Downside to a female?

[raachhelxd]

The one thing that really pushed me away from wanting a male chinchilla is the responsibility of constantly checking for hair rings & fear of doing it wrong. But I do remember others saying males were nicer. So are there any "downsides" to owning a female chinchilla over a male?

 

[dayofhope]

I've never had a male, so I'm not really sure about the "males are nicer" idea. But from what I've researched, I'm pretty sure the temperament depends on the specific chin, not the gender. I haven't found any downsides to owning my female. It's nice not having to worry about hair ring checks, though. But, again, I've never had a male so I can't compare it very well.

 

[sheltiefan]

same here i have only owned a female. The only reason why i got a female is because i didn't want to do hair ring checks. My lil girl is really friendly. I think it is just up to the personailty of the chin itself. But females can spray. While mine never has i heard of a few people getting sprayed

 

[quirkyxkayla]

I only have a male here.
Hair ring checks aren't as bad as you may think and sometimes most chins groom themselves. (Obviously that doesn't mean that you should not check!) I only check my guy about once a month and he's really good at keeping himself clean. Hair ring checks are definitely easier if you have another person there to help. ;] If you're scared of doing a hair ring check wrong, just research it. These forums are a great tool to find things out.

I can't say that males are nicer either, but my guy is pretty sweet and gentle. He warmed up to me quickly and I've never had any problems with him.

Hope this helps!

 

[Chintastic!]

The only real downside to females is that they spray... and boy do they have DEADLY aim. If you tick off your female be prepared, if you tick off your male he gets a wet foot. Hair ring checks are not nearly as bad as people think. Once you do it a few times you get way better at it. Most of they time they take care of themselves anyway, you just have to check to be sure they get it all off.

 

[Essentia]

Honestly, I would rather do a hair ring check once a month than deal with a spraying female ANY DAY. I <3 my males.

 

[Mikayla]

Females can spray. I have two that are sprayers, but one has only sprayed another chin. One sprays a LOT!

It depends, maybe getting sprayed, or doing hair ring checks, which aren't that bad after a while.

 

[raachhelxd]

What exactly do they spray? & how much comes out...? DOES IT SMELL?

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

The thing is to say that female spray makes people think all females spray. I have found that really few do spray. Most females that are pets and handled do not spray. As for the hair ring check it really isn't such a big deal.

 

[LovinTheSmallAndFurry]

At what age do females start spraying? Mine is 5 and half months, and she has yet to do so.....

 

[EMSChins]

They spray urine and even the gentlest sweetest female can do it if ticked off or scared enough - I have found that if I approach my sprayer quietly and slowly she will back down and is then the friendliest chin ever.

 

[mercynursie]

I do the hair ring checks on all my guys aka "pulling taffy".My husband has a bad temper and that is the biggest reason I don't have females.I could just see him getting covered in pee during one of his "moments".Heck,sometimes I'd like to spray him!!!:laughitup:

 

[Lynn & The Chins]

I have boys and I don't mind the ring checks...now that both Mr. Whiskers and The Snuggler are neutered, they don't do a whole lot of humping!!! (Little Two Paws leads a solitary life and has had a lot of practice. )

The only downside to having females, besides the possibility of being sprayed, is that even unbred females can come down with pyometra. I don't know how common it is, but a friend's favorite female died while having an emergency spay due to having come down with it.

 

[Brittany]

The one thing that really pushed me away from wanting a male chinchilla is the responsibility of constantly checking for hair rings & fear of doing it wrong. But I do remember others saying males were nicer. So are there any "downsides" to owning a female chinchilla over a male?

I LOVE my females. Honestly I've only been sprayed a few times. Usually it's when I need to catch someone, and they've already warned me to back off by 'kacking". It's a small squirt of urine, just wash your hand and move on. You can usually tell a spray is coming when they rear up and "assume the position." I've only been sprayed by 2 of the 7 females I've cared for. Spraying really doesn't bother me.

 

[fbodgrl]

The one thing that really pushed me away from wanting a male chinchilla is the responsibility of constantly checking for hair rings & fear of doing it wrong. But I do remember others saying males were nicer. So are there any "downsides" to owning a female chinchilla over a male?

I've only had my Chin for a couple days. She is a female and seems pretty friendly already.

I obviously can't attest to much as far as chins go, but I do have 4 cats and have had cats for 16 years. I have heard the same thing regarding cats....that males are friendlier. I have 3 male cats and 1 female. Prior to this female cat I had the same 3 males and a 1 female (who passed away last summer) She was by far the most friendly cat I had and probably ever met. My current female is about 1 year old and is probably friendlier than a couple of my males.

 

[Andrea]

I have three females and I've never been sprayed. I don't think there is a major difference between males/females other than spraying vs. hair ring checks. Personally I'd rather deal with spraying . As far as personality goes I think it's really up to the individual chin. My three all have vastly different personalities...and they're all girls. Of course, you also have to consider that both males and females go through sexual maturation...my girls get quite moody when they are in heat. I've heard boys will hump owners/cuddle buddies and ejaculate. The last thing I can think of for now is price...males are almost always cheaper than females. You only need one male to impregnate a run of girls, but each girl has a unique litter of kits. Of course, if you're adopting a chin then price becomes pretty stable regardless of gender. Good luck!

 

[starleomach]

females get the wallsbehind their cages just awful with Urine. I only see it behind and to the side of cages with females

 

[Twilight Chinchillas]

Downside of females? Ask my son who thought it would be funny to blow into the face of a PO'd female and got a face (and mouthful) of urine!!! lol
Seriously though, mine are generally super sweet, and generally get moody when they have kits.

 

[chinchatcomics]

I have a male and female, I find the male a lot less friendly (this is also because his previous owners were neglectful to him for 5 years). He still bites strangers and is grumpy and protective. The female is a lot friendlier and she will come up to us when we let her out to play. Soo...I'd have to say it depends on the chin's personality!

 

[Isabella Whateva]

Just wanted to throw it out there that I've had females for 4 years and have never ever been sprayed. Not to mention Banilly is SUPER sassy at me. She will getr SO MAD if I open her door to give scritches but don't let her out to play. She grumbles at me and charges at the cage but has never sprayed. And Pudge gets angry at me when I poke her while she's trying to chew a baseboard but never sprays.

I don't think the "female or male" question is one to worry about. Instead, spend time figuring out the important things, like making sure your chin's lineage is free from genetic problems, or going to a breeder who gets their chins used to being handled at a young age.