Can a father and son chin live together

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my3chins

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Joined
Feb 23, 2012
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1
I have a bonded pair of chinchillas - Spike and Ruhe - that are almost 9 years old. They live in separate cages and enjoy daily playtime together. Since they were getting so old and had not bred before I let my guard down during play time and earlier this month we welcomed one male kit - George. When George is weaned can he live in the same cage as Spike or will they fight because of Ruhe? I have done a lot of research on this and have seen many different opinions.
Also, my vet suggested that perhaps neutering the males will help but the thought of that makes me very nervous.
 
While normally I wouldn't poo-poo castrating a chin with the help of a qualified vet, I would be hesitant to do that type of procedure on a 9 year old critter. I don't know that it would justify the risk.

I absolutely agree that there is a very good chance that dad and the little one can live together happily. I know a lot of people freak out about having males together in a room with females, but honestly, talk to people who have large herds. If I had to keep every single animal in a separate cage, I wouldn't begin to have enough room for all of mine. I have big cages where I may have 3, 4, or 5 males together, right in the breeding room. Obviously I am careful to monitor their behavior, and if I saw anything questionable I would separate them, but normally I have no problem.
 
I would just like to add one thing. Unless, you intend to breed, please do not allow the female to play with the males anymore. As you have found out. It only takes a second for a male to get a female pregnant.
 
Can a father and son chin live together



Father_Son.jpg


Mine do ^^
Of course, as they mentioned above, the mother does not live with them.

One other thing id like to mention. I assume that if you let them out to play, both the female and males use the same overall area. (separately, but same area). It is possible that the boys can get snippy toward each other when the female is in heat. So if you notice the girl in heat, it might be a good idea to not let the boys run in the same area for a while. Cause the boys will get a stronger sense of that scent.
I had that happen to my boys not to long ago. They had to be separated for two days. Then they went back to normal with each other.
 
My boys are father and son and live together. I had the son, Rufus, for about 2 years before I ended up with the dad, Zoidberg, and his bonded pair (not the mother). We put them together the first night and they have been together ever since, about 2 years now. The female was even in the same cage with them for a short while, but she sadly passed away in December. They all played together just fine, but we always watched them closely. Our female was very dominant though and was often the one trying to mount the boys. I hope your father and son get along as well as mine do, good luck!
 
I have a bonded father and son chinchilla pair that live together now. They should be fine, I wouldn't be concerned about it.
I think it's only if you have the mother in the picture then it gets a little hairy. But since I already know, I would just say for for it! My two get along just fine : )
 

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