When did you start adding to your chin families?

[chexy114]

Hello! I've had my chin for around two months, and although I know I'm not ready to get another one right now, I'm definitely planning on getting one in the future. How long did all of you wait before getting a buddy for your first baby? (assuming you started out with one instead of two)

I was going to get two originally, but my breeder (who is also a vet) said it was a bad idea and the only time it's really safe to house them together is when it's a male and a female, and then you have babies to worry about.

I don't know if it is true, but she also said that if you get two same sex pairs, even if they get along they might randomly turn against each other someday. What is everyone's opinion on this? She seemed really against the idea but tons of people on here seem to have more than one, and I've really grown to adore chinchillas and would love to add another to my family.

What do you all think?

 

[Millie'sMum]

This is going to open up a can of worms on this one A lot of members on this forum believe you do not necessarily have to have a "buddy" for your chin. They are more than capable of doing very well by themselves, and people of course do not encourage breeding, unless they are very well experienced and knowledgable breeders. This makes sense to me, because you do not want to popularize the SPCA or rescues with more Chins than what they already are!! There is also no guarantee either that a male and female pair will not hurt or kill one another either. I say if you would want another one, search this forum and you can read all the horror stories with pairs of chins both same sex and opposite, oh and also horror stories about breeding as well. Believe me your chin is probably very happy by themselves and you can spoil them even more by only focusing on that one Please don't take offense, its just you shouldn't need to worry that your lil chinny is sad and lonely! Your profile picture is adorable btw! Lil baby!

 

[~SG~]

ok, my story~
I got a non breeding pair of craigslist thinking that meant one was fixed. Then I find out nope, neither is fixed 'they just never had babies' UGH

So the educated people here tell me to SEPARATE IMMEDIATELY! They weren't in the best home before and now that they were on proper diet they might breed, or they could have been breeding and eating the young or other pets eating the young all along (wasn't a baby safe cage)
EEK! Oh My what to do?!?!??

I separated them but they made the saddest sounds calling to each other..... So I started hunting same sex cage mates. I got a pair of girls and a boy from Tunes (Thank again, I love my babies so much!!)

After the quarantine time and intros the girls are all in one big happy cage! The boys..... well they get along ok, mutual playtime and all but after talking it over with Tunes we decided it was best the boys live apart. They are in a divided cage now.

It seems some chins are happier alone. If you want more, get more, but be prepared to have each chin in a separate cage cause that may be just how it ends up.

 

[Geistkatze]

I'd love to get more chins! But I don't have enough money to support another, can't have more pets in my apartment (or have room for two cages in this studio), and I have a handful with who I have already. ) I have a single chin in a huge, converted bird cage. It's a little taller than me (I'm 5'7) and plenty wide. I'm home almost all the time so he gets a lot of attention. Someday I'd love to get a pink white chinchilla, but I figure I have 50+ years left in my lifetime to get one later.

Amal my chin is a pretty cranky guy, so he has no cage mate. He's been alone for 2 years. He has issues with being touched and is pretty bossy. It has to do with personality- I don't believe they are like say, rats, and 100% NEED a cage mate. I don't think he'd get along well with another chin, even a submissive one. He did get along well with one of my cats (they really did love each other), but I never let them interact except on opposite sides of the cage/playpen.

 

[RDZCRanch]

Chinchillas are very social animals. I always feel better when my chins leave here in pairs. ANY pair can turn on each other, but it doesn't mean EVERY pair will. I have a pair of boys that have been together for almost 8 years now and they are perfectly happy together. I've had females together for multiple years and they do well. It is an absolute myth that a male/female pair will get along better than a same sex pair. If anything...male/female pairs get along LESS in my experience because the male attempts to mount the female to the point of her losing her patience and trying to kill him.

It has to do with introductions and keeping their environment consistent. I see a lot of fights between bonded pairs start "randomly" when things are moved in the cage. If you change the decor of the cage too much after a pair has bonded, you may upset the balance of dominance and cause them to start fighting for the top spot all over again. There are of course other stories where absolutely nothing changed except the chinchillas' ability to get along.

If you want another chinchilla, go for it! Just be prepared to house them separately if they do not bond well or end up fighting in the future. It's not a bad thing to keep two chins in the same room, but not the same cage. This also helps them with their "socialization" in a way. Even if they can't live together, they can still speak their own language to each other.

 

[Megan]

Your vet and breeder is sadly mistaken.

Chins don't NEED company. However, same sex pairs can be fine. I am a breeder but do have a bonded same sex male pair- IN the same room as my breeding animals. They were introduced as adults, One is almost 10 years old, the other is a rescue who is atleast 10, maybe older. They get along great. I also have 3 females who are caged together with out a male in with them. Again, they get along great and have been this way for years now.

Same sex pairs can fight. male/female pairs can fight. There are quite a few times breeders find one of their chins beaten up because a pair turned on each other.

When housing two animals together no matter what combination of sexes there is always the possiblity they may fight.

 

[Laurie]

I got my first chin 5 years ago, I had her for a few months and knew nothing about caring for them--it was BF or before forum. I let her have free roam of the house and she ate a whole in the livingroom screen window and escaped into the night. A week went by I found out from someone at a "fair" that no way could my chin survive in the heat, weather, and was most likely already eaten by a fox or hawk. He was a small animal vendor and "convenientely" had another beige chin who looked like the girl I had lost. I was told she was 6 months old and he placed her in my palm--I started bawling thinking of my most likely dead chin and my boyfriend said "We'll take her!" A week later my neighbors told me the humane society had my chinchilla. They had actually posted a lost and found for her and the very day she escaped a nice man found her, cared for her over the weekend and brought her in. And that's what started my chin addiction. Within the following year I was up to 4 chins, the next year up to 7, the following year 9. I currently have 9 chins and that's all the room I have even though I long for a dark chocolate tan boy. 9 chins fit here, I have enough to see them and spend time with them, and I can afford to feed, home and care for them.

 

[starleomach]

chinchillas do not need company, it is people who feel like they do many chinchillas actually do better on their own.

That being said male/male female/female and male/female pairings all have the risk of turning on one another. IMPO you are more at risk with a male/female pairing as there are way more homones involved. A lot of times a new mom will attack others in her cage.

 

[bnrchins]

I think I had my very first chin for a week. Then I decided I needed another. And that grew to where I am now!

They are great pets. Some do better in pairs, some don't. Same sex is always better, no unneeded babies.

 

[chexy114]

Thanks for all the advice guys!!!

Yeah I would probably get another boy because I'm afraid of what would happen to my baby if I got him neutered. Also, his cage is very large so it could easily be split up into two if need be.

I'll probably adopt my next one...I already got one through a breeder and I'd like to help the world of chins by giving an abandoned one a forever home

I'd go out and pick one up right now if I could, but I really want to give my 4 month old chin as much handling and attention as I can so he can grow up to be super friendly and trusting. He's already trusting but he isn't crazy about any kind of handling yet...I figure he will adjust as he gets older.

I'm a little afraid about a bonded pair turning on each other, but the way my boyfriend and my schedule works someone is almost always home.

I know he doesn't "need" a friend but I think he'd like one....and I would definitely like another one oh heck I'll admit it it would probably be more for me than him anyway hahaha

Anyway, this probably won't happen for a couple months if not a year...I love animals and I want to be a good owner. That's why I joined this great forum ^_^ I want to learn all I can first!

 

[cremellomare]

We got our first one in 06 from our brother in law, who got him from a friend who worked for a large chain petstore and 'reported him as damaged' so he could steal him. Our second one we got in the spring of 09 from my husband's coworker's daughter, she had two and one died and figured we could pair them up. Our first one was socially awkward and didn't know how to be a chinchilla buddy so it was rough at first. We got our next two in Nov 09 off of craigslist, they were free along with a big cage. I'm glad we went slow in getting them and it was difficult to introduce the 2+2. Now they get along great and cuddle up together but that is our limit for now and we know it, and plan on sticking to it.

 

[monarch]

Anyone know there there are differences between male and female temperaments and the possibility of them turning on each other? What I mean is, are males more likely to turn on each other than females? Vice versa?

 

[starleomach]

There really isn't much of a difference in the temperments they can turn on each other at a moments notice reguardless of sex. I have seen males kill male cage mates and I have come home to bloody or dead females beat up by female cagemates or male cage mates. It is a risk you run with a pair. I have even seen a case of a nuetered male kill a cage mate..