Bonding Tips?

[kmonty0726]

I need some advice in getting chins to bond with me. My first Chin we lost in moving house holds. September 2014. I didn't have one for a long time. I recently got chinchillas again in June. We lost one in a heat stroke about a week ago. We had already had promised my SIL we would take her Chin. As well as DH bought me another Chin as an early birthday present. So we now have 4. Felix he is a 7 year old standard Grey. He is without a doubt the sweetest guy ever. I have two 2 year old standard female, and we have 4 month old Mosaic named Sirius who we just got Wednesday(7/15/15). He is pretty skittish. When I got my females. They would bark when I approached the cage the first day or so. I let them be for a week. Then I received wooden shelves in the so I installed them with the help of my husband and one of the females bit me to the point where it hurt and drew blood. So I let them be and I only approached there cage for a few days. Just to feed, water, change the the fleece bedding. Since then I have been afraid. We've had them about 5 weeks. I can approach there cage without barking. I have never been sprayed. And I have been what I believe are test nibbles. But I always retreat my hand in fear of one continuing to bite farther. The bite was like a nibble but the bit again but a harder. The only time I was bit again was last night by Sirius I had a hay cube in my hand which also smelled of food. And he bit my hand. It did hurt. But it didn't draw blood like last time but it broke the skin but only barely. He's still new. My issue is with the 2 females. I think they were used mostly for breeding.

The positives
Luna(The one who bit me) she seems a bit more happy around me, perked up ears and what not. But gives what I think are test nibbles. Not sure since I usually retreat my hand when I feel teeth.
Luna and Blossom will both take treats from my hand
Luna will come up to the cage doors
Blossom has never bit me
The will both jump into the dust bath if I am holding it like up to the cage doors.

Negatives
Blossom is very afraid and hides in her hammock or shelf
I have been bitten to where blood has been drawn
Luna can be a bully to Blossom
They are jealous of my other Chin Felix. Anytime I give him any attention the will stare and make noises until give them a treat.
They have fought once.

What can I do to make them feel more comfortable about me?
What can I do for Sirius as well?

I have no concerns for Felix as far as bonding goes


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[Chinups]

I'm a little confused about a few things in your message. You said it's been a while that you've had chinchillas and that you just got them in June. Since then, one died of heatstroke and you still have four, correct? I understand that you felt obligated to take on more chinchillas, but I'm confused about why you did, or why you do not search for alternative homes. One dying of heatstroke is what concerns me, so I'm sorry if this sounds harsh. I have two chins myself and they need a lot of care and attention--I can't imagine what it would have been like to have four of them when I was a new chin owner. A You also mentioned that you have males and females--are you planning on breeding?
I don't think bonding is the issue here. I think you may want to consider whether you should have a smaller chin family of the same sex. This will definitely make your bonding experience more pleasant and also takes the chins' health and harmony into consideration.

 

[kmonty0726]

I was away for no more than 24 hours and my power went out to an extremely bad storm. I had a family emergency. And the power went out and it was extremely hot and humid. It was unusual. That's the only reason. My husband bought me another boy mosaic as my early birthday present. I love all my chins and I feel it would be wrong to get rid of them. I don't work. So I have plenty of time. I am also a night owl. I might want to breed one day but as of right now I just have 4 chins as my pets. It wasn't a plan to take 3 but it was kind of package deal if I wanted to two of them. Since the females were a bonded pair. I will do whatever it takes to keep all 4 of them. My SIL was not able to care for hers. He is the sweetest little man. I'm just concerned about my females. The baby will adjust. I don't want to get rid of my chins. I will do whatever It takes to keep my 4. I have the time and energy for them.


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[KIWIo3o]

I have read before that females will get somewhat aggressive if they can smell a male around, even if the male is not in the same cage. I would suggest moving the male to another room, and that could possibly fix the fighting issue.

 

[Dreamlite]

Females won't fight our get aggressive due to having a male around. I have several colonies of same sexes chins in the same room and they are all friendly. You need to take the time and let them adjust. If you got them in June it hasn't even been a whole month yet. Some chins are great and adjust in a few days, others can take weeks it months to fully settle in and feel comfortable. Patience is going to be the key here.
On your comment to breeding. Do you have pedigrees for any of these chins? If not, then they should never be bred.

 

[kmonty0726]

I have a small house and can't move them into another room. We just don't have the space elsewhere. The females are being aggressive towards each other they fought once , never drew blood. But they fought again last night no blood once again. But there does look like fur biting. I'm hesitating to separating them because they've been together their whole lives. I was told they are a bonded pair. I have all the time in the world. Patience isn't an issue here. I just wanted to be sure I'm doing everything i can for them.

As far as breeding goes. Chinchillas in my area don't have pedigrees. My MIL friend who is a breeder her chins don't. None are inbred but no pedigrees. That's more of an opinion than a fact.




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[Amethyst]

If the females are fighting I would separate them, chinchillas can fight to the death. Take it as a chance to intervene before they get that far, there are people that have just woken up one morning or come home to find one or both chins severely injured of not dead. Even if they are twin sisters the bond can break for whatever reason (sometimes for no obvious reason). If you want to try to re bond them later that sometimes works, but I'd separate them now before they kill each other. Then after a month or so apart reintroduce them as though they are new chins, taking it is as slowly as needed.

As to the breeding with no pedigrees, that is just stupid. Without knowing the genetic history of the chins how do you know they aren't carrying any genetic disorders? or know they aren't related? How do you know even what you are breeding in terms of color mutations? From the sounds of it this person is just a backyard breeder, I'm sorry but throwing a male and a female together and calling yourself a breeder does not make you a good breeder. It isn't an opinion it is a fact, breeding without knowing the bloodlines is not responsible breeding. Breeding should be for the betterment of the animals, random breeding doesn't improve chinchillas at all, it just makes more animals at best, and potentially passes on genetic disorders (some skip generations, or only effect one sex, which you won't know if you don't know the lineage).

 

[kmonty0726]

I am not interested in breeding. It's not something I want to get it to. I wouldn't want breed without pedigree now that I know the risks. All I know is that the lady I got my chin from breeds for pet store. All the chins that they have come from one breeder. I am getting another level of FN by fedex tomorrow. I also have another cage they will be separated ASAP for safety.


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