Mother attacking baby

[domstott]

We adopted two chinchillas from a pet shop and were told that they were brother and sister and had never mated. Low and behold and to our suprise we found two babies about 2 months later.
We immediately had the male neutered as we didnt want lots and lots of babies and my wife would never sell them. We reintroduced the father after his operation and there were no problems.
After the babies were weened we had them sexed and found that we had a male and a female so we had the male neutered as well.
After a couple of days in a seperate cage we tried to put him back in the cage with his mother but she immediately attacked him. I have read somewhere that his smell may have changed and so the mother thinks he is an outsider and she is trying to protect the other baby.
Will he be able to be put back into the group if we take it slowly or will she no longer accept him.
We are keeping him in a cage at the side so that he is safe and hopefully they can bond again.

 

[tunes]

If it was me, I would keep the two males together in their own cage and the two females together in their own cage. You've got the two males castrated, odds are they will get along just fine together and I've yet to have a mom and daughter turn on each other. Mom is probably not happy to have a second male in the cage and is letting you know it. It is possible that his smell has changed, but it's also possible she just doesn't want him there.

 

[Riven]

Even after neutering they are able to breed, you should keep them separated for a while to recover and for any remaining sperm to die. For now I'd put them in cages right next to each other and go from there to see if she settles down, if not you may have to do as Peggy says and split them into two cages.

 

[Cuddlebug]

I would split them into two cages. If both males are in with the females, they will fight when one of the females goes into heat. Neutering will not stop that. It just changes the fact of whether or not they can impregnate a female.

 

[domstott]

Thanks, tried putting them all in a play pen with the sand bath in the middle and thought everything was good until the mother had finished and decided to go for the son so we have split the parents and the children and everyone seems to be getting along.