Talkative Chin No More.....

[msalysia]

Hello,

We have had our chin Olive sometime now and she has never really talked, unless she is bored and wants the tv on or to run around. A week ago we brought him a neutered male named Popeyes and he was talkative as ever. I looked up the sounds and they were sounds where he was just positively communicating and no warning/danger sounds. She would never talk to him. In the past three days he has not been talking at all. They get along fantastic with each other, neither if them have barked at each other, they have not fought, they have groomed each other and have taken a few snuggly naps together. Why has he stopped talking? Why won't she talk to him? I just want to make sure that there is nothing wrong with either of them. Has this happened to anyone else? If so, what did you do and what happened after a while?

Thank you for your help!!!

Alysia

 

[MyzarandGemma]

Did you quarantine Popeye before putting the two together in the same cage? I hear that's bad if there's no quarantine because the new chin could bring disease with him. Any change in behaviour could be a sign of illness, but it is hard to tell because chins are prey animals and very good at hiding their symptoms of illness. I only know what I have read though, so maybe someone with more experience will be able to point you in the right direction.

 

[ChinchillaBoston]

When a chinchilla arrives at a new place, he/she is likely going to make some loud noises to find out if there are any other chins around. That has happened to me before. Later I realized that the new chinchilla just learned to talk in a softer voice (the other chinchilla doesn't really respond though!) It's possible that they are now communicating through physical acts or at a frequency that we can't always hear. BUT like MyzarandGemma has suggested, you should always watch out for any signs of illness whenever you get a new chin.

 

[msalysia]

Yes I of course quarantined them. Also to make sure that he did not have any illness they both had a check up yesterday and the vet said that they were both very healthy. So I know its not because of an illness. Thank you for your responses.

 

[Cuddlebug]

You said you got the new chin 1 week ago. That is not a long enough quarantine. It should be 30 days in a separate cage and a separate room. Most chins don't make much noise or make very quiet sounds. I would not worry at all about the lack of sounds. It is not an indicator of illness.

 

[msalysia]

Cuddlebug,

I have researched plenty on chin introductions and have spoken to our Vet who is a chin specialist. I do not need to put them in separate rooms unless they are fighting and showing signs of aggression. In no way in my post have I indicated that they are living together. I have done introductions and have allowed them to meet each other in neutral ground under strict supervision. They do not live together in the same cage. You may choose how to introduce your chins the best way you know how and I respect that but I prefer to do it the way that my vet has recommended. Thank you though for your input.