what do i do now?

[thetwomuses]

cw death

i rescued 2 chinchillas a few weeks ago and one was doing poorly and she did go to a vet but had fits last night and passed away at the emergency vets. now i don't know what to do about her sister. already she's been lonely and sad just from a few hours of separation. they've had a horrible life of neglect and pain and have never been apart. i feel like i've failed them. what can i do to help her? she's 5. will she be able to adjust? how can i help her and what options do i have? i'm just so lost and confused...

 

[UnhappyRefrain]

I'm not a expert, but I think the best thing you can do for her is to just be there for her. Try to stick around as long as you possibly can or try to schedule time when you just spend time with her, whether it's inside the cage or outside. It sounds like this chin has not known stability which is why she is so despondent over losing the only consistent thing in her life, her sister. It is important to form routines and keep them. Routine can be very comforting for an animal that has lived a tumultuous life. Above all, you need to be sensitive to her needs. If she wants her space, give it to her. If she wants you to stay, then stay with her.

Chins can be very adaptable, so perhaps she can adjust to life without her sister. Your relationship with her really hinges on her adjustment. If she feels like your not going anywhere, I believe that she can get through her grief. Getting another chin is another option, but that is very tricky since chins are not guaranteed to get along. Plus chins need to be quarantines for awhile before being introduced. I would say to be patient and see if her mood improves before you make any permanent decisions.

In all honesty, I have never dealt with a problem as egregious as yours. I am only going off of my experiences with my own chins. It looks like you posted this awhile ago, so I wanted to give you at least something to go on, although I am no expert. Good luck and I'm terribly sorry for your loss.

 

[thetwomuses]

I'm not a expert, but I think the best thing you can do for her is to just be there for her. Try to stick around as long as you possibly can or try to schedule time when you just spend time with her, whether it's inside the cage or outside. It sounds like this chin has not known stability which is why she is so despondent over losing the only consistent thing in her life, her sister. It is important to form routines and keep them. Routine can be very comforting for an animal that has lived a tumultuous life. Above all, you need to be sensitive to her needs. If she wants her space, give it to her. If she wants you to stay, then stay with her.

Chins can be very adaptable, so perhaps she can adjust to life without her sister. Your relationship with her really hinges on her adjustment. If she feels like your not going anywhere, I believe that she can get through her grief. Getting another chin is another option, but that is very tricky since chins are not guaranteed to get along. Plus chins need to be quarantines for awhile before being introduced. I would say to be patient and see if her mood improves before you make any permanent decisions.

In all honesty, I have never dealt with a problem as egregious as yours. I am only going off of my experiences with my own chins. It looks like you posted this awhile ago, so I wanted to give you at least something to go on, although I am no expert. Good luck and I'm terribly sorry for your loss.

Thank you for your kind reply! She's doing really well and has become a bit obsessed with me which I love but I can't be with her 24/7 since I have to sleep I think she's lonely because of how desperate she is to sleep on me (which I let her do for hours a day) so I think a new companion might be best for her so I'm looking in to nearby adoptions now.

Anyways, thank you for replying! Your advice is super sound. I'm just doing what she wants.

 

[ChocolatPocky]

If you get another chinchilla it might help if their separate cages are just in the same room so they can at least "talk" to each other. Although as UnhappyRefrain said, they might not ever get along! So that could mean having two separate cages if you can swing that. They might possibly get along during outside playtime, or not, and then have to have separate out of cage playtime. Just things to consider!

 

[thetwomuses]

Yeah I'm prepared to house the separately permanently if they need. She's such a little princess I won't be surprised is she refuses to share a cage...
Can their cages be in the same room during quarantine too?
My bedroom shall just the 2 cages and a bed then. No room for anything else
She was such a chatterer when her sister was here but she chatters less now I miss her little pigeon noises so I think she'll like another chin to talk to

If you get another chinchilla it might help if their separate cages are just in the same room so they can at least "talk" to each other. Although as UnhappyRefrain said, they might not ever get along! So that could mean having two separate cages if you can swing that. They might possibly get along during outside playtime, or not, and then have to have separate out of cage playtime. Just things to consider!

 

[rodneyc8063]

Yeah I'm prepared to house the separately permanently if they need. She's such a little princess I won't be surprised is she refuses to share a cage...
Can their cages be in the same room during quarantine too?
My bedroom shall just the 2 cages and a bed then. No room for anything else
She was such a chatterer when her sister was here but she chatters less now I miss her little pigeon noises so I think she'll like another chin to talk to

Im no expert but I personally dont see a problem with having two chins, in seperate cages in the same room.

I have heard to help with bonding and introductions you can also put their cages close to each other. So they can at least meet with their noses, and get used to each other.

Maybe try having their cages in the same room first, then slowly moving them closer. Open their cages during play time to let them run in and out, and hopefully they just end up staying in the same cage in the end.

Im sorry for your loss, but Im glad your other chin has found comfort with you. Keep it up

 

[DawnStar]

Sorry I'm late on this. You could also get a chin buddie a stuffed toy. Im never going to discourage adding to your herd if you have the means and are capable.

I am sorry for your loss. Similarly, I lost a chin shortly after rescuing. Please don't feel like you've failed. Work on bonding with her yourself- it will be very rewarding. Are you feeling better? How is the chin doing ?

 

[thetwomuses]

Sorry I'm late on this. You could also get a chin buddie a stuffed toy. Im never going to discourage adding to your herd if you have the means and are capable.

I am sorry for your loss. Similarly, I lost a chin shortly after rescuing. Please don't feel like you've failed. Work on bonding with her yourself- it will be very rewarding. Are you feeling better? How is the chin doing ?

Thank you! The guilt is still very strong but I focus it towards taking the best care of my girl who's still with me. She's doing well thank you for asking but even tho she free roams 10+ hours a day (mostly spent sleeping in corners ) and sleeps on my back and legs she's still bored and lonely constantly. She was spayed about a month ago because of an infection so she's actually getting a brother this week... Super anxious about how it will all go and stressing over names but we're both doing well thank you for asking
Also she does have a chinchilla buddy and snuggle pillow and is pretty disinterested lol she prefers her hammock or me to sleep on

 

[Dragonflye]

I’m sorry for your loss. It’s always hard, especially when the chin that passed has a buddy left behind. If you aren’t ready for another chin, a chin buddy may help as mentioned above. If you do get another chin, it should be quarantined in a separate room. My boys are in separate cages next to each other and they do fine.