COMMENTS
I really like this cage pictured here.
Could you provide details on its construction?
are u selling baby chinchillas.?
I am not selling them at this time. I keep getting cute little baby girls! Next boy we get, we part with. We have some pretty cool color combinations going and a great herd. I spent a lot of time choosing chins that were friendly, healthy and close to breed standard.
Are those all your chins in the same cage?
At first, I thought that the picture had been edited, add a chin here, add a chin there (since they all look the same .. same fur, same ears), voila looks like a cage full of chins.
*sigh* I still can't get Tubby & Winnie to be together after 4 months now.
Ok to come clean on this...these are not my chins. This is a pic that someone sent in to Chincilla Place that I thought was super cool. But I have worked really hard and done a pretty good job of pairing up my 8 chins.
So what's up with Tubby and Winnie? Are they the only 2 chins in the house? Are they both male? Have you tried the whole play time and cage by cage tips?
If after 4 months you have tried all of the tips above and not seen ANY progress...I hate to say it but perhaps they just have a personality clash...sometime people just don't get along and chins can kinda be the same way. I had one male that was SUCH a sweetheart...but none of my other chins could stand him so he had to go to a new home. Let us know how things are going and we will do our best to help!
i just got a new chinchilla about 6 months younger than the one i have and they started fighting so i got a completely new cage and they are still fighting wat should i do?
i got 4 pairs of breeding chinchillas and was thinking of having all the girls in a cage with one male and then the rest of the males in the other.
is this possible? if they have kits would they fight when they do?
and would males that have been with females get on with each other?
Hi Jake. I have mine paired off into male female couples. I had a very bad experience keeping male chinchillas in one cage and female chinchillas in a cage near by. The males were all buddy buddy one minute and as soon as one of the females went into heat they started fighting. There are pheromones that make the male chinchillas aggressive towards one another when the female is in heat. If you reduce site, smell and sound of the two groups, ie having one in one room one in another or some kind of barrier between the two it would help to reduce this problem. Also I recomend having a small cage for the kits and the mother. I always seperate the mother and kits asap. For a few reasons.
1. Breed backing can happen if you do not remove the female after she gives birth. She is extremely fertile after giving birth and it is hard on her body and health to be nursing and pregnant.
2. Not all male chins make great dads. Sometimes they become territorial even towards their little ones.
I would also advise checking out http://www.chins-n-quills.com/ they have good information regarding breeding and a lot of knowledgeable people. However be prepared, some people are a little touchy about breeding!
I have two 5 yr old male chinchillas who are pretty mellow and have never threatened or harmed any other animal that they've seen (rats, mice, hamsters) I just found two 1 month old male chinchillas that I would like to introduce to my older chinchillas and have them live together in a very large cage eventually. I went to the pet store and asked them if we could return them in 2 weeks if the introduction really didn't work out. However, they said no because they had a past bad experience with the introduction of other males to their chinchillas, and said that we should only keep them in separate cages. I've heard that it really is possible to have successful introductions, but what is the percentage of successful introductions, and what course of action should I take.
I would disagree on having to keep them in separate cages permanently, but it will be a good idea in the beginning. Starting with 2 cages side by side to allow your mellow 5 year old to get used to the new chins will help prevent any fighting and territorial behavior. I usually keep my 2 cages side by side so that the chins can sniff one another and become used to seeing each other. The key is to introduce them slowly. Above I recommend dust baths and play time as a good place to start. Even if they seem to get along great during playtime, super! If you notice some chasing that is normal, but if you begin to see fur flying, hear teeth chattering and see biting, separate them immediately. This doesn’t mean you should give up on getting the chins to get along, try again in a day or so. Even if they do get along during the first play time, I would encourage you to put back in their own cages afterwards. Introducing them slowly will prevent hair loss due to stress, biting, fighting and all the other things that can happen if you introduce them to quickly. As days go on allow thrm to spend more time together visiting in the cages while you supervise. Eventually your chins should get along as long as they both have adequate room in the cage. Chins are very social and love company!Thank you for stopping by Chinchilla Place and Good luck!Let us know how it goes or if you have any other questions!
I just adopted a male chin to accompany my existing male chin. Me existing chin has been alone for a year and a half now. Upon adoption, I took my existing chin to meet the new chin so we could test their compatibility. They got along great when being held, fine in a cage, and fine in an even smaller cage (not quite "smooshed"). I brought them home in a carrier and all was well.
I guess I made the mistake of putting them in my large ferret nation cage together immediately. I had scrubbed out the cage beforehand and sprayed it with vineagar water to eliminate the existing scent. After a few hours, they got confrontational. There was a lot of chasing, and fur flying. They're both pretty rambunctious in nature, so it took me a little bit to figure out that this was a bad thing. My old chin was the aggressor, (which was surprising since he was the submissive one upon meeting, though he was out of his element) and even managed to spray the new chin.
I've separated them between the top and bottom levels. I'd like to try again, but I didn't know if I had to handle it differently now that they've stepped off on the wrong foot. Will top and bottom living work? They can't exactly see one another. It's only been a day, but I'm hoping that I can make this work. Any suggestions?
Well I was just wanting 2 know I have had me Chinchilla for a long time he is some what old I take good care of him & love him his name is dud he is a albino I ever him bath like I should butt I have been no sting that he has some nits in his fir should I groom him like I do me cat I don’t know what 2 do if u know can u let me know thank u so much
hi
im wondering if anybody can tell me about a chinchilla breeder in Massachusets who sells them for $80-$120.00
also if you could tell me if having two male chinchillas would be a good idea? if so tell me why.
Our chin just had 2 kits about a week ago, a boy and girl. I immediately separated the juvenile female (their baby from 111 days ago!) and the male. When and How or do I reintroduce everyone??
The male brother will have to be kept in a separate cage, or go to a new home to prevent inbreeding. Females can be kept together, but daughter father pairs should not be kept together. Sorry, but you cannot fight the laws of nature and inbreeding is a big no no.
Emma, I have chinchillas for sale if you are interested check out http://www.chinchillaplace.com/chinchillas-for-sale/
I have a particularly beautiful golden tan male up for adoption who is $100
Hi, I have a 2-year-old male chinchilla (Potato) and just brought home his son (Spud) a few days ago. I was wondering if it is possible for them to still be successful cagemates even after one has injured the other.
Originally we planned on just having after an owner we knew asked us if we would like to own him. He couldn't risk having Potato around because of inbreeding possibilities since one of his females had just given birth.
Last month he contacted us again to tell us that out of the 3 babies 1 was a boy and if we would like to take him to be Potato's cagemate. We brought Spud home in a separate cage and tried the Side-by-Side cage technique. There was some teeth-clicking at first, but by the next morning they seemed to calm down. Potato has the tendency to stick his paw through the cage and we stroke it. Even though we kept them separate, he reached farther than we though he could and Spud struke out and bite one of his fingers off. We took him to the vet, had the wound cauteried, and put Potato on the proper medication.
I have heard somewhere that after one chinchilla has attacked and bitten the other that the two can no longer be compatible and live together. Is this true? Will my chinchillas never be able to get along and be cagemates?
All things are possible, but it may take time.
I would wait a few weeks before trying to cage them together again. Sometime the first male will feel that there is a home invader in his turf. It doesn't matter to him if it is his son. Let them get to know each other at a safe distance for a week. After a few days they should be well aware of each others presence and the teeth chattering should have stopped. Try Opening the cage doors and allow them to interact on neutral ground, but still have access to their own "safe zones" ie cages. Keep an eye on them. If there is excessive chasing/ teeth chattering, separate them again and put them back in their own cages. Also having dust available in the neutral area seems to help them to chill out and focus on something other than a battle. Once they get the hang of playing together (after at least 3 successful play session) try to house them together again, but keep an eye on them to make sure they do not injure each other.I have had chins that seem to hate each other at first end up being great friends. I don't think it is impossible, but chins have different personalities and it could be that they wont be compatible. You never really know until you try
Hey again Jennifer-
Well we tried to get Cheeko and Ramone in a central location... Our bathroom is the only chin friendly room in the house so that is where we went.
Cheeko was fine and did his usual things climbing and trying to hump things lol hes bad he thinks he's a stud!
But poor Ramone he hid back behind the toilet and wouldn't come out and then he was making this awful squeaky noise. Cheeko kept going back to check on him but never bothered him.. when he would do this Ramone would bark at him and act like he was going to bite him.
Then i took Cheeko back down to his cage and it took me about 10 mins to get Ramone to come out but once he did he was fine and was exploring the bathroom.... I'm not sure where to go from here. If you have any tips let me know
Also i read up in other posts that you should put bath in the open play area to help things along... any ideas what i should put it in a big bowl? Ramone uses one of the bath things that looks like shriek and Cheeko he has a huge pickle jar because hes too fat for the little bath house.
Any helpful thoughts would be great!
Thanks again
Angela
My Sister and I have been trying to introduce our 2 chinchillas as we wanted them to be buddies. One chinchilla the bigger one is about 6 years old and the smaller one about 2. Both have been alone up to this point. We thought since chins are sociable they would be happier with a friend. I have had them play in a neutral chin friendly room for a few months at my parent's home. I recently graduated from college and lived there until starting my new job. the chins were chasing, humping, with one teeth clicking, and growling and the other mainly urinating. Nothing seemed vicious and the longer they were out together it seemed the behavior got some better. Now I have moved and taken them with me to my new apartment. After being in a room together in separate cages for about a day I reintroduced them in a chin friendly room (the bathroom) and the one that did the teeth chattering and growling turned on the other smaller chinchilla aggressively chasing him and pulling hair out. I separated them and tried again a day later. It was worse. The same larger chinchilla chased so much that the smaller chinchilla hid and when he did come out the larger one attacked. The larger and older one came up with a large mouthful of hair and sat glaring at the smaller younger one and ate his hair while glaring at him. The older chinchilla has been my sister's pet since it was 1 year old. After I rescued the smaller one from a shelter, and had him for about 9 months we both thought that they might be happier if we tried letting them live together. We did a lot of research and followed all of the instructions from this web site and others but nothing seems to be working. This recent behavior has made me think that this is just not going to work. I hate to give up but I do not want either one to be injured plus it seems they are very unhappy. I need expert advice on what their behavior signals mean and what they are trying to tell me. I only have a few days before my sister is coming for a visit so I need some answers soon. I would really appreciate help!
Marci,
I am sorry to hear you are having such difficulty. It sounds like things were better before the move. Chinchillas do not usually take well to a new environment. I can take them several weeks to readjust to their new surroundings. The behavior the older one is displaying is likely out of fear of a new environment. The neutral area is a good idea as well as having cages side by side (bot so close as they could cause damage to one another, but close enough to see and smell one another. Chinchillas are very social and thrive in pairs, but this can take time. Are they both male or female? Or one of each. This also plays a factor. A male and female will quickly bond, 2 females usually bond quickly, but 2 males may be more territorial/aggressive. It can take them a while to play nice and a lot of patience on your part. Sadly even with all of your hard work, they may not end up getting along. I have seen cases where they just don't pair well.
In your case I think it has to do more with the new environment. Try buying a new toy for the neutral area. Allow them to dust together and even try having the cages with the door open in the neutral area. Their seperate cages will become the safe zone as they get to know each other again and their new environment. I have found that allowing my chins a familiar place while introducing has done wonders for their bonding and security. They will choose to flee rather than fight and come out of the cage when they are feeling more secure. Fighting often is a behavior motivated by fear. If you can reduce fear by creating a safe zone, than they are far more likely to play nice. Please let us know how it goes. I also often give each a treat during interaction/play time. It makes the association with each other more positive.
Hi,
Similar things going on here.
I bought a female chinchilla (Zelda) at four months in April, and a second one in October (Peach) who is a good few months younger.
I bought a second cage for the second chinchilla and I haven't tried them together yet. One of the cages is smaller than the other by an entire tier. I have tried swapping them round into the different cages, but have now let Zelda into the smaller cage and Peach into the larger one.
The only problem is that it has now been around 6/7 weeks and they do not get along at all. It is pretty much one-way chasing whenever I let them out for a small run together in a neutral area. Zelda chases Peach and bites her backside area, often causing fur to fall out and Peach jumps for somewhere high and stays out of Zelda's way seeming quite scared. They couldn't be more different personality-wise - Zelda is very fun but quite aggressive, whereas Peach is very calm and cuddly. I have seen a variety of different ways in which people try and introduce chins but they normally say it should work after a month, whereas my chins show no real sign of progression after almost 7 weeks now.
I would truly appreciate any advice you could give on this. They are both less than a year old, don't live in the same cage (but live next to eachother) and they have had almost no interaction that hasn't involved chasing/fighting.
I do not want to give one of them up if I can help it and I would give anything to make them friends. I have heard that sometimes chins will never get on, so if you have any advice please let me know.
I should add to the above that both chinchillas came from the same parents... but never met before I tried putting them together. not sure whether that will make a difference.
Was wondering if you could help me. I have two chins who have been living together for a year. It only took me one day to bond them together and they have been best friends ever since. I just recently purchased a 3rd, a two year old, who is a bit larger. They all played together on the floor great, so I decided to put the new chin into the cage. The new chin was territorial and claiming the cage as her own, hissing at the other two chins. I separated them right away and now the new chin is at the bottom and the other two are at the top (ferret nation cage). Is there any hope of this new chin being able to live with them? I can't seem to find any advice on how to handle the new chin being the aggressor. I also find it odd that they play well on the floor together, but not in the cage. Thanks.
I've had my 2 oldest chins for about 3 years both males. they we're fine living together for 2 of those years then all the sudden the started fighting and i had to seperate them into 2 different cages. In the past year I've gotten 2 more males, they are brothers. In introducing them to my oldests they seem to have picked sides between my 2 oldest. now i would like to have them all live together. the main caqe is 4 ft high and 36" x 33" so there is more then enough room for them to exist ijn the same cage. I was wondering 2 things
1- why after living together for 2 years did my 2 oldest decide to hate eachother?
2- what tips do you have for me successfully introducing them into the same cage?
I have 2 chins. One 4 one 2. Both Males. We have the 2 year old for a year when we got the 4 year old. We followed all the directions listed on the chin websites to introduce them. The issue isn't really aggressive issues. Its more that the 2 year old keeps trying to mount and mate with the 4 year old. I don't think its a pur dominance thing. They have had there cages next to each other for a year now. They play well out in the open. But sometime the 2 year old will wag his tail, and chirp and coo at the other male. We read that these are mating signs. We have checked with a vet to be sure both are male and they are. We don't what to neuter the 2 yer old but I am not sure what to do!
Please help us and our sexually confused chins