance gets it wrong when I bring one out for play time. They aren't hard at all when they are near eachother-one is huge and fat, the other small and kinda round. lol.

 

[sheri7]

Don't worry your not alone. Sometimes I mix mine up especially when they are sleeping or in certain positions, but even though they are mother and daughter they have distinct differences. One has a curly pig tail and larger eyes.

Sometimes I have a hard time with pictures though. They are really hard to tell apart in pics.

 

[starleomach]

I can tell mine apart, a few I have to look at for a minute but if someone where to let all 70 out at once I would know where to put them back

 

[Cuddlebug]

I have no problem telling my 2 standards apart. They are just so different from each other. Bambi has a rattier face, larger ears and a much large build than Pebbles. Also, Bambi is darker.

I had two beige kits in one letter and two tan kits in another. All were males, but it was still pretty easy to tell them apart. I did mark ears for the first couple of weeks, but after that there was no real problem knowing who was who.

 

[chincinnati]

I also love standards. I think a well bred standard is beautiful and has the most luxurious fur, especially dark standards. Most of my chins are standards and I too can tell them all apart by looks and if I get confused then personality always answers my question. I have 2 standard girls that are almost identical, but one barks and snarls when I pick her up. Love her anyway.

 

[macygray]

I think Standards are lovely too....All chinchillas are and I do have my favourites!

 

[Vera]

looks like I don't have to worry about mixing up chins for a few more years. Since mom said she already has two many animals in her house. (1 blind dog and 2 cats) lol, personally I don't think having one more chin in the same cage in my bedroom will make a big difference. Oh well, Moms the boss. Its so sad though when he makes that lonely cooing sound. poor baby. I guess I'll start hunting for a TV.