I'm introducing my chins together now, and I'm confused as to whether it's working. Some of the time they'll groom each other and look all lovey dovey. They've done this on several occasions...but 30 min later they're fighting and pulling fur! These two different reactions happen at random times & places, not just in neutral territory or a carrying cage, so I've never left them together unsupervised because I just cannot predict their reactions. Can anyone explain their behavior?
Bipolar Intros?
- Thread starter Nimise
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Diva Chins
Guest
It might help a tad bit if you listed genders and ages. Some chins are very moody when going through puberty.
Both are males, and I do not own any female chins. One is almost 1/2 year old, one is around 3 years, and both have (supposedly) lived fine with another chin before I got them. They are almost the same size (older male is small for a grown chin). They both will initiate grooming, and both initiate the fighting I think...
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Diva Chins
Guest
Hmm, the younger male might be going through puberty right now. If I were you, I'd wait about a month (Which someone with more experience on intro'ing might come along and help) and see if temperments changed at all. Have you tried switching cages back and forth? One chin in the other's for a day, switch it back to it's original cage, repeat.
iayla
Well-known member
Sounds like you might be rushing things a bit. If they seem to fight after 30+ minutes, shorten the mutual playtime to 15-20 minutes. After a few weeks of that going alright, I'd slowly increase the play session about 10 minutes, and do the new time length for a couple weeks.
I'd also wait on leaving them for extended periods for at least a couple months. The younger guy might be going thru hormonal changes, and hopefully will settle down once he's thru that stage of his growth.
Intro's are a hot topic lately - you might want to browse thru the other threads on introductions. There's always something new to be learned, and maybe someone else is going thru something similar.
~Barb~
I'd also wait on leaving them for extended periods for at least a couple months. The younger guy might be going thru hormonal changes, and hopefully will settle down once he's thru that stage of his growth.
Intro's are a hot topic lately - you might want to browse thru the other threads on introductions. There's always something new to be learned, and maybe someone else is going thru something similar.
~Barb~
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Diva Chins
Guest
That's what I was thinking. How long have you had them? If they're in a new environment, they might still be a little...Grumpy. I'd wait a while with new chins before intro'ing so they could get used to their environment if you just got them, or just got one or the other.
kittysae
Member
My boys went through the same thing. They finally have stopped fighting during playtime, but whenever I have tried to put them in the same cage, they fight within 10 mins. Out in the open though, they are fine to play and groom and whatnot for a long time. I just gave up on trying to get them to live together, and just let them play.
The weird thing is that they will go and snuggle and groom in a cage when it's playtime and I leave the door open, but as soon as I shut the door to supervise them it's like, "OH NO WE'RE TRAPPED! GET AWAY FROM ME!" and they start fighting.
Some chins just may never get along at all and fight all the time. You never know how they'll be :winkers:
The weird thing is that they will go and snuggle and groom in a cage when it's playtime and I leave the door open, but as soon as I shut the door to supervise them it's like, "OH NO WE'RE TRAPPED! GET AWAY FROM ME!" and they start fighting.
Some chins just may never get along at all and fight all the time. You never know how they'll be :winkers:
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blacksettingsun
Guest
You can also try trimming their whiskers back; the dominant of the two will eventually chew back the whiskers of the other in an act of dominance. I've found it helpful in intros; kind of takes away the dominance factor.
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Diva Chins
Guest
More great advice. I tried to intro Doof and Bubbles, left them cage by cage for a month, tried neutral play time, tried cage swapping, whisker trimming, everything. Doof just wouldn't be nice to Bubbles. Some chins you just can't change.
I've already done a few weeks of side-by-side cages, short intervals of playtime, and cage swapping. I just trimmed whiskers last night, so I'll find out if that helped a bit. I'm prepared to have them live separately, but wasn't sure what to make of their grooming each other so I increased their exposure time to each other. I'll try to decrease the introducing time to see if that helps for a bit while the younger chin goes through puberty, but if not...maybe it just wasn't meant to be. I guess this sort of hot & cold acquaintance-behavior isn't too unusual. Thanks for the insight!
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MyFuzzies
Guest
I agree with Barb. Chins need to move at their own pace. As Barb said I would give them playtime together for 15 minutes or so for a week maybe longer and then gradually increase the amount of time they are together. I did this with my boys when I intro'd them...after a few weeks of mutual playtime, I would put them BOTH in the cage together for a few hours each day and watch them. After about 2 weeks of doing this (and no fighting or fur pulling) I left them alone. They've done just fine ever since...they groom each other and cuddle in the same tube to sleep.
You might want to try trimming their whiskers to the same length, giving them dust baths before putting them together and/or putting a tiny dab of vanilla on their noses (this washes out the other chins scent). You can also try switching their cages...put them in each others cage for a day or two and do this a few times. The most important thing is to GO SLOW...don't rush things. Chins have a long life-span, so you have plenty of time to get them living together peacefully.
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lowleandpenelope
Guest
SO, I have a female Penelope and a Male Lowle, there are separated. But anyways i don't think my female is pregnant but shes soooo mean we got her out and held her she bit my friend 5 times and my brother 1. I don't understand cause my male is so nice i got him out and i accidentally fell asleep on the floor when i woke up he was asleep laying next to me. We go these to from the same litter. I think after i separated them it hit her really hard. But when i put them back to together ( i let both of them out and watched them very carefully) she never had any interest in him he was being so nice to her and she totally ignored him. She's always asleep and never comes out when i call her or go to her cage. Lowle on the other hand when i call is name he runs to the edge of his cage and makes a barking noise at me and i pet him then he goes back to sleep. So is she just not friendly or do u think some thing is wrong?
oxchincerelyxo
PM for pet portraits <3
You should start your own thread if you have questions otherwise this thread can becoe very confusing...and personally I find the orange very hard to read
And the girl just may not be friendly-don't force it let her come around to you
But most importantly- "watching them closely" doesn't make a difference. Mating can happen in seconds-literally just seconds. Please keep it seperate
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Smiley1
Guest
You have a brother and sister together? Why would you do that? I am assuming since they are from the same litter, that they are related no?
Related or not male+Female=Babies
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lowleandpenelope
Guest
gosh,yes there seperated im pretty sure i said that in the paragraph i posted, and yes there related.ill start another thread called moody mom.
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lowleandpenelope
Guest
sorry im kinda new how do i start a new thread
