Will adding a second chin, minimize the human relation?

[Marcham93]

Hi everyone!

My little buddy Gizmo is nice and happy, as I always keep him entertained and busy, but I have been thinking of getting him a little friend.

I'm aware of how to slowly introduce two chinchillas to each other and the cage requirements needed.

My question is about the behavior of Gizmo. Will introducing a second chin create a strong bond between the two and thus weaken his relationship with me? I'm very aware of this happening with birds, but I'm not sure if small mammals (specifically chins) have this issue.

Any comments are helpful. Thanks!

 

[cindyv3737]

There is a chance that it could happen. He may not like having a cage mate. I have one girl who lives alone in her cage. She is very happy being alone in her cage. We have a wonderful bond, I am wrapped around her little paws. My other two girls, are devoted to each other. One of them likes me and we have a slight bond. Her cage mate, is not my biggest fan. She's content with her cage mate and I'm ok with that.

 

[jbcstratton]

This totally depends on the chins, but I find if you have an outgoing chin and a shy one that it can help a shy chin gain some trust. Sometimes one can almost be protective of another thou.

 

[Dreamlite]

Its more about the personality than the fact that you got a cage mate. Some chins are just much more friendly than others.

 

[Pikaia]

I would say it's more about the chin's individual personality too. In my own experience, I have noticed that the two girls (mother and daughter) are definitely more bonded to each other. I handled Tribble and Tia about the same when they were young, but Tia never bonded to me the way Tribble did. Tia kinda took after her mom in being very skittish and not wanting to be handled. Tribble has always been on his own and is VERY friendly. It all just depends.

 

[Godofgods]

Very chin dependent as stated. For my personally, i have two males in a cage. The father chin is the most personable chin of all of mine. His son is not the biggest human interaction fan. But both are still devoted to each other as well.

Mean while my three girls (mom and two daughters) are a bit different. Not only can there human interaction desire depend on how long they have been up, but there mood at any given time. Some times they avoid it like the plague, other times they are almost begging for it. - That being said, they are also highly jealous of each other. If one wants nothing to do with me at the current time, but the other comes up for a pet/scratch, the first will see it and run over to try and get in on the action. (Yea there family alright.)

The intricacies between chins and other chins and chins and ppl are complex. There is no real way to say how one chin will react.

 

[Marcham93]

Thanks everyone - I will have to make a decision!

I'm also thinking about separating the two chins and just letting them interact when they are out for play time. I have a Critter Nation 182, so I might just grab the 183 add-on and keep the cages separate.

 

[akane]

My pair of brothers have become extremely friendly with a little bribery over the past month. My lone female couldn't care less about us and won't take treats.