Ok, introductions aren’t as hard as some people make them out to be, but they need not be taken lightly. All you have to do is make sure you give it TIME!!! Sometimes they can be VERY hard to intro with one another, it all just depends on the chinchilla & how it was brought up.(as well as age)

They will love each other if you do this slowly, doing it too fast can result in them resenting you & or the newbie. Wait a few weeks to a few months before putting them together. I know it can be stressful to wait, but its better in the long run. (For you & the chinchillas)

All you have to do is, place the cages next to each other for a few days/weeks/months (be sure to keep it far enough apart so they cant get each others tails, paws, Etc.) If they seem to be getting along then, try letting them run together. Or I always think giving them a dust bath with a hint of baby powder is one of the best ways to bond them. (You can also use peppermint extract, vanilla & vick vapo rub on the tip of their nose to help with the scent. If they seem to be getting along ok out of the cages & after the dust bath then try putting the female into the males cage or the more aggressive one in the lesser aggressive ones cage.

After a few more days, start letting them live together, but for small amounts of time. Then, like before, do it for longer & longer, until you KNOW they aren’t fighting. You have to watch them for quite a bit to be positive!! You also may want to hide from them so they think they are alone together- watch how they react alone together.

Be sure to check them for bites, wounds, & fur slip from fighting NIGHTLY for the next few weeks they are together. If you EVER question them getting along DO NOT leave them alone together!!!! (EVEN for a second!!!!)

Chinchillas can be very violent to one another & generally fight to the death if they are to get into fights. I have seen this first hand & it is NOT pretty! BE CAREFUL!

Once they are bonded some of your hard work & hassle is over. Now onto the other stressful events of owning & or breeding chinchillas in pairs.