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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April 4th, 2007 at 8:02 pm
Katie,
You could be up against a gender issue or just a personality issue. Female chinchillas are the dominant sex and are often more aggressive than males. However, females can get along with females. Our female chinchillas are living proof of this.
Are you planning on breeding chinchillas or are you taking measures to prevent your chinchillas from having babies?
April 4th, 2007 at 9:22 am
Just a quick question…
I have two chinchillas that have been housed together since August '06, one is a male and one is a female. We just recently bought another female chinchilla and she seems to get along fine with the male but goes after the female when she has the chance. I was just wondering if anyone knows if it is common for it to be harder to introduce two females or if it is a bad idea to introduce a new chin to a male and female pair that have been housed together for 8months?
thanks for the help.
February 28th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
David,
You should first decide whether you want to have chinchillas at all. While a second chinchilla will keep the first one company, it will require more time from you when it comes to cleaning. Chinchillas are social by nature, but they can do well on their own too. As for cage size, the bigger the better. There is no such thing as too big a cage so get what you can afford and fit in your home. The gender of your new chinchilla should match that of your current one.
February 28th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Hi~ I have had one male chinchilla for three years through college and he has been a great pet. I've started working and I am not home as much as I was before. I am thinking about getting another chinchilla to keep him company… Is this a good idea. Should I look for a male of a female? How big of a cage do I need? Thanks for all your help!
January 27th, 2007 at 11:52 am
Stacie,
It sounds like you need to separate them. Look for signs that the scared one has calmed down and then go through the introduction process again using separate cages. But be prepared that they may not get along again. We don't have a quick fix for this one. Sorry and good luck!