Question:
Hello, this is my first time on this board. I received a female chinchilla as a gift in December. She has been on of the most amusing and fascinating pets I have ever had. I am just amazed at the personalitly Maggie has and how smart she is. Maggie is about a year old.

Maggie seems to be lonely. All of the articles and books I have read say that they are social anaimals and you should have at least two. I would love to have another female chinchilla for a playmate for Maggie, and of course for me to love. But I am not sure after reading more articles recently if this would be a good idea.

I know Maggie was caged with other chinchillas before I got her. Does anyone have any suggestions or advice? I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks.....


Answer:
my advice - ask yourself if you're prepared to have them not get along.

First ask yourself if you have an extra cage (& supplies), the room to put the animal, time to spend paying with 2 chins separately, time to clean 2 cages per week, etc, etc.

also if you do decide to take the plunge and get another chin be sure to quarantine for 3 - 4 weeks before putting them in the same area..


Answer:
While some chinchillas, though lonely, do not take well to extra company, at least having another chinchilla nearby (perhaps the cage right beside) will ease some of the lonliness, assuming that every trick in the book failed to allow them to bond.

The first thing to do would be to contact a breeder in your area and find out if there is anything available (preferably female wise, unless you're willing to pay for the male to be neutered). You should ALWAYS quarantine new animals for at least three weeks, though four or more is better. This will preven either the new or the original animals from getting sick from the natural bacteria that each carries. It also allows the new animal time to settle down and get used to their new environment and new owners.

Chinchillas are easily stressed and will show this either through slipping fur, chewing fur, or have digestive problems like diarrhea and possibly weight loss. Thus, taking care to move at the chinchilla's pace and not your own is suggested.

One method if introduction is the "Smoosh" method. Basically, take two smaller cages that are just big enough to house each chinchilla and put them side by side in a larger cage. This allows them to get used to each other's scent without giving them enough room to fight, should they feel the need to. It's best to use the Smoosh method during the day, when the chins will be less active.

If that doesn't work, or you don't have the means to try that method, having two cages side by side for a while may be your best option. After a few days, try switching cages so that Chin 1 goes into Chin 2's cage and vice versa. Again, this allows them to get used to each other's scent and usually prevents injuries from possible fighting.

Another way is to just introduce them during playtime and see how they get on. Be prepared to break up fights!

Of course, there is always the chance that they will never bond, so should you get another chinchilla, be prepared to house it in a seperate cage for good.

As far as what to look for in another chinchilla -- you're probably going to want to look for one that's full grown, and is used to being housed with other chinchillas. I've been told that after a time, chins can sort of "forget" how to properly socialize, thus it may be a good idea to find a partner for your chin sooner, rather than later.

Let us know how it goes, and if you have other questions, go right ahead and ask, we'd love to help


Answer:
Bex, I think your version of the smoosh method is slightly different from the one I've read about. The one I know of does not use two smaller cages in a big one but rather a cage or carrier small enough for both chins to fit in together without much room to move around (hence the smoosh part). The chins are then left in there with supervision for 20-30 minutes at a time until they seem to accept each other.

Denise describes the method I know of in the following thread:
http://www.pets-on-the-net.com/forum...ghlight=smoosh

Also, I would recommend getting a younger chinchilla rather than one that is fully grown and close in age to the other. Reason being that the older chins I have seen seem to accept a baby or juvenile much better than a chin of similar age. It greatly depends on the animal though


Answer:
Sophie is correct. That is the proper way to conduct the "smoosh" method. I have used it countless number of times and have only had one failed introduction. That was due to the fact I was introducing a female to two females that have been established for quite some time now. The older female, who is normally very good with kits and young chinnies, felt threatened by another female. Otherwise, I can't say enough good things about this introduction method.
Vicks' vaporub can also be used and works better than vanilla.