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How to House Two Chinchillas Together (Co-Caging)
Co-caging two chinchillas needs familiarization first (side-by-side cages or swapping for a week) and separation at the first fight. Use the female's or a new cage (females are dominant). Only pair opposite sexes at 8+ months and 500 g, with similar weights, both healthy, and no inbreeding (avoid two white-gene or two velvet-gene mates, and never siblings). Separate right after a copulatory plug appears to protect a pregnancy.
How Chinchillas Mate and Reproduce
Chinchillas can be paired from 8 months and 500 g; males mature at 4-6 months but females should not be bred early. After a brief evening mating a copulatory plug appears within 1-2 hours, and the pair must be separated to protect the 111-day pregnancy. Litters are 2-3 kits; watch for rejected kits when more are born than the two productive teats can feed.
When can chinchillas be caged together?
Opposite-sex chinchillas can be caged together only after 8 months to avoid early breeding. Same-sex ones can stay together if they do not fight. Because chinchillas are territorial, introduce cages side by side first before combining.