Hi there!

Hi folks,

i'm new in this forum and I think it's awesome all the information you have here! I've been reading some posts and I think it's wonderful all the experience that you share here.

My boyfriend and I have two chinchillas at home, Alan and Phil. About a two years ago we had another chin who was the Alan's brother, Ada. They were quite close and loved to sleep together. Unfortunately, Ada passed away because of tummy problems and Alan stayed alone We decided getting a partner for Alan, Phil (another male) to make him company. We tried to introduce them slowly because we read that sometimes it was hard for two chinchillas to get along if they weren't family.

We tried with a split cage protocol so they can smell each other but Alan was really violent with Phil and started to lose weight very quickly. We decided to stop the protocol and buy another cage for Phil.

Now they live each other in his own cage, and we would like to resume the protocol. We tried to put them together in playtime, but Alan gets aggresive. We're kind of stuck at this point

I attach a photo of Phil so you can meet him



Nice to meet you all!

:welcome6:

Unfortunately not all chins like all other chins. Just because Alan lived happily with another chin does not mean he will like any other random chin. Personality has a lot more to do with it then age, sex, or even family relation. Siblings often do get along because they are use to the other's personality and will accept things they wouldn't normally from another chin. It sounds like Alan is a dominate chin, so the best personality to pair him with would be a submissive chin.

If they are aggressive even during playtime it's probably best to just leave it as is with each in their own cage. Even having another chin in the room can help with being alone, like having a neighbor you can chat with but you each live in your own house.

You didn't say how long you have had Phil though, you do need to allow him time to settle in. Ideally you should give chins at least a month to settle in. During that time you would normally keep the new chin in another room to watch for any illness before expose your current chin (too late now), and also it gives you time to create a bond and get to know what is normal for him.