Hi. I realised, I have spoken about my other pets on the forum but never my Chinchillas.

We got the two oldest (at the time we thought they were both female) from someone who brought them from a (bad) breeder for her brother and her brother lost interest. We have no idea how old they are and they both have dodgey ears, on Nibbler one of his ears is smaller and thicker than the other and on Brooke one of her ears is the shape of mickey mouse.

So we got them, then a couple of months later, they had a baby. Unfortunetly it died (the vet said from dehydration or something), we were clueless about chinchillas and thought, because Brooke kept barking at Nibbler that we had a few days before to get a new cage and seperate them, we were idiots, and 111 days later...the three babies were born so we seperated Nibbler, two girls and a boy, once they were weaned we rehomed the boy with one of my boyfriends, mums, friend who already had a male and a big cage.

So we kept the girls, got Nibbler neutered and fixed the cages together. Now they are all happy together always cuddle up together, sometimes sleeping on top of eachother (Nibbler was pining when he wasn't with Brooke, he looked so miserable ). So here are some pictures....


^ The cage they are in, do you think it's big enough, do you suggest I get them more toys or anything ? I know they need another nesting box, am planning on getting one today.


^Mummy Brooke (on shelf), Daddy and the babies (we really need to think of some name) in the nesting box.


^ One of the babies, it is impossible to tell them apart.


^Brooke looking very, very grumpy !


^ Mummy Brooke and Baby !


^ Baby looking very cute !

As you'll notice, the babies ears are fine, considering the parents and the fact we don't know if the parents are related, it's a blessing they are ok really !

Now I need some advice. Because of their background, Brooke and Nibbler aren't very friendly, if you try to pick them up they bark and get really stressed, and although we tried to handle the babies as much as we could, feeding them out of our hands ect, they are the same.

They have never bitten but we don't want to handle them and stress them out too much. How can we make them trust us a bit more ?

We really love them and don't want them to be stressed.

We let them have a run around in the room they are in (which is all secure and safe, no wires or anything dangerous like that) supervised for about an hour a day, but when it comes to the time to get back into the cage, we need to catch them and that just stresses them out and I hate seeing them stressed, bless them. What can we do ?!?!

Many thanks for any help you can give me ! We really love them and really want them to trust us. We have done so much research, books, internet, ect.

Thanks !

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