Fighting out of nowhere

[danakscully64]

I've had Shadow and Midnight since 2001, they've lived together since 2002. All of a sudden, they are NOT getting along. Fur keeps flying, Shadow keeps chasing Midnight around the cage, and poor Midnight won't stop shaking. What do I do? What could be causing this?

 

[danakscully64]

My female is housed underneath the boys, separated by a thick piece of wood, could she be in heat and that be causing the hostility?

 

[tunes]

Yep, the female could be causing it. Or, the sky could be a pretty shade of blue today. There's no way to know for sure, but if you've got one chin who is scared and shaking, then you need to separate them. I don't know if it will be for good, but for the safety of that chin you need to do it for now.

 

[ABBY W.]

Yes, you need to separate them right away, before one of them ends up seriously injured. Sometimes they just decide they don't get along for a while. Give them a break and then you can try re-introducing them later. They may get along again, or they may not.

 

[danakscully64]

I had Midnight out in his house, sitting next to me while on the computer. I gave them a break and put them back. Midnight stayed in his house. I left my bedroom door open and the computer room door open (where I sleep) so I could hear any fighting (I'm a very light sleeper) and I heard nothing. This morning I woke up, and they were sitting side by side. Boys, go figure I wanted to put Midnight in a separate cage last night, but I didn't have an extra water bottle because they've chewed through all of them. Reminded me to go get a backup bottle today. If I didn't have the new cage I'm constructing, I wouldn't have a place at all to separate them. What type of cage would you suggest as an "Emergency" cage?

 

[tunes]

Even a cat carrier works in the middle of the night. It doesn't have to be anything luxurious, it just has to be safe.

 

[Stackie]

Watch them like a hawk. One night I had two lover boys who cuddled and slept together constantly, the next morning I woke up to one of the boys covered in wounds and blood.

 

[danakscully64]

Even a cat carrier works in the middle of the night. It doesn't have to be anything luxurious, it just has to be safe.

Good idea. I actually have small cage I use to transport my rabbit, I may try that if the problem continues. I'm going to put Shadow in though because he's the one being aggressive, I don't want Midnight to feel like he's the one being punished.

If the issue is Twilight is in heat, how long does that last?

Watch them like a hawk. One night I had two lover boys who cuddled and slept together constantly, the next morning I woke up to one of the boys covered in wounds and blood.

Awwwww, poor baby! I just don't get it, they haven't had problems in 7 years.

 

[Cuddlebug]

None of us understand chins completely. If we did, there would be a lot less bad endings.

 

[tunes]

If the issue is Twilight is in heat, how long does that last?

It's not so much how long does it last, but the fact that it's going to happen every month. If that is what caused the fight, then you can expect it to happen not only every month, but to escalate every time.

 

[danakscully64]

None of us understand chins completely. If we did, there would be a lot less bad endings.

It's not so much how long does it last, but the fact that it's going to happen every month. If that is what caused the fight, then you can expect it to happen not only every mont, but to escalate every time.

Okay, so it's not Twilight, the boys just aren't getting along. I don't know what to do They are currently sleeping in 2 separate houses, they usually sleep together. I don't know what the hostility is about.

 

[saszygirl1]

You may never no. But i would seprate them before its too late.

 

[danakscully64]

They are sleeping next to each other now. I'm going to keep an eye on them. Since they're asleep, I know they're not fighting. I'm leaving for Petco in 15 minutes to get a backup bottle.

 

[tunes]

Castration "might" help, but there's no way of knowing for sure. What might be possible is castration then putting one of the males in with Twilight, so you still only have two cages.

 

[danakscully64]

I'm not a fan of castration, especially if it's not necessary. So I finally saw their "fighting" in action and realized it wasn't real fighting. Midnight will be in their house and when Shadow tries to go in, Midnight makes a ton of noises. Midnight sometimes runs out and Shadow chases him to see what's going on, fur flies in the process. Midnight shows his belly and stands up, but they don't bite or attack each other at all. Any suggestions? Any ideas as to why Midnight suddenly doesn't want Shadow in the house?

 

[Kansas City Chinchillas]

I would separate them permanently. Fighting/disagreements generally escalate between males. There is obviously a problem between the 2. They can and will hurt each other badly and you may lose one due to it.

 

[Mt. Zion Chins]

I would put the female in another room. It is probably the reason they are fighting. If you can't do that you will have to separate them for good They will always fight over the female when she goes into heat which can be anytime if it isn't too late now.

 

[danakscully64]

Right now, they are sleeping next to each other. I truly don't believe they will ever hurt each other. When I put them in their new cage (still working on decorating), they sat side by side and interacted in a good way. I know there are dangers, hence why I went out and bought a new water bottle just in case I need to separate them. I'll continue to keep an eye on them.

 

[AZChins]

If you see them going at it, separate them as soon as you can and keep them apart for a few days. Sometimes it is an isolated incident, however, one fight can indicate some tension between the boys. If you ignore it, sometimes they will have another fight and someone could get very injured. I'm glad that they look like they are getting along now and I hope so much that they continue to get along.