Your introduction experiences....

[cbubblyblonde15]

I finally decided to get another chin. I have read lots about how to introduce chins, and there are tons of different ways it seems! So for the people that have two chins, how did you introduce them? And did your method work? I really want my chins to be friends:hug2: I'm just gonna be a little bit sad if they don't get along.

 

[Twilight Chinchillas]

I often do introductions in the morning after a wild night of chinchilla partying, when they are a bit tuckered out. I will also put a dust bath in there. This usually is successful for me. It's easier to keep an eye on everyone also. Just keep in mind that sometimes everything can go smoothly for a day or two, and then they can fight. I'm on guard status for at least a couple days, and check on them a lot to make sure everyone is still on friendly turns. Helps also to have a house or something in there for hiding out, if things take a turn for the worse. One thing I have learned with chinchillas it to always expect the unexpected, and be prepared!

 

[xcdnchinx]

I often do introductions in the morning after a wild night of chinchilla partying, when they are a bit tuckered out. I will also put a dust bath in there. !

Wow i wish i would have thought of that! haha.

It took me along time for my boys to get along. I started with the cages side by side for a few weeks. After the 2nd week i would switch cages every 3 or so days, so they get used to eachothers scents.

When it was finally time for the intro, i put them in a neutral zone (aka a room in my house) and sat in and watched them.

 

[Encantadora]

I had a female that hated everyone. I tried putting her with a sweet, older neutered male. She dis so-so on neutral territory but I had to totally wipe down her cage and remove all ledges, her wheel and toys before she'd let him come in. I guess there was nothing left to be possessive of and it looked different. A week later everything went back in and no problems.
A year later, she attacked him out of the blue and was alone again.
Not all went that way, but her intro experience was the most memorable.
I've done bathroom introductions where both chins were thrilled to play and cuddle.

 

[Mookie]

Mine took a little wule but they are best friends now <3 So first after quarentine, I let them bot out to play in my bathroom but i have a gate spliting it in half but they can sniff eachother through the gate. When they finally sniffed, misty bit cookie really hard. I separated them. I then kept their cages right next to eachother for a long time. I then began letting them play together every few days. Each day resulted in more chasing and sprayig and poor cookie always got bitten. Eventually I called my vet because he has chinchillas. Since I have the Critter nation, I split my cage in half and used mesh to cover up the hole so they could both say hi to eachother but get away if need be. After keeping them like this and having them still do the playpen, one day I noticed misty grooming cookie through a small opening. Then I opened up the cut out hole in my cage and they were grooming eachother and we friendly with a little chasing. I let them be together all day and seperated them a night for a week then stayed up most of the night and saw how they were together. They have now been together for around a year and love eachother <3 they cuddle a lot It did take a while for them to like eachother how ever because Misty had been alone for a few years.

 

[avecat6906]

I'm picking up another chinchilla Tuesday, March 22 so this is a great post for me as well. I've done a lot of research online, but nothing beats personal experiences ) Thanks everybody!

 

[cbubblyblonde15]

Has anybody tried the intro where you put them in a carrier together for a long car ride? Does this work? Also what size should the carrier be? I'm still trying to figure out what method would work the best. Lol thanks for any advice!

 

[cbubblyblonde15]

:bump1: has anyone tried the carrier method? :bump1:

 

[Jazicat]

:bump1: has anyone tried the carrier method? :bump1:

This was the method suggested to me after Edgar and Oscar failed to get along. While I didn't have the courage to try it for fear they bite each other it was given to me by someone who I really respect and trust. This leads me to believe it works. The carrier should be big enough to hold two chinchillas and not much else.

 

[Shooper]

I put my boys in an empty cage that was clean, they played in the bathroom , then they went in Charlie's cage and all was well...now they are BFF's!