Chinchillas fighting?

[Narumi]

Two 8 week old boys from the same litter. While I was cleaning their cage tonight, they began jumping on each other making a growling sound. One pushed the other off the second level and they stopped momentarily, but continued briefly when they came into contact again. Yesterday I saw them climbing on each other too. This is really scary for me as I've heard about chinchillas killing cage mates and such. Is this just how they play? Also, when one has a piece of hay and the other doesn't, they fight over it too

Other times they seem to get along fine, eating together and sleeping cuddled up next to each other. Should I be worried?

Thanks in advance!

 

[tunes]

The climbing on each other sounds like they are humping, which is known as dominance humping. The growling I am not real sure of. Chins don't usually growl per se.

When you say they "fight" over a piece of hay, do you mean actual fighting, or do you mean they take it from each other? If they are actually fighting with fur flying, then you need to think about separating them. If they are just snatching it from each other, that's normal.

 

[summerdays]

oh the humping starts so early.. ugh..

and i agree with tunes, sometimes one of my girls will have something, and the other one wants it because they think its better than what they have..hahah..just like kids... and they keep grabbing it from each other, its too funny i think...

 

[Narumi]

What should I do about the dominance thing? I'm not sure you could call it "growling" but that's the closest term I could think of. They also chase each other around the cage.

It's just snatching.

 

[tunes]

Are you sure they are both the same sex?

 

[Narumi]

It looks like they both have a penis and the breeder I bought them from also said they're both boys.