Quarantine

[Marshmallowcloudbeanie]

So I own an almost 2 year old chinchilla and I just got a 4 month old chinchilla. I had them quarantined, but when I let my older chinchilla out to play she climbed up to the baby's cage. They sniffed eachother at first, but then they started lunging at eachother and nipping. I tried to pick up my older chinchilla but she tried to bite me. So I'm wondering if they will ever get along or if it's a lost cause. I just wanted them to be playmates. Also I'm wondering if my oldest chinchilla is so shy because she was rarely ever picked up by her previous owner or at the pet store. She hasn't let me pick her up since I've owned her. :cry3:

 

[Tagna]

With quarantine, you have each chin in their own room and no contact. Intros take time so I wouldn't give up based on one encounter. You have to take things slow.

Some chins don't like to be held, most really.

 

[Laurie]

The cruelest thing you can do to an animal is let it free then prevent it from smelling something it's come across. It's like standing just beyond the reach of a dog on a leash. So when you 2 chins met they saw each other but couldn't get close enough to smell each other to investigate what was going on. Just because they lunged at each other through the bars does not mean someday they might not get along.

When you intro chins the key is PATIENCE. This is something that should take a long time. Cages should placed next to each other side by side for a month or more so they get used to seeing other, then you do playtime and see how that goes, not just once but several times--finally you introduce them in the cage with constant supervision to make sure they are getting along

Like Tagna said, some chins never get used to being picked up or being held. Chins are not petting type animals like dogs, cats, and guinea pigs. Often times the joy of owning a chinchilla is in simply watching them as they are so adorable.