Chinchillas that didn't grow up together may not get along upon first being introduced. This might surprise some people since chinchillas are sociable in the wild.
However, all is not lost. It is possible to get two chinchillas used to each other's company. When we were introducing two chinchillas from different breeders we used a tried and proven technique. We put the newer chinchilla in a spare cage we had. We kept our older chinchilla in her original cage. We kept the two cages side-by-side so that chinchillas could see and smell each other at all times.
Then, every night we would let each chinchilla out of her cage for a period of time, but never both at the same time. We left it up to each chinchilla to approach the other. Of course, with the cage bars in between them, there was no fear that they would hurt each other.
After a week or two, we allowed both chinchillas to leave their cages at the same time. The first few times we did this, the chinchillas would chase each other which we stopped as quickly as possible.
Again, a week or so after releasing both from their cages we noticed that there was less chasing and less fighting. The number of "incidents" continued to decrease over time. About 3 to 4 weeks into the process, we moved the newer chinchilla into the older chinchilla's cage. They slept in the same box, shared the same water bottle, and ate from the same dishes.
And as further proof that this system works, we repeated everything again with a third chinchilla with same results.
We believe in providing as complete information as possible, so we want to also make you aware of the neutral zone technique. Those that use the neutral zone technique actually disagree with the approach we described. We leave it up to you decide which approach to take.
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August 27th, 2006 at 2:42 pm
What happened after Zoe ran away? Did the male chase her or simply let her go? If Zoe was chased, you should considering keeping them separate and following the steps outlined on this page for introducing two chinchillas. We always advocate slow introductions because as Nikki pointed out above, you won't be there during the day to intervene if necessary. It is always safer to witness a few playtimes where there is no biting, chasing, or fighting.
August 27th, 2006 at 1:12 pm
Hi Katie and Brian
My name is Nikki and I will try to understand your questions. I am a owner of two standard blue gray chinchillas. Gizmo is a little older than Zazu but we got them at the same time. Zazu loves to chew on Gizmo… as a sign of loving him as a brother! But this is a nibble it sounds like a bite between your pets! If you ask me, take the new chin and put him in a separate cage and when play time comes let them both out to play at the same time. That way you can watch them play around and if they try to harm one another you are there to help. If you leave them in the cage together who knows what will happen. You'll come home to a seriously injured chinchilla! As they start getting to know each other then put them in a cage with each other and let them be.
August 26th, 2006 at 11:45 pm
Hello Again.
We went back to the store we bought Zoe and purchased the black velvet male they had. We let them interact at the store and they seemed to get along fine, now that we have them home the new chin seems to be a little more lively then Zoe is. Zoe is very on edge and every little thing scares her. He has been trying to hump her and went up to her and bit her ear. She didn't bite him back but squealed a little bit and then ran away. Is this something that we should be concerned about and keep them in seperate cages or is it normal play like behavior?
Thanks again for your advice.
August 25th, 2006 at 8:42 pm
We don't think there's too young an age to introduce chinchillas. As long as they've been weaned from their mother, they should be good to go. Of course, you need to decide if you can handle two of them. Two chinchillas need more room than one, eat twice the food, and create twice the mess. However, we think pairs are happier than singles especially during times when you can't spend as much time with them as you'd like.
We don't have an answer on the neutering question for you. We've only ever had females (on purpose) and never needed to look in to the matter. It's a good question for a vet though. If the vet doesn't know, then find another vet.
August 25th, 2006 at 8:23 pm
Do you think that it is too soon to get another one? Zoe is not comfortable with us completely yet, she still seems to get frightened quite easily… I thought that it might be easier to get another one now since they are both only about 13 weeks old but like I said before, this is our first time with chinchillas, so any advice is GREATLY appreciated!!
Also, do you know what age you can get the males neutered at?
(sorry for all the questions!!)
Katie & Bryan