Squish Bonding. Best Method Or Cruel?

[Zahrii]

As a disclaimer, I'm not trying to start any arguments, I'd just like to hear some opinions. On a chinchilla subreddit, a pretty heated argument went down about the squish method for bonding. As an example of how.. interesting it got, the person who supported squishing got around 6 upvotes, while the person who didn't got -4. I was included in that argument and my opinions were not taken very well.. I personally am against the squish method, as I find it cruel to make two chins bond with each other over a traumatic experience. One of the arguments that the pro-squish method folks use is that the slower methods is apparently more stressful and dangerous than the squish method, and it has a much higher failure rate. The other argument is that a lot, and I mean a LOT of people claim that their best-known breeders say that the squish method is best. I've also seen personally that the majority of breeders/people connected to breeders are pro-squish, and the majority of pet owners are anti-squish, so that's interesting. Pro-squish and anti-squish people, why do you support it or why are you against it? I'm curious to know your thoughts. The more diversity and people to comment here, the better.

Another disclaimer, I'm not trying to attack people who support the squish method. We all have our own opinions, and that's okay.

 

[Amethyst]

Personally I am against it, it just seems cruel to me. I do see the argument of the slow intro being potentially dangerous too though. More room to move so more ability to attack. However both you need to do properly for them to be safe and work. With the squish method you have to make sure the chins can't move enough to attack each other or you could end up with a blood bath. The benefit is it tends to work, like two people bonding over surviving something scary/traumatizing. You know within a day (or ride home) if the chins will bond or not, rather then waiting weeks or months and having room for extra cages and playtime (which breeders don't have time to do). Honestly there is a lot that breeders do that pet owners don't agree with/do differently, like small cages, cheaper feed (especially if a large scale breeder), no playtime, etc. It doesn't always make what they do wrong, just they look at the chins, or at least the breeding stock, differently then pet owners do.

The slower intro methods like slowly moving cages closer can't be rushed (and humans get impatient). When you do allow them out together it has to be in neutral territory or at least clean the whole room and put out new toys. Otherwise the current chin you have will have already claimed the area and see the new chin as an intruder. Once again people either don't do that or don't have a spare room/area to be able to. The slow method seems more natural to me, chins meet at their own pace like they would in the wild, not shoved together. The slower method also is more how we bond with the chins, so it makes sense to me to allow them to bond with each other the same way, building a friendship over time.

 

[naomi_brightt]

I can see both sides, in my mind it seemed cruel and I wondered how anyone could do it... However, when I went to get my second boy, the breeder explained that they can just ignore each other if they're in separate cage and then will just fight when put together. I was very worried, but trusted her, when she put my boys together but they were not at all phased! They haven't had any issues and love to be smooshed up now. But, I don't think it would work with every pair of chins, you need to know their temperaments if that makes sense.

I don't understand why people have to put others down just because their opinions don't match though, ridiculous!!!

 

[Pepperpot]

I've used this method of bonding chins many times, and it's only failed on two occasions, but several weeks after the paired chins were caged together. The safest way is to be in constant attendance of the two chins while in a confined space and to remain vigilant for the first indications of any aggression.

 

[Little Adventures]

if I may ask with is that squish method?

 

[Zahrii]

if I may ask with is that squish method?

The squish method is putting two chins together in a travel cage small enough so they can't move to fight each other, and then going on a car ride for a period of time. I forgot how long, as I haven't looked it up in a while. The idea is that instead of fighting each other, they will bond over the stress that they may experience while being squished.

 

[Little Adventures]

The squish method is putting two chins together in a travel cage small enough so they can't move to fight each other, and then going on a car ride for a period of time. I forgot how long, as I haven't looked it up in a while. The idea is that instead of fighting each other, they will bond over the stress that they may experience while being squished.

I’m not trying to hate or anything just to give me opinion why would people do that it’s like forcing like someone to like you that’s not right just my opinion

 

[Spoof]

I've never had success with the squish method. I just allow them to live next to each other or above for males in runs and after a few weeks let them in together. If I am really in a hurry I will set a small wire carrier inside the cage and swap the chins every 12 hours for how ever many days it takes them to quit spatting. If it is animals I've shown and want to pair I make sure to set them next to each other in the car on the drive home and they are usually pretty good buddies by the time I get back. These are 15 hour minimum drives though.

The squish method is just being in a small carrier together - they can and do still fight and draw blood.

The reason you don't see many breeders not supporting the squish method is because those of us who don't use it don't tend to be as vocal. At the last show I was at only one out of the 9 there would have done it. The rest of us just use runs. 5 out of the 9 don't work with pet people at all. (You would be correct if you guessed that at least four of those five don't use the internet. )

 

[tunes]

A lot of people use it. I used to. I don't really need to anymore. I just cut whiskers, clean cage, throw in a dust bath, and watch.

 

[DawnStar]

A lot of people use it. I used to. I don't really need to anymore. I just cut whiskers, clean cage, throw in a dust bath, and watch.

Why do you cut whiskers? Just curious.

 

[tunes]

If a chin is displaying dominance toward another chin, cutting their whiskers stops it most times. It doesn't hurt them and they will grow back, but by the time they do, generally the dominance issue has been settled.

 

[DawnStar]

If a chin is displaying dominance toward another chin, cutting their whiskers stops it most times. It doesn't hurt them and they will grow back, but by the time they do, generally the dominance issue has been settled.

thanks! how far.. just like a snip or give them little half inch shadow? Gaining alll zeee knowledge!

 

[Amethyst]

thanks! how far.. just like a snip or give them little half inch shadow? Gaining alll zeee knowledge!

You just need to cut them shorter then the other chin's whiskers, like only cut a half inch to an inch off. Chins do need their whiskers to navigate, like a cat, so whisker trimming is another debated topic in other groups too. I don't think it harms them, it's not uncommon for them to do it to each other, like a mother chewing the whiskers off a young kit that is getting a little too full of themselves and challenging her.