pairing two males with different personalities?

[iheartfurryfriends]

so my chinchilla is often alone when I'm at school. He hasn't started any fur chewing yet (thankfully), but I'm worried he might very soon. I found an available chinchilla almost the same age,just a few months difference. My chinchilla lets me pet him, but will not ever let me pick him up. The one I might get is more calm and lets you pick him up. The owner even said he'll crawl all over you when you let him out,which I am very excited about. ) I'm kinda worried that even if they DO get along, my chinchilla's habits might rub off on the new chinchilla and then they'd both be jumpy and skitish :/
what do you think?

 

[Stackie]

Chinchillas are fine alone. Just because they are alone does not mean they will start fur chewing. Many people on here have very happy, single chins. One of my chins has been alone for several years because he has actually killed his cage mate. He is perfectly happy and would rather live alone, anyway. I work all day and he is fine. Your chin is sleeping all day when you are at school.

Anyway, there is no guarantee that your chin will even accept this new chin. You will need to do a 30 day quarantine in a completely separate cage in a different room. After that time is up, you can move the new chin's cage next to your others and begin introductions. Intros can be a very tedious, time consuming process. Even with the most patience, some chins just will not accept another.

As for the personality change, it could happen. Many people claim that if they pair their chins up, the chins become less bonded with them and more bonded with the other chin. However one of my friendlist chins has a very skittish cage mate, but he still loves to hop out into my hands and jump all over me, and even be carried around.

Long story short, no one can really predict what will happen. You will just have to try and see. Good luck.

 

[addictedtochins]

As long as you are prepared for them to live separate lives and can afford two, I would be tempted to get a sweet snuggly chin too. I have 6 boys and I can not see any personality change in pairings. Well one thing I have seen is for instance Joey was paired with Doesha, I noticed Joey was losing weight and not as happy, there must have been squabbling (I don't remember) Well now Doesha is by himself and Joey is in a cage of 4 other boys. He is happy and fat now.

 

[iheartfurryfriends]

thank you but.. agh i just really want that cute and cuddly one, and i dont have the heart to give away the one I already have. He has his sweet moments, even though I swear he doesnt love me. I just don't know what to do!

 

[Stackie]

It wouldn't be fair to give away the one you already have..that would be replacing him and when you get a pet, you commit to care for it. Replacing him with a chin that is more "cute and cuddly" is not right. Many chinchillas are not cuddly animals- it is not their normal behavior. They are prey animals and they do not like being picked up, cuddled, etc. Your chin is probably just being a normal chin. There are the rare few that don't mind being handled and cuddled.

If you want the new chin, get a separate cage and house him that way.

 

[GorillaJTA]

thank you but.. agh i just really want that cute and cuddly one, and i dont have the heart to give away the one I already have. He has his sweet moments, even though I swear he doesnt love me. I just don't know what to do!

How long have you had him? Basically, have you invested in bonding with him? It takes time and patience. You cannot expect an animal as long-lived as a chinchilla to accept you immediately. Give him some time.

 

[iheartfurryfriends]

It wouldn't be fair to give away the one you already have..that would be replacing him and when you get a pet, you commit to care for it. Replacing him with a chin that is more "cute and cuddly" is not right. Many chinchillas are not cuddly animals- it is not their normal behavior. They are prey animals and they do not like being picked up, cuddled, etc. Your chin is probably just being a normal chin. There are the rare few that don't mind being handled and cuddled.

If you want the new chin, get a separate cage and house him that way.

you're right. I'm just going to try and get the new one and just put him in a separate cage. Thank you all <3

 

[Claire D]

How long have you had your current chinchilla? How much time have you spent trying to bond with the little chap?

I'm sorry but I have to say, why get a new chinchilla just because it is supposedly cuddly? You already have a chinchilla which, given some time & patience may well become more friendly.
If you can't invest the time in your original chinchilla then you should not be getting another one - it is not fair on either chinchilla.
Spend time with the one you have & give him a good few months (9-12) to get used to you before even considering another chinchilla.
Take it slowly - you need to get used to how chinchillas are & be able to look after them properly.

 

[Whimsy]

The only personality changes I've ever seen in pairing same gender chins is that the solo chins tend to calm down once they have an acceptable buddy. We have seen some remarkable positive changes when previously alone chins finally get a friend.

The only negative we've seen has been with urine spraying. Some chins who have never urine sprayed suddenly learn this new trick and seem to try it out on each other for a short while.

 

[iheartfurryfriends]

Well I got him from a petstore about 6 or 7 months ago. The people there didnt know crap about them. they said he was a five month old female; Just to soon find that he was a boy. I went somewhere else around the same time and saw some chinchillas, that were alot smaller than mine, and the lady said THEY were 4 months. God knows how old mine actually is. I asked about hay and he picked some out for me, saying that i could give it to him as a treat. My chinchilla obviously never got any hay there either.
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I've read about studies that conclude animal's dream about past events, and it's all based on memory. I sometimes see him sleeping and then all of the sudden, he'll bark and wake up. I really think that he has nightmares about what used to happen to him. I'm not going to give him away for sure, Im just going to see about getting him a buddy.