How to successfully introduce / bond chinchillas

[@janetjones6567]

I would like to say a big thank you to you for your info on smooshing. You obviously know what you’re talking about and worked great for me. I think I now the group you’re talking about and removed myself for being way to judgmental. Again a major thank you and I now have two super happy boys.

[@myrialightseeker193]

I divided a very big cage in 2 and would switch the chinchillas in each other parts every couple days, while letting them out in a room together once a week and would put them back in the cage as soon as a fight would break. Waited 3 weeks, than I started to leave the hole between the two levels uncovered during the day (they are sleepy) but leaving out the stairs that would allow them to go into each other level for a week. They started talking to each other, so I put the stairs up and they have been together since then. Took us barely a month to get them bonded. A 2 years old male and 1 year ish male, both rescues.

[@miarao9130]

THANKS YOU I’m doing this right now I was watching this like I don’t have two different cages I have one 4 story cage so this helped a lot thanks

[@myrialightseeker193]

@@miarao9130 You are welcome :)

[@tialoma7744]

This is how I plan to do it too!!

[@cynv7]

Thank you for the info I’m housing 2 females in a 4 story cage and I’m nervous but hoping for the best! 🤞🏼

[@TauniDougherty]

Thank you for your observations!!! There are so many higher conflict and opposing opinions which are not helpful in the least. Being passionately opposed to ideas on a under researched topic is difficult to respect and does not contribute to the evolution of our knowledge in the area! Thank you!

[@xanyali4862]

Me and my love actually get a new baby in a few weeks, so I am so excited for this video! Thanks so much for your videos

[@madie7018]

your chinchilla is one years old now

[@penguin22penguin22]

@@madie7018 3 now

[@diamondintheruffdressage]

I’m at my wits end with my girls. So glad to find this video. I have a father son pair and a female (separate cage). My female bonded to my sisters dog and when I moved she was so depressed I was scared she would die. No breeders in my area had females available so I went to Petco to get one. She’s been difficult, I’ve never bought a chinchilla from a pet store before but I was desperate. They hate each other, I’m gonna keep trying though. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻

[@Isabella-fc9hl]

Hi, I’m planning on getting my chinchilla a new friend, and I was wondering what cage you used for the smooshing method, thank you ❤

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

I used a medium pet carrier, one that is just big enough to fit two chinchillas in . Not the hamster size one next size up from that.

[@Isabella-fc9hl]

@@AllysAnimalAntics Thank you so much!

[@foxyshazaam3310]

What kind of chinchilla is that? She is absolutely stunning

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

Saturn is a Wilson White Royal Persian angora (long furred) chinchilla 🙂

[@cathyjerome1662]

@@AllysAnimalAntics Saturn is gorgoues indeed

[@elenad8411]

Nice tips, thank you! Will try both and fingers crossed it will work.

[@rigoyolanda5984]

I already have 2 chinchillas that get along well but I got a 3rd one recently. Will this method still work?

[@jazzminshill9521]

I have 2 also and want a third so I hope this will work

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

Yes , it can be a little more tricky to introduce a new chinchilla to an already bonded pair but it can definitely be done successfully with either method. I would have the cages side by side for a few weeks to get them used to each others scent and then it might be easier to use the smooshing method when introducing them as it's harder to keep track of three chinchillas during playtime, if that makes sense.

[@jazzminshill9521]

Ally's Animal Antics ok thank you!

[@Solomon0424]

My chinchillas bickered with each other and the smaller one was the Victorous one. How long do I wait to put them back together?

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

wait a few weeks and gradually reintroduce them. If they continue to fight it might be better to have them live separately 🙂

[@mickeyk7139]

Hello, I recently added a second addition to my family and now have two female chinchillas. I have them seperated and for a few weeks have been switching them into the other ones cage. Just now they were sniffing each other through the cage and one of them “popcorn’d” and bounced around is this a sign they could be ready to be introduced ?

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

Hi yes it's a very good sign. There's no harm in trying it , if it doesn't work out just give them a but more time 🙂

[@beverly5173]

Hi Ally, I really appreciate your videos and they've been of great help. I am hoping for some guidance on the bonding method. pretty much straight away a few weeks after we purchased our two female chins we let them roam around together and they would ignore each other but once they would meet they would jump up and run the other direction. I have noticed tuffs missing on both of them and chasing back and forth. we have tried the cage over cage and now cage beside cage and are taking it slow with that but they are still out together from time to time. I am wondering if we should just try the smooshing method and see if that might be more helpful. what do you think? would that make the situation worse or possibly help to speed up the bond?

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

Hi yes smooshing may speed up the process of bonding, make sure the carrier you use is small so the only thing they can really do is turn around. A few little spats when they first go in the carrier us normal, you might here a few small barking sounds. But if serious fighting breaks out remove them straight away.

[@kayleighwestmore3096]

I want to get another chinchilla to pair with my male eventually and I think that he would do well with a friend. However I wouldn’t be able to get another one till I move out of my parents house into my own house, which is several months down the road. Do you think it’s likely that he’ll do well with the addition of another chinchilla after so many months alone? Also what is your recommendation on pairing with a neutered male as he will be neutered by that time. Also any advice on rescues? I’d like to if possible make my addition a rescue as I’d love to give a good home to a chin that doesn’t have one.

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

Hi , with regards to bonding it's more to do with the individual personalities of the chinchillas as to whether they will get along. The time delay would not be a big issue, I have bonded chinchillas that have been alone for years with success. Sometimes they will more readily bond if they have been lonely, but their is always the possibility that the chinchillas will not accept cage mates. If you are getting him neutered it doesn't make a huge amount of difference if you get a boy or a girl. I personally though wouldn't bother getting him neutered and try to bond him with another male . Males can get on great together but again it's really all down to their personalities. The most important thing to remember is that if you do get another chinchilla there is always the possibility that they won't get along and so you have to be prepared that you may have to have two separate cages for them. If you are okay with that then I would say go for it. I am all for rescues, a lot of breeders like to scare people off of rescuing saying there could be health issues with the chinchillas. But in reality there are possibilities of health issues whether you buy from a breeder or yoy decide to rescue . Best advice I can give you regarding rescues is try to go to a reputable rescue , a lot of people claim to be rescues but are just flippers , flipping the animals for profit, if a rescue claims to be a non profit rescue/charity, ask to see their charity registry information. Legitimate charities will be registered and the money they make from the adoption fee will not be going to the individual but to the charity. There are lots of good rescues out there.

[@kylakelley4642]

Is it easier to bond two males or two females, I’m about to get a second female and want to know if it will be easy or hard to bond them

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

I personally find it easier and have more success bonding females. But it really depends on their personalities.

[@sharonjenkins6749]

Thank you for this video... we are a month into the side by side, and we let them out together for playtime. Evie (younger and newer) doesn't allow Chili to get close to her. As soon as she sees her, she runs away. Do you think smooshing should be my next step? I also saw a video where someone said side by side in the same cage (splitting a double Ferret Nation/Critter Nation)? What are your thoughts. BTW, I love all your videos.

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

I would try the smooshing method, try doing it on a day when you are home all day to monitor them. Best time to do it is in the morning when they are a little sleepy.

[@OutdoorGirlUK]

Hi Ally! Could you possibly do a video about how chinchillas who were previously bonded may split there bond and if there’s anyway to repair the bond? My two boys have started chasing each other aggressively so I have had to split them up. Is there anyway to help them rebond in the future? Maybe after a cooling off period?

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

yes sure, normally if chinchillas have been fightiing really badly and blood has been drawn it is unwise to put them back together but if it's just they have started to chase each other time apart and a slow reintroduction sometimes works to restore a bond.

[@Heyfren4120]

So i have 1 chinchilla and my birthday is soon so I’m hoping to get one of craigslist

[@Jezerniczky]

Hi Ally, i would like to ask some advice with the bonding. We have two female chinnies, (Coco, and Kiki). We rescued Coco, she's old cagemate kick her out after she gave birth, so we adopt her. She had terrible past, she was bullying by her previous owner, and she lived a really small place. With us, she is really cute, i don't had any problem. Because she was alone we bought a same old (3 years old) female chinnie she was Kiki. They live in a two level cage, but the levels separated securely, so they can't go to each other. They spend months like this, after we release them in the bathroom with a sandbath. Not was perfect, but they don't fight. Later we did a same day by day, not always with bath. Sometimes, maybe how they playing, or maybe Coco to grumpy Kiki release some fur, when they met outside the cage. But the last time, for me looked like Coco was too aggressive, and she directly started case Kiki. Lookd like they will star fighting poor Kiki lost some fur again. They are same years old, and same sex, but Coco biger than Kiki. After this all. Do you think we can bond my two furball, or better if i don't even try again. I wish they can be friends, but i love them too much, and i always afraid how Coco acting. Sorry for being this long, but your knowledge much more better than anybody else who i know.

[@amethystandrews8503]

Hi! I know this is a old video. Im an owner of 2 chinchillas , one male and female in different cages . Im currently going to get a second male tomorrow . I need tips on how to bond them, when they’re both rescued from pet stores \ a shelter . My male now is super friendly . Im afraid they won’t get along . Thanks .

[@caseycoleman394]

Great video. I want to own a chinchilla in the future. How should you bond with a chinchilla(owner to chin)?

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

Thank you, I have a video on how to tame a chinchillawhich goes into some binding methods owner to chin. I am planning to do another video soon on the best ways to bond with a new chin 😁

[@jennxv3]

I had two sisters together since babies and they started fighting, one wasn't letting her eat. So a family member took one and I kept the girl that wasn't eating. I want to get her another friend (girl) so she's not lonely but I'm worried she's traumatized from the abuse. Would you think it's okay to pair her ?

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

Sometimes they can be quite fearful of new chinchillas after a bad experience. If she seems to be coping okay on her own I would perhaps just leave her be

[@Heyfren4120]

How many week do you assume?

[@christophermiller5850]

What kind of cage were you using for smooshing? I have two females one is 2 and one is 3 months I just got them both I’m trying to make it where they get along so I can put them in a single cage. Thank you for your time

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

I used an out and about small animal carrier in size medium .You can get them from Amazon or there are similar carriers at pets at home.

[@gracefowler3924]

where did u get your wooden ledges?

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

From b&m home bargains , they were doing kiln dried pine wood shelves sets for £4.99, I don't know whether they still do them or not as was s frw months back. B&Q also do kiln dried pine wood planks. But my local B&Q are rubbish they can't tell me what type of wood they sell or whether it's kiln dried or not so I can't get pine from my B&Q, which is a shame.

[@winnielaugesen3583]

🥰 thank you

[@carissathechinmom6174]

I tried the side by side method with my two females and it unfortunately didn't seem to work for me. Granted, the chin I was trying to get a friend for had lived alone for about 11 years but it was still disappointing. I am pretty confident my older chin is fine being alone but still want to get the younger one a friend. Do you think she will still be open to bonding to another chinchilla or would she be defensive after being attacked by my older chin? No blood was shed during any interaction, but several fur slips, chasing, lunging, and the younger tried to pee on the older.

[@carissathechinmom6174]

I should also mention that recently the older chin (I think) bit off one of the younger chins toes. They were being kept in the same cage but separate levels. Now they are in completely separate cages. I felt so bad when I saw the missing toe! She was inspected by a vet though and she has completely healed.

[@lilytodd8143]

I got my first chinchilla from a breeder and I want to get her sister as well. They have been separated for about 2 months now. Would she recognize her sisters sent?

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

Hi they will recognise her but once they have been seperated for a while the bond kind of gets broken so you do have to go through the whole introduction process again and they may not accept her back. I have had mothers and daughters that I have tried to rebond, sometimes it works but it depends on the personality of the chinchillas. The younger they are just from personal experience the easier I find to rebond chinchillas.

[@MJReborns]

Thanks for these tips! I’m planning on getting a second chinchilla soon and I will definitely be looking back at this! And may I ask, will it be harder to bond and older chinchilla to another? I have a 6 year old chinchilla who had lived with another before, but I’m not sure if that would make it harder to bond them.

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

younger ones are in my experience slightly easier to pair up but it's honestly more to do with their personalities. I would say if your chinchilla has been with another chinchilla before it's more likely that they will accept a cage mate.

[@MJReborns]

@@AllysAnimalAntics thank you!

[@carliecole2563]

Ohh. And he IS such a beautiful boy.... Im a huge 🪐 Saturn fan, meeeself. I just wanna squeeze the cuteness right out of him!!! (ERm. ... I mean, in a non-lethal way? Damn.... Cuteness aggression...)

[@jess-vq5kq]

I have a question i have a male which i asked u about my TOV silver ebony and I adopted a mom and male baby i moved the baby in with my TOV and thats been great however the mom and my TOV male have been great together until the other night I am not sure if it was the baby or my TOV Chinchilla that made a couple squeaks all of a sudden the mother of the baby came from one side of the room under the cage where she chased my TOV male out and he was terrified I wasn’t sure if it was cause he wanted to mate or what but i am going to try again tonight but what do you think is going on do you think it is mating or fighting or maybe a little of both? They have been next to each other since i got them months ago and they were always good at playtime until that day. I would like your opinion and will let u know how tonight’s playtime goes but I would never house a male or female together other than playtime!

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

Hi it's probably a bit of both to be honest, chinchillas do a lot more squeaking when they are in season and fights are not uncommon. Honestly I would recommend keeping them completely separate to make sure they don't end up mating.

[@jess-vq5kq]

Ally's Animal Antics yes they are in different cages i have my two males which one is her baby in a different cage but last night i did playtime together and they were fine with each other again but i keep an eye on them when it’s playtime and when its not she is in a separate cage from her son and my other male.

[@nvisser9501]

Hi, I have a problem with my chinchillas. All of a sudden one of mine, have been swiping its tail and chriping constantly, the other one seems to be annoyed by it. They used go be good friends but now they avoid eachother and I think there is a possibility to break a fight. They have been like this since their last run out of the cage. Can you help me ? Im a bit worried that they wouldnt get along again :(

[@cathyjerome1662]

Ally hi . I got Rosie a FRIEND. She came in from another bad situation. Seperate cages now since my new GIRL seems so skiddish WAY more than Rosie was . But as of now they like eachother talking and very VERY intrested in one another's activity. Only been 3 days . How long should I keep them seperated . How do I KNOW when the right time to formally interact ? Both have vet visits Rosie for teeth check and new GIRL just a exam to see how she's doing . Still worried about Rosie teeth still on medicam daily but is EATING her pellets and herbicare 1 week . Any suggestions since Rosie does have teeth issues on introduction? Tt

[@lucyjordan6592]

Hi Ally, I have 2 one year old brothers, together since birth. I have just adopted a 20 week old boy and would love him to be accepted by Oscar and Ernie. Neither of my boys like to be handled so I’m best off using the side by side method. Their room is their play space, can I let the new chin out to play by itself in the room, put him back and then Let the brothers out in the same area? Is it just a neutral space needed for the first few times they meet face to face or if they are used to each others smell being in their playroom l, can they meet in their? I’m scared of getting this wrong as I don’t want to break my brothers bond so your advice would be much appreciated. I love all of your videos 🥰

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

Hi it's fine for him to play by himself in the same room . When it comes to introducing them though I would do it in a neutral space where none of the chinchillas are particularly familiar, also a small space is better , as if they do fight you need to be able to intervene quickly. A bathroom would be ideal (providing it's chinchilla safe)

[@lucyjordan6592]

@@AllysAnimalAntics Thanks Ally. They were fine for the first couple of days. Baby is in his cage on one side of the room till quarantine is over and the two brothers coming out to play as usual. Tonight they had a fight (first time) underneath the babies cage. I’m now panicking. I stopped it quickly and got them both back into their own cage. They have had the odd bark at each other and aren’t their usual selves but haven’t had a full on fight. Is this really bad or to be expected? I’d be devastated if I’d broken their bond by trying to adopt a newby. I’m hoping they are just a bit grumpy because they can tell something is different and they will calm down and keep loving each other as they get used to new smells. Any advice would be much appreciated 😭

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

@@lucyjordan6592 They probably can smell the other chinchilla they may be confused and just getting a bit territorial with each other because of the new scent. It can be normal for this to happen, give it a bit more time and they may be fine, if they have a full on fight the new scent is upsetting them and you may need to move the baby to another room .

[@lucyjordan6592]

@@AllysAnimalAntics Hi Ally!! So we’ve had no more fighting, just their usual brotherly behaviour since the spat. Our quarantine is up so the last couple of nights we have wheeled the new chins cage out of the room, let Oscar and Ernie out for an hour, wheeled the newbie back in and given him 10 minutes with Oscar and Ernie not having access to the bottom level of their cage so they can’t touch each other. They are using the same sand bath and that doesn’t seem to be bothering anyone. I’ve started leaving the cages a few inches apart during the night. Oscar and Ernie are definitely aware that somone is bouncing around at playtime as Ernie in particular will watch from above and try to get out. It’s hard to tell if it’s excitement or annoyance 🤣 I plan on doing this for the next few weeks but what would the next step be? I want to give them every chance to like each other and live together! I’m a bit nervous about leaving the intruders cage in the room for their playtime as under the cage was where they had their spat 🙈 that may have been purely by chance. You are the guru so I will do what you say by the letter 🤣🤣 xx

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

@@lucyjordan6592 After a few weeks of them being side by side you can try introducing them in a small neutral place, they may have a few spats the first time they meet , if they start chasing each other it maybe they need longer side by side. Don't be surprised if they do have a few squabbles the first time they meet each other, it is normal as I say if they get to feisty they may need a bit longer before you try again. If they meet head on a few times with out much reaction (no spats) then that's a good sign.

[@JasmineLiu-iz3ul]

Hi Ally, seeking your advice. I have just started keeping two females chins just 2 months ago.I adopted one chin 1yr old from friend and bought another 6 months old to keep her accompany. With the help of the pet shop, they were bonded within 30mins. Next day they hug each other to sleep and groom each other. Then just last week, the adopted chin suddenly give birth to twins. I was unwared that she was pregnant before i adopt her. I removed all the platforms and hideout to keep simple for the mother chin and her kits and separated the 6 months old female for one night. The next day i tried to put them back together they started fighting and both lose alot of fur. I am so scared to put both together ever since. Now I am so sad that they two were used to be BFF and overnight their relationship turned sour. Could this be due to hormones change in mummy chin and she started territorial after giving birth? She used to be very docile and tame. Any chance that i can bond them back again so that i can house the two females together with the twin kits that are also females?

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

Hi can be due to hormonal changes and stress. The mums ca. become very defensive and territorial when they have kits. Wait until the kits are older and not feeding off mum anymore so around 8 to 10 weeks and you cab try to reintroduce them. Double check that the other chinchilla is definitely female though before you try and reintroduce them.

[@cuteyjas]

Thanks Ally!

[@kaelyn550]

How can you tell the age of a chinchilla? I got mine from a store where they didn’t care for him properly and they couldn’t tell me the age or gender but he was relatively small and has grown since I have had him

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

it can be hard to tell, but if he was small and has grown I would estimate 6 months or less. Chinchillas are pretty much full grown by around 8 months .

[@kaelyn550]

@@AllysAnimalAntics okay thank you!

[@rowandm879]

My chinchilla is able to climb out of anything we buy for him to play in, any suggestions since we dont have a chinchilla proof room in the house?

[@kyleeleblanc4292]

Look at the large tespo pet playpen on Amazon! They’re great and easy to set up

[@mrlittlepebble912]

but my question is how would you know if you have two girls or two boys and not a boy and a female cause that would get kinky

[@boomtabithaamick]

I recently got 2 chinchillas that were previously rescues. We weren't 100% sure on their age and sex because we've never had a chinchilla before. We have learned that we have a Male and a female and the female has been gaining weight and now her teets are visible. Pretty sure she is pregnant. I was wondering if you would be able to give me any advice. They are caged together and she doesn't like being without him. Is it ok for them to be together? I have a few other questions if you want to send me a message.

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

Hi there, unfortunately you would need to remove the male asap and have him in a seperate cage, chinchillas can get pregnant straight away after giving birth so it's really important to remove him. If you would like to house them together after she has had her babies and they have been weaned, you would need to get him neutered to avoid further pregnancies. Once the male has been removed put the female on pregnancy watch for 111 days keep an eye on her weight , it sounds like you are already doing this 🙂 If babies are born have a baby safe cage ready . Anything bigger than 3/4 of an inch bar spacing, and they will escape through the bars. Remove all shelves and keep the cage very basic a food bowl, and water bottle and hay rack. Smaller cages are better as it is easier for babies to get to mum and feed. If you definitely think she is pregnant, it may help to move her into a baby safe cage in advance so she can settle in before birthing. I know it can be gut renching to remove two chinchillas that are bonded and it is horrible to see them pine but honestly it is the best thing to do for the health of the female. As I say if you get the male neutered once kits have been weaned and seperated from the mother they can live together.

[@boomtabithaamick]

@@AllysAnimalAntics thank you very much this is very helpful.

[@Gunlord]

Ahhhhh Saturn is so fluffy

[@pizzagamez2213]

I don’t know what it is but no matter how hard I try I can’t get them to get along

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

Some chinchillas just never click and get along unfortunately. I have some that I have had to seperate as they just don't get slong with other chinchillas .

[@athena9945]

Tried smooshing 1 instantly tried fighting another. Fist try. What do i do

[@AllysAnimalAntics]

Try having them side by side for a couple of weeks and try again. Chinchillas sometimes have a few spats with each other when you first smoosh them, but if they start serious fighting when you try again they just may not get along. Are they males or females?

[@sharonginger2997]

No thank you

[@Inmyowndysfuction]

Satin is so precious!