Introducing 9+ years old chins to new home

[Gubee]

Hi everyone, I'm going to bring my three male chinchillas to my new home from my parents tomorrow. They are 9, 10 and 11 years old. I'm wondering how I should go about introducing them to my house?

Two of them never travelled after having moved to my parents 9-11 years ago. One of them is actually quite picky on where he puts his personal stuffs. I worried about this little guy a lot if he can't adjust to my new house. Is there anyway I can minimize his stress? I read that I should keep them in their cage for a day or two before letting them out exploring the chin-proofed room. Is there anything else I can do or I should't do?

Please advise!

 

[saphire]

I would make sure that you keep their cage as is. Not change the layout, if they have fleece items and all, I would not wash them right away. Just let things be as they are. Don't change your feeding habits and all, but I would let them be for a week or so, or until you see they are back to their normal self if they where affected by the change. Once they are back to normal, I would start letting them out in their room.

 

[Dragonflye]

I agree, give them time and let them acclimate to the new environment.

 

[Gubee]

Thank you both! I can't wait to have them here with me, so I don't have to travel to my parents every night to feed and play with them.

I hope they will get used to my place soon!

 

[Gubee]

thanks both!! I hope they will adjust fine!

We are oh so ready and getting ready to go pick them up now!

 

[Cuddlebug]

Talk to them a lot and establish a routine of when things are done. Example, always fill their food dish at the same time every day. It will help them know what to expect.

 

[Gubee]

Finally they are settled. I think they are doing just fine. My picky boy actually sneaked out from his cage while I was tidying his cage a bit. I let him explore and he looked curious and cautious. The room has almost the same layout as when they were at my parents. When he was out, I let the others out too. They all looked fine. One of them even did the popcorn dance!