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EveningChin

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I know I got luck before when I was dumb enough to just stick two chins together and the got along but I won't be doing that again after all the horrible things I have seen. I got really lucky when I introduced Sasha to Petra. Maybe it was because they were both very very young or were just meant to be buddies. But that was luck/

This Sunday marks Nyx's end of quarentine and she will be joining Petra in the dining room. Where she will site next to Petra's cage for one week. The cage sits on the floor so when Petra is out for playtime she will be able to investigate but not get to the young Miss Nyx. And she will be able too see Nyx during Nyx;s play time.

Now when I intro I know there will probably be a few scuffles.
When should I stop them?

How much fur should fly?

And how long should I wait between intro nights?

More questions as they warrent.
 
Be careful with the cage on the floor as I had a bite happen between the cage bars of a martins cage as i didn't think it could happen, but Bria succeeded in surprising me. I have learned she has some crazy jealousy issues as she goes nuts if smokey is out but she isn't. I've seen a few times if they would still bite at the bars at each other and they still try so separate they shall remain.
 
The cage that Nyx is in has a plastic bottom with a rim that makes it so the two cages can't touch. I think the closest they can get is two inches between cages. And the only place they are even on the same level is the upper part of Nyx's cage and the bottom of Petra's. I just want them to be able to see and smell each other but not possibly touch. Thanks for the concern though! :thumbsup:


I've been reading all the other intro threads and my main question now is how much fur slippage is too much?
 
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Hmmm good point. I hadn't thought of that. I will keep a close eye on it. Thank you!
 
Well, when introing chins, a lot of fur can fly. Many people say that to stop the intro only when there's biting or the chins seem to be getting stressed out with the chasing and dominance humping. But if they are going to get along, they have to work out their dominance, so there will be some chasing and humping.

I would not leave them together over night until you don't see any chasing or fur flying. I wouldn't want to leave them alone without supervision if they're still trying to work out their dominance.

Just make sure you have either a completely new cage or a completely cleaned out cage to put them in if they get along. You don't want it to smell like any other chins.

I hate doing intros, they're really stressful to me lol. But good luck!
 
Dolyphinm said:
I was more so referring to if playtime was in the area of the cages. Sorry for not mentioning that.
Click to expand...

I had a bite happen this way also. And it was actually the chin that WAS out playing that bit the chin in the cage. It was only minor, fortunately, but still something to be cautious about.
 
alli713 said:
Well, when introing chins, a lot of fur can fly. Many people say that to stop the intro only when there's biting or the chins seem to be getting stressed out with the chasing and dominance humping. But if they are going to get along, they have to work out their dominance, so there will be some chasing and humping.

I would not leave them together over night until you don't see any chasing or fur flying. I wouldn't want to leave them alone without supervision if they're still trying to work out their dominance.

Just make sure you have either a completely new cage or a completely cleaned out cage to put them in if they get along. You don't want it to smell like any other chins.

I hate doing intros, they're really stressful to me lol. But good luck!
Click to expand...


Thanks so much! I've been doing alot of reading of the other threads I think after a week of side by side living I'm going to give the carrier cage in cage method.

I plan on getting the addition for my FN 141 to make it like the 142 after intros. So if intros go well they can live in the top while I scrub the bottom, or if they go poorly I can just keep Nyx on top.

I would still appriciate as much advice as possible!
 
Definitely let us know how it goes :) I'm looking into getting a third soon and am dreading the whole intro process.
 
Update:

Well the chin girls have been living together in the dining room since sunday. Sunday was funny becasue Petra Lunged at Nyx's Cage and and Nyx sprayed her. Petra had never seen this and spent the next 24 hours testing it out on us, her hidey house, and the floor. I was sitting at the table doing my homework and she gave her hidey house the stink eye for about a minute then stood up wobbled a bit and then sprayed. She promptly inspected her work. :rofl: She also used the bars of her cage to projectile urinated on the floor. Very amusing. That stopped after awhile.

Since the first night Petra has completly ignored Nyx. Nyx is just enthralled by Petra, chirps to her gets as close to Petra's cage as possible and just watches her full time... like a stalker.

So we decided to have let them have a playtime together last night to see how it goes. Neutral territory was the bathroom as neither had ever been there, there were two baths, a couple of boxes and some chew toys. The girls were released on either end of the bathroom.

When they met they sniffed a bit and then Petra attacked. Lots of chasing and Petra pulled about a hand full of Nyx's fur, a towel was tossed and they went back to their cages... Nyx still adores Petra but it would appear Petra wants none of it.... I guess we'll give it more time.
 
Some chasing and fur pulling is going to happen. They need to work out their dominance. So one chin has to submit to the other. The fur can fly out naturally when one chin grabs a hold of the other while it's trying to dominance hump the other.
If you can bear it, I would allow them to try and work out their dominance. But if one chin is getting chased too much and seems to be getting stressed out I would stop. Or if there is biting so that one bleeds I would also stop. I have noticed when introing that sometimes the dominant one with nibble on the fur or ears of the one it's humping, I'm not sure if all do this, but I have seen mine do it and so long as it wasn't aggressive I allowed it.
 
I guess for me its hard to distinguish what is agressive. I let Petra chase Nyx for about three minutes. From what I've noticed last night and today is that Nyx is not stresed about this at all. But Petra seems off, she's been sitting on her favorite ledge looking owly, ears back and squinty....

I think I'll take your advice, I'll wait till tomarrow or Sunday and then just let them have at. No blood no foul right?
 
Well, that's what many breeders say that if you don't see blood or one hurting another that to just let them work it out. But I'm no expert at introing, I've just tried it about 6 times. So far I've gotten 2 pairs to work out. The first successful one was super easy, just a small amount of chasing and then it was done. This last one was hard and stressful for me but they did work it out and now seem to be getting along just fine. This last intro was between MuShu and Keiki and there was quite a bit of fur flying. Keiki has a few patches where there's dents in her lovely fur. But I found that they weren't really being aggressive, rather they were chasing one another to get the dominance worked out. And once they were able to do that it was okay. But it took me confining them to a small area to allow them to work it out. When they were in a big open room, there was too much chasing in my mind and it was only making it worse.
Personally I think introing chins is going to be different every time. I was able to tell that it wasn't aggression and so I felt that I could confine them and they wouldn't kill one another. I have seen plenty of aggression between introing chins with trying my 4 other intros that I felt I knew what I was seeing. It was still stressful for me and I got worried still but I was hopeful.
 
Lol, It is very stressfull! I've lost 5 lbs since sunday... I'm thinking its a perk. lol!

Thanks so much for sharing your experience with me, its really helped me alot. I'm glad to know that it may not be aggression just because fur is flying. I don't know how better to express my gratitude. If I think of a way I will let you know!
 
Update:

Well I intro-ed again on Sunday. It didn't go well. It stared off ok and Nyx the chase-y never got stressed or overly scared. She is possibly the most layed back Chin I have ever met. There was small about scuffling, mostly Petra chasing Nyx. Nyx got a retalitory dominance hump in at one point. After about 5 mins Petra lunged and shredded Nyx's ear pretty good. This was Sunday night, I took Nyx to the Vet Monday morning and she got 5 stitches in her ear. She never exibited any signs of pain, infact she didn't seem to care at all the her ear was in three strips. The vet did a great job fixing her up. She did give me this look when I picked her up still a bit woozy from the anesthetic of "I do not love this day." So She got home got a big drink of water ate a bunch of pellets and slept for about six hours straight.

When she got up she was back to her normal Nyxie self and I gave her a sea grass ball filled with Tomothy hay. Which she LOVES.... After she inspected this she gave me a look that said... "Ok I don't hate this day either."

All in all, we are done with intros for at least three months if ever again. I believe Petra has just gotten too used to being an only chin and (even with Sasha) she prefers human company to Chinchilla. Nyx is still enthralled with Petra and wants to be friends, she is still so young and has lived the majority of her young life with other chinchillas. I've already made plans and accomodations for the little Violet wrap girl I plan to get and hopefully her and Nyx will be buddies, then maybe in the distant future Petra will want to get in on the cuddly fuz love. If none of them get along I am prepared for three seperate chin girls.

Thanks everyone for your help and Support!
 
Awww...I'm sorry you've had such a tough time with your girls, but I'm glad to hear that Nyx's ear will be ok! Sometimes I think intros are more stressful for us than the chins LOL.
 
Thanks so much Tabitha! You are right, only Petra and I were stressing Nyx still seems happily oblivious!
 
It really is stressful when you are hoping to have a pair of chins be cage mates, or even just friendly, and it doesn't work out. Maybe it will in the future, but don't let yourself get too stressed out over it. Just enjoy your two girls.
 
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