Meet Octavia and Tequila

Many single chins have come in over the past couple of months. This week we've been working on trying to pair them up. Chinchillas are interesting critters in that they like to choose their own friends, most of the time we have a pretty good idea who will get along with whom. But there have been some surprises in the past.

We start by running a soft introduction. We place potential friends in a three compartment carrier that keeps each safe from harm. And then we watch. If either chin shows immediate aggression, then we know the pairing is not likely to work. In the best case scenario, the chins will sniff briefly, then ignore each other. The first sniff is the most important. It's like the chins are trying to measure each other up and decide what to do. Eventually, we'll move the compatible chins together in a neutral cage and keep an eye on them until we're sure they will click. Females typically get along easier and males do great...as long as there are no females around. In an ideal situation, each chin loving home would only contain a single gender.

Yesterday we managed to successfully pair Octavia and Tequila, two adult females who came from separate homes. We're very pleased to know these two have each other to snuggle with now. Octavia is especially thankful and the new friend has really seemed to calm her down. Now, who would like to give these lovely girls a home?