I have two male chinchillas. I took the oldest to the vet yesterday to have surgery and unfortunately he did not wake up from surgery. I have read that I should keep an eye on the remaining chinchilla and am considering finding him another cage mate but what I would like some advice on is should I show him his cagemate before I bury him so that he understands he isn't coming back? Or should I just let it be? They were bestfriends and I know this is gonna be as hard on my remaining chinchilla as it is on me. :tantrum:
What to do when one of your chins pass?
- Thread starter klove012
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AZChins
Pro Cage Cleaner Champion
He won't really notice if he sees the body of his friend again. It can be very hard on them to lose a friend. I'd give him some time to adjust. They get so used to having their friends and they really do miss them when they're gone...I don't know if you can call it grief, but they definitely will pine for their cagemates.
Sometimes chins can become depressed or even aggressive after such a loss, they just need some time to readjust. I'd give it some time before you adopt a new friend for him. Let him calm down, maybe a month or so would be good. (For some reason a month seems to be the magic amount of time for things to pass for chins.)
Sometimes chins can become depressed or even aggressive after such a loss, they just need some time to readjust. I'd give it some time before you adopt a new friend for him. Let him calm down, maybe a month or so would be good. (For some reason a month seems to be the magic amount of time for things to pass for chins.)
Newt
Well-known member
I've had guinea pigs pass in their cage overnight before. All the pigs cagemates would huddle as far away from the body as possible. I think it unsettled them a lot. So, I guess I'd say that I don't think you should show your remaining chin the body. Plus, he probably knew his friend was sick anyway.
I'm so sorry for your loss xxxxx
I'm so sorry for your loss xxxxx
Firstly, I am sorry for the loss of your chinchilla.
All chinchillas are different & they can react in different ways to the death of a cage mate.
In my experience some chins genuinely seem to greive and some simply don't seem to care - without anthropomorphising the animals, I think every chin's need is different.
Over the years I've seen varying reactions to a cage mate's death & to the body itself - sometimes they will ignore it, sometimes they will snuggle up to it, sometimes they will sniff it and gently groom as if to resuscitate, sometimes they will nip it, sometimes they will act as if there's something scary in the cage with them.
If I can, I allow the remaining chin to see the body of the cage mate that has passed - Some chins definitely seem to say 'goodbye' and some just carry on regardless.
All chinchillas are different & they can react in different ways to the death of a cage mate.
In my experience some chins genuinely seem to greive and some simply don't seem to care - without anthropomorphising the animals, I think every chin's need is different.
Over the years I've seen varying reactions to a cage mate's death & to the body itself - sometimes they will ignore it, sometimes they will snuggle up to it, sometimes they will sniff it and gently groom as if to resuscitate, sometimes they will nip it, sometimes they will act as if there's something scary in the cage with them.
If I can, I allow the remaining chin to see the body of the cage mate that has passed - Some chins definitely seem to say 'goodbye' and some just carry on regardless.
Laurenrachelle
Laurenrachelle
I am going through this too. Our stories are basically identical. I took my chin to the vet last week to have an abscess removed. His procedure went wrong and the abscess opened up into his oral cavity and he passed away. His cage mate was with on the vet visit and I was so worried about him. Mine are/was young, only a year. I've been giving Mojo so much attention. Extra petting, longer out of cage time. New toys, hand fed treats here and there, lots of applewood sticks. He seems to be doing well. It's been very hard. Thinking of you! I know it's been about a month since the initial post, but still thinking of you and your precious chin! So sorry.
