Introductions log!

[tcraighenry]

I thought this might be helpful for anyone else trying to introduce two chinchillas.

We're cheating, a little bit and going against our vet who advised 6 weeks in quarantine. As of this Saturday it will be 6. But we couldn't bare to let Cinnamon stay in her lonely little room anymore.

A little background, Vincenza has mostly been housed alone since we lost her daddy. She's a year old.

Cinnamon was part of a larger herd. She was housed with another chinchilla but was alone after her cage mate died.

- We started last week by holding Vincenza near Cinnamon's cage so they could smell and nibble at each other. It went fairly well, there were contact sounds. But we found Vincenza was more interested in Cinnamon than vice versa.

- We let them play together for about 5 minutes. Again we found Vincenza was the more dominant one, humping occasionally.

- We moved the quarantine cage downstairs. Cinnamon spent most of the night ignoring Vincenza while the little one freaked out and hopped everywhere. We couldn't tell if she was anxious or excited. She spent a lot of time staring, some time popcorning. No contact sounds or barking.

 

[tcraighenry]

And Cinnamon is somewhere between 3-4. She's a grown up!

 

[SookiFace1]

This is about as far as Sookie (15 month old original chin) and Sensi (8 month Old new baby) have gotten. Same exact behaviors between the two. Sookie is dying to meet the new baby, we haven't done mutual playtimes since the first when I think they went for the vanilla on each other's noses, but when we let Sookie out for playtime she does everything she can to get Sensi's attention.. She even climbed up Sensi's cage to reach her on the third floor! She popcorns for her, stares at her and Sensi has graduated to sometimes acknowledging Sookie, but for the most part ignores her. I'm glad to know this is normal

 

[tcraighenry]

That sounds really similar! One stand offish one, the other one is like HEY HEY HEY OTHER CHINCHILLA HEY HEY

 

[tcraighenry]

Well, that was a fail. We did play time with them separated by a playpen. Vincenza started lunging and kacking. Only a little, I pulled her back at the first sign of trouble.



It will be a while before we try that again! I think we'll slow it down and let them be in the same room for a while longer.

Vincenza is acting a little more normal though. She's stopped freaking out in her cage.

 

[tcraighenry]

I think Vincenza is ok with a neighbor. Though she's getting kind of jealous now! Very much a me too attitude

She calmed down and ignores Cinnamon most of the time.

 

[perabalaofmystery]

thats good that things are going well. im just glad when i got my chins i got a pair of babies that were bonded form the start. (theyre not related) but they never go far from each other.

 

[SookiFace1]

Ok so my husband and i have been doing the "lets keep it REEAAALLLYYY slow" approach. After the initial vanilla on nose encounter about 4 months ago we havent let them both out at the same time. Theyre cages have been side by side though since then. They definitely are aware of each other and have the sibling rivalry (ie: if Sookie is eating hay, Sensi will go on a shelf to see what shes doing and beg for the same thing, and vice versa). If you give one scritches the other at least must be physically acknowldged.

When I was away in Florida for two months my husband said that one day when he let Sookie out for play time she ran up to Sensi's cage looking for her. Sensi came down to meet Sookie and my husband said they did the nose sniffing/bumping thing for a little while but no biting, aggression, nothing. He was even showing me lat night (as I tried to hold myself back from freaking out) that if hyou put their cages close together.. They find a common ground and will reach through the bars and nose bump each other. But again no aggression, no biting, no nothing. I'm going to take this is a good sign for now that we have no missing toes or fur.

My hubby thinks its time for us to try and reintroduce them during playtime but I am a big scary wimp!!! I do think we have to try though because after living next to each other for 5/6 months if theyre going to get along they should by now.. WISH ME LUCK!

 

[Vcchinchilla]

place a bath house when you try play date again

 

[SookiFace1]

When i did that last time, the new chinnie was bathing in there and the other chin kind of stood over her on the bath and was like poking her in the nose with her nose... I didnt know if that was a good or bad sign so im scared to put anything with them in fear theyll fight over it .. Obviously im a HUGE chicken

 

[Vcchinchilla]

>_> apparently I was afraid of the nose poking I described it as nose touching apparently it's a "hello I'm checking you put"
why I say put a bath in between the two it cools their jets when hyped it diffuses things