how to ease a male into my other male chinchillas life

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maeryn.k.b

Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2020
Messages
12
i’ve heard they need to be in pairs or groups and that males are best together. any advice on how to do this? thanks!
 
They don't need to be in pairs or groups, so long as you can provide them with enough time everyday. They are social herd animals though so if you want another chin and have the room for a second cage, for the life of the chin if need be it's worth a try. Same sex pairs are best unless you are a breeder, males can be easier then females to bond, females are more territorial, but that doesn't mean that males make better pairs then females. Also double check that you do in fact have a male, it can be hard to tell sometimes.

First you'll need to quarintine the new chin in a different room for 30 days. That gives the new chin time to settle in to the new home, for any illness to show up before exposing your current chin and for you to get a wellness vet appointment, as well as for you to get to know and start to form a bond with the new chin. After that then you can move the cage into the same room as your current chin, over time (days or weeks) you can move the cages closer together so long as they aren't reacting. How slow or fast depends on the chins, but once they are ok in cages side by side then you can try doing short 5-10 minutes max play times together, if at all possible you want to stop on a good note not once they are fighting. Ideally use a room or play area neither has been in before so it's not one or the other's territory. Assuming playtime goes well you can start swapping cages so they can get their scents mixed. When they seem to be doing well together during playtime you can try cleaning the cage you plan to have them both in and put them in and watch them closely.
 
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