New owner chinchilla

[Carlo]

Hello everybody. I have had a male chinchilla puppy for 2 months. He is now 5 and a half months old. Unfortunately he is alone and now I can't get him a friend. Will he be fine on his own? If I get another male puppy in the future, will it be more difficult to make them become friends? I hope to be able to take it as soon as possible but now it is difficult to move with the covid-19 problem

 

[Amethyst]

They can live fine on their own so long as you can provide them with enough socialization. You can't really ever make up for another chin, but so long as you can spend at least an hour a day everyday with him he shouldn't be lonely. Getting a friend later is a option so long as you don't wait too many years, after about 5-10 years as the only chin they can be use to being alone and aren't as open to having a cage mate. Also in general not all chins like all other chins, just like all humans don't like all other humans, so regardless of age there is no guarantee two random chins will get along.

 

[Carlo]

They can live fine on their own so long as you can provide them with enough socialization. You can't really ever make up for another chin, but so long as you can spend at least an hour a day everyday with him he shouldn't be lonely. Getting a friend later is a option so long as you don't wait too many years, after about 5-10 years as the only chin they can be use to being alone and aren't as open to having a cage mate. Also in general not all chins like all other chins, just like all humans don't like all other humans, so regardless of age there is no guarantee two random chins will get along.

Thanks for the reply. I don't leave him alone because I spend all evening with him. I also get him out of the cage. I have read that it is rather dangerous to let them out when they are still puppies but he is very calm. This is also what worries me a little. It seems too quiet for such a young chinchilla. Maybe he is sad and bored because he is without a chinchilla friend. It is my first chinchilla and I am not an expert. Before I had three degu and they were unleashed

 

[Amethyst]

Some chins are more calm then others (and young chinchillas are called kits not puppies ) so long as he has always been more on the calm side and is eating, drinking, pooping, and peeing normally that could just be how he is. The danger of letting them have playtime are because most will go go go and can over do it causing them to exhaust themselves. Kits are also clumsy and can get hurt if they bounce around too much and land wrong. Was he with another chin before you got him, not counting his mother? Was he separated from a litter mate or other kit he had bonded with? If so they can miss their friend/sibling. There are plenty of chins that live all alone for their whole life (20+ years as an only chin) though, so I don't think they really need to have a cage mate like some other rodents do. Having another chin around though is almost always beneficial. They are herd animals so having another chin around, even if in another cage and they don't get along, can at least give him someone to chat chinchilla to. I also have had chins that enjoyed having playmates but didn't want a cage mate.

 

[Carlo]

Some chins are more calm then others (and young chinchillas are called kits not puppies ) so long as he has always been more on the calm side and is eating, drinking, pooping, and peeing normally that could just be how he is. The danger of letting them have playtime are because most will go go go and can over do it causing them to exhaust themselves. Kits are also clumsy and can get hurt if they bounce around too much and land wrong. Was he with another chin before you got him, not counting his mother? Was he separated from a litter mate or other kit he had bonded with? If so they can miss their friend/sibling. There are plenty of chins that live all alone for their whole life (20+ years as an only chin) though, so I don't think they really need to have a cage mate like some other rodents do. Having another chin around though is almost always beneficial. They are herd animals so having another chin around, even if in another cage and they don't get along, can at least give him someone to chat chinchilla to. I also have had chins that enjoyed having playmates but didn't want a cage mate.

He also has a sister. I didn't take her because I don't want to castrate my boy. I had an agreement with the breeder to take another male kit from him. He was still too young when I took mine. Now he would be ok as age but I can't drive up to the breeder. I guess I'll just have to wait a little while