I've had my chinchilla, E, for about 4 years now and he's 7.5 years old approximately. He used to have a cagemate who died around 2 years ago (they had been paired for almost their entire lives.) So for the past 2 years we've bonded a lot more but I feel like he's lonely because I've been really busy with school and whatnot. So, I got another chinchilla, now named F, who is 9 months old, from a local breeder. I had ordered a cage online but amazon failed me (ordered the cage and 2 weeks later they told me they hadn't shipped it.) Not to worry, I brought my large, outdoor cage inside and placed both chinchillas in separate cages and placed the cages beside each other. I left them beside each other for around 4 days and then decided to try to cage swap, mostly because F seemed to have trouble jumping and the cage E was in had ledges closer together. So they stayed swapped and really for about a week I've been switching them out. Then, after about a week I brought them into the bathroom to interact and it didn't go well. There was chasing, teeth-showing, barking, mounting, snipping, etc. mostly provoked by E. I held them both close to each other and they chattered and showed their teeth some more. After a few more days I gave them both a dust bath back in the bathroom. E didn't seem so dominant anymore, trying to smell F but nothing more. Whenever E is near F, F freaks out, running circles and grunting and peeing. I don't know how to get him to calm down like E has. I put them in the same cage and F huddles into a corner, and E hops up to him for a smell and F jumps about 2 laps around the cage, jumping on E on his way around which stirs up E a little so E chases him a little and then they're both just running from or chasing each other. Should I stop F when he starts to run around? (probably won't be able to, he's pretty good with jumping now) or what? They are fine in the same cage when E is on the flying saucer (or on the thing underneath that connects it to the wall, even with F directly underneath) or when F is in his house. However, when F is in his house and E comes around to check him out, F gets very defensive and grunts more. What should I do? I've read lots about introducing chinchillas but it seems lots easier when you're not trying to do it yourself.
Introduction Issues
- Thread starter Carleigh
- Start date
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I didn't want to try smooshing unless it was my very last resort. Yesterday when I created this topic, they were beside me in their cage chasing each other and not getting along. About an hour later up until right now (and continuing) they've gotten along fine. They eat hay together, smell each other, and still mount each other a little but not aggressively. And the cage they're in right now is really small for such hyper chinchillas (fixing up a large one for the both of them over the next few evenings) and E doesn't mind when F jumps all over him. There are two houses in the cage, and when I came home from school today they were both in the separate houses, but looking now E is right outside of the opening to F's house. I suppose it's good that he's now making an effort to get close, right? And is a mood change this drastic unusual?
Chin_Up_Sunshine
Chinnie Paparazzi
I'm also, sadly, less experienced, but I do know that in my reading I've learned that cutting whiskers and putting a drop of vanilla on the nose is a suggested method for bonding. Were I doing introductions, that is what I'd try at this point.
Cuddlebug
Well-known member
When I have tow that kind of get along most of the time, but have a occasional chasing episodes, I smoosh them for 15 minutes any time they start chasing. Once usually does the trick, but I have had to do twice with one pair of girls.
