Prospective owner question

[wife2tex]

Hi! My family is considering adopting two chinchillas. I was told by the current owner that they are a male and female age 4 and 3 respectively and they are bonded, but have never mated. Is it safe to assume at their ages and because they never have before that they can safely life together and I won't be dealing with babies?

Thanks!

 

[lauralynne]

No. That is never a safe assumption.

 

[Jenn]

You can't have them caged together or have playtime together. If you want to keep them together, without the possibility of breeding, you would need to get the male fixed. Unless, of course, the reason they haven't mated is because the current owner is mistaken about their sexes and they are the same sex?

 

[wife2tex]

Yeah, I was thinking maybe the current owner is mistaken about the genders because it seemed odd that she would have a male and female house together without them trying to mate, but I've never had chinchillas, so I wasn't positive. I'm going to go see them tomorrow and see if I can get more info because I don't want any breeding going on!

Thanks so much!

 

[Dreamlite]

Male + female = babies, its just a matter of when. If you don't wanna worry about babies then one of them needs fixed or they need seporate cages.

 

[greychins]

^ that's the truth. Got in some chins awhile back at the rescue. They were around 8 years old I believe? I was told they'd had babies once when they were around 1 yr, but never since. I separated them when they came in of course... low and behold.... the female had a kit about a month later! Just cause they haven't in awhile doesn't mean they won't... I'd separate. I don't care what people say when we get in a male/female pair at the rescue, those chins are not staying together.