Possibly adopting a 9 year old chin

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FutureDVM

FutureDVM

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 30, 2011
Messages
204
Location
Colorado
Hey everyone! I haven't been very active on the forum lately due to school, but summer is soon so hopefully I'll be around more.

Anyway, Einstein is about a year and a half old now and he's doing great! For a while now, I've been thinking about adopting another chin to eventually keep him company while I am gone. There's another student right now who is trying to rehome her 9 year old male beige chin. He comes with a nice big cage and accessories, plus he's already eating Mazuri which is what I feed Einstein.

Obviously, I would do the initial quarantine and introduce them slowly after that, but I was hoping to get your thoughts on introducing two chins with such a big age difference. I would normally try to look for a younger chin, but this one needs a good home and I don't think there are many people out there who are interested in adopting an "older" chin. If anybody has any experiences or advice to share, please feel free to do so! :)
 
Ehhh - I don't know that I would get too excited about introducing them. A chin who has been alone for 9 years is not necessarily going to be happy about a roomie. Are you able to keep both cages set up so they can remain separate? If you are really set on introducing them, there is an intro thread in the FAQs with different techniques you can try. I would be very, very cautious though.

Adopting an older chin is awesome. Sadly, most people think that only babies are deserving of a good home.
 
I too think it's great you want to adopt an older chin. I'm a nervous Nellie when it comes to intros so I can't help you out there just be prepared to have that extra cage in case it doesn't work out.
 
tunes said:
Ehhh - I don't know that I would get too excited about introducing them. A chin who has been alone for 9 years is not necessarily going to be happy about a roomie. Are you able to keep both cages set up so they can remain separate? If you are really set on introducing them, there is an intro thread in the FAQs with different techniques you can try. I would be very, very cautious though.

Adopting an older chin is awesome. Sadly, most people think that only babies are deserving of a good home.
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Hmmm...okay. Thanks for the input. I guess I'm just hoping that it will somehow work out, even though I know it's unlikely. It would definitely be more convenient in the long run to have them together, but I'm sure I could make room for both cages since I'll need both for the quarantine period anyway. I will definitely check out the FAQ section, though.


Sandi said:
I too think it's great you want to adopt an older chin. I'm a nervous Nellie when it comes to intros so I can't help you out there just be prepared to have that extra cage in case it doesn't work out.
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Yeah, I just feel so bad that his owner can't keep him and I would love to give him the care he deserves. Actually, considering chins can live 20 years, 9 years old isn't that old.
 
I hope you adopt him. It's so hard to find a good home for older chinchillas that come into rescue here. Normally I end up having to take care of the older chins for the rest of their lives - I've had one older chin here for 12 years!

Just remember that chins can potentially live to be 20, they very rarely do. If you have a chin make it to 15 or older, that's a great lifespan for a chinnie. I've yet to have a chin make it to 20...closest I got was 19 and a few months old. Don't put too much pressure on the little guys!
 
That would be great if you adopted him, but I have to agree with tunes. A chinnie living 9 years by himself wouldn't be too excited for a buddy.
 
.......then again, a chin that's lived on their own for 9 years may want some chinny company. ;)

Good on you for wanting to adopt an oldy - I have a soft spot for older chins and they can be very rewarding. If you're prepared to go into taking the new chin on with an open mind then I'd say go for it! You can try gradual introductions and see how they get on but be prepared to keep them separate and have 2 cages just in case.
You never know with chinnies - sometimes they can surprise you.

Good luck with whatever you decide. :)
 
Thank you all so much for the advice. I'm really leaning towards adopting him. I will be going to meet him next week, so we will see how everything goes. I'll keep you all updated! :)
 
Update!

Well, I brought him home tonight! :) He is such a cutie and full of energy. For some reason, I thought he was a beige, but he's actually a beautiful standard grey. I also learned that he lived with 3 other chins in the past, which makes me feel much better about potentially introducing him to Einstein!

I was able to snap a few photos on my phone, but I'll have to get better ones later. Without further adieu, here's BamBam!

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He DOES look so sweet - thank you so much for adopting an older guy. So many people want a young chin and that leaves the poor older chins up for adoption without a forever home - Congratulations
 
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