New female

[JennJenn1227]

I was recently given a male and female, that have been housed together for at least three months. They were given the bare minimal care. I put them in two different cages after reading that it was a bad idea to them together. Once I separated them the female seems to be depressed and bored. She has plenty of toys to play with but she is not as active. I don’t think she is eating as much as she should. She is still pooping a fair amount. She went to the vet Monday for a checkup and was fine. She was active during play time last night and in her cage the night before. I was thinking she is depressed without her cage mate. My original chin I’ve never had to worry about he has always been an active, hungry ball of fur. It could just be me being a worry wart. I just really need advice on dealing with a female. Could she be pregnant and that be the reason for her change in appetite and behavior? I know she is still fairly young and I don’t want babies anytime soon.

 

[Pikaia]

She could very well be pregnant since she was housed with a male. You'll want to watch her closely for a while. Gestation for chinchillas is around 111 days. If she's pregnant, she could technically give birth any day now. You'll want to make sure you have a way of baby proofing the current cage she is in- if she does give birth. Information found here: http://chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=864

Cage bar space should be 1" x 1/2" or less for kits.

As far as the mom's behavior, I'm not real sure. I would think it's entirely possible for a chinchilla's attitude to change while being pregnant. What kind of food is she on? Is she getting fresh timothy hay as well as her pellets? When I got my Chichi she was pregnant and I had no idea. She didn't (under any circumstances) want to be held. She was very antsy. I never pushed it, because I figured she would come around. A month later she gave birth. She is still very timid and dislikes being held- but nothing like before she had her kits. So I don't know. Hopefully a breeder will see this and offer more advice on her diet. Good luck!! There is a very good chance you will have kits in your future!

 

[Godofgods]

Behavior can change a little when they suddenly lose there cage mate. And she could very well be pregnant. I would work on baby proofing that cage now, or getting her into a baby proof cage for the next 4 months at least.

I had no idea when my girl was pregnant, and the kit was born and slipped right through my 1 inch bars like they wernt even there. He hid under the refrigerator, all before i new he existed. Its amazing he survived. So you don't want to take chances with it.

And females can get pregnant from being with a male, having separate cages to close together, or even having play time together.