# introducing two female chinchillas to another female chinchilla



## soohbear (Aug 5, 2014)

I'm wondering if anyone can advise the best way to introduce two female chinchillas to a single female chinchilla. 
I had two female chinchillas but unfortunately one died very young. I tried to get another female chinchilla to help ease the loss for both myself and the lone chinchilla, unfortunately I couldn't get just one female so I adopted two female chinchillas. 
I took the two chinchillas home and introduced them to my other chinchilla. They seemed to like each other so I let them in the cage altogether. They were cuddling up on each other and seemed great. I went to bed leaving them all together and everything seemed fine until 7 am the next morning when I heard them chasing each other around the cage and heard the cry of one chinchilla. I went down and found bits of fur in the cage and the chinchillas were trying to bite each other. I immediately separated them into different cages. I've been placing the cages next to each other and swapping chinchillas alternately into the different cages, but every time we try and get the chinchillas together they just immediately start fighting! 
What should I do to try and get them to accept each other. My first chinchilla is very uunhappy! Please please help!


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## kirksandallchins (Nov 3, 2007)

I would introduce each of the pair independently to the lone female on neutral territory for a few minutes each per day. I used the hall, put in 2 sandbaths ad supervised mine until I thought they were getting on. I would also swap cages so that they get used to each others scents and exploring each others territory. 

I found it best to introduce chinchillas to each other in the morning, they are usually tired after being active all night! Leave them together for 10 minutes while you are there and extend the time you leave them alone. 

When you do put them into one cage, ensure it is big enough for 3, with plenty of shelves, a few nest boxes and places where they can have privacy from each other. At one point I had 5 chinchillas in one cage - and some of them were very stroppy to begin with, but I managed to get them to live together. One of my favourite photos is one of all 5 of them piled on top of each other in a hammock!


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## RosieW (Sep 23, 2014)

I have done this twice now so know exactly what you can do that works =]
It's important that you introduce a chinchilla correctly, you can't for example just put a new chinchilla into a cage with a chinchillas it doesn't know they will fight and cause some serious injuries- chinchillas can quite easily fight to the death!

It was in the same circumstances that I had to introduce a chinchilla as one of my chinchillas died leaving Fitz all alone and I got a new pal for him. 

The best way I've found is to put the chinchillas in separate cages next to each other- I was fortunate at the time to have a spare rat cage- not an ideal size but Freda (the new chinchilla) was only going to be living in their temporary!
You'll need the cages close enough so that they can see and smell each other but not so that they can actually touch as they will try and bite at each other through the bars and you don't want them to be able too!

For the first two weeks keep them separate in their cages; during this time they'll both try to bite at each other- this is normal, their both trying to establish territory.
Try, if possible not to clean them out during this time- you can obviously spot check the cage so they don't get too ditched- Just try not to wash it.

On the third week swap them over and put them into each others cage; this way they'll be able to pick up one another's sent and will also be adding their own sent into one another's cages, this will then give the illusion that they no each other (I'm not sure chinchillas are too clever?)

Leave them in one another's cage for another week and then swap them back. 

Leave them for about 3 days and then completely clean out the main cage you are going to be keeping the chinchilla's in- this will give neutral ground when you finally introduce them. 
You can now put the "new" chinchilla in with the others, 
It's important that you watch them whilst this is happening as if they start to fight and attack one another you'll need to take the "new" chinchilla out and annoyingly repeat the whole process again!

For me I never needed to repeat the process as it's worked like a dream every time- but I know of people who have had stubborn chinchillas and had to do it a few times.
I had to introduce a second time when Freda had an unexpected baby! Fitz is neutered so she must have been pregnant when I got her!
So I had to take her out of the cage whilst she nursed the baby.. I then re introduced her and the new baby to Fitz. 

Hope that helps =]


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