Potential cagemate issues?

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queencoffee

New member
Joined
Aug 10, 2017
Messages
1
I have to admit, and this is my fault, I got two chinchillas on the basis of knowledge that "they like companions." I had heard that some chinchillas just don't get along and don't like cagemates, but I was under the impression that as long as they were properly introduced and seemed okay, they'd be okay forever. Now, I know better in that regard. But I'm getting paranoid about whether or not my boys are getting along. They were introduced at the rescue/breeder I got them from and seemed to be living together great prior to me picking them up. I've had them for a month now.

My two boys (5 month mosaic and almost 8 month beige) have been doing the usual dominance mounting, and from what I've seen, the most that happens is one tries to mount the other and one being mounted will usually just run away. Both boys do it to each other, and only occasionally when the mosaic is being mounted, he'll voice his displeasure before running.

But I've also been noticing that the mosaic is biting the fur in the backside area of my beige. My beige doesn't care or notice, and half the time the mosaic bites for a few seconds, and then rolls over and pillows his head on the base of my beige's tail. The boys groom each other pretty regularly, so I don't know if he's just trying "fluff up" the beige's fur before laying down for his nap?

The beige does have TINY tufts of fur sticking out, but I thought he was maybe priming because he had a couple of them further up on his body which have since gone away (and his fur in that area looks lovely), and they're all mostly on his backside now.

The worst I've seen is the mosaic get upset and nip at the beige's nose. It just happens once, like he's telling him to get out of his face, and then they run away from each other or just kind of separate on the ledge.

Are these warning signs that I might need to separate them?
 
I would definitely say they are warning signs. But it can be hard to tell from text sometimes.

I just recently woke up and found one of my pairs that had been together for years, had one chin turn on each other. First time its happened with any of mine. I went in and found one backing defensively at the other a lot. Being chased around a lot. Then i noticed the tufts of hair across the cage. So i had to separate them :(
 
Sounds to me like normal male Chins doing their thing. I would keep them together. Do they bark and stand up on their back legs? Thats the start of a fight. If they figure it out before anyone gets too pissed I say they have learned to live with each other.

I understand being paranoid with the little info online about this topic. It is easy to be freaked out. When I first put my males together I was a Wreck checking on them ever 5 min eating lunch next to the cage.

They are roommates. How old are they do you know if they were Adults when they were paired up?
 
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