Chins Getting Along

So I know it's been awhile since I wrote one of these, and I apologize... but we've been busy!  Did you see how few chins we have right now???

... of course, that's good, since the summer influx will likely be insane, as it always is. 

But anyway... onto the blog.

I have had a lot, and I mean a LOT of people asking lately about wanting a chin as a buddy for their chin.  That itself is pretty common, but lately people are basically wanting me to guarantee that the chins will get along, forever.  I can't guarantee that.  In fact, no one can. 

Most chins here, we don't know if they get along with others.  Why?  Because I'm not willy-nilly pairing them just for the heck of it.  No sense to stress them out, or even bond them with another, and then someone just wants to take one of them home.  Nope, they tend to stay by themselves unless someone asks about two chins being paired.  So, as a result, unless the chin either came in with another, had a sibling, or otherwise had interactions with another chin in the past, very simply... we just don't know if it gets along with others.

But here's the thing... even if we HAVE some thoughts on that.  Let's say that one chin is really popular and people keep coming by and seeing if that chin gets along with theirs, and hypothetically, let's say it does... but they all pass on that chin to get a different one.  In a situation like that, I may change the listing to reflect that the chin has gotten along with other chins in the past, so that would suggest (note, suggest) that the chin could get along with other chins in the future.  But even then... that chin could get along with every chin here... and not the one chin that the person owns, that they want it to get along with.

I mean, think about it.  With people.  We all have that one friendly person that we know that likes and gets along with almost everyone.  Note what I said.  Almost everyone.  You can always find someone that that person is not crazy about.  So why is it that we think, oh, cause that chin got along with those 3 chins, it will automatically get along with all chins?  I'm really not sure.

The thing is... you never know how they will get along until you try the chins together.  Some people bring their chins here to try them together here.  The real test, though, is when those two chins get to the home and are put together there, in the territory of the original chin.  They could get along swimmingly here... and then go home, and the original chin could literally decide, "NOPE!  This is MY cage!  DEATH TO ALL INTRUDERS!!!" and what can we do?  Sure, we can re-arrange the cage, and we can give dust baths, and we can do certain things that can help (note, help), but if that first chin is hell-bent on not having a buddy... well, we can't make them have a buddy.

I know of someone right now who started with a couple chins, then added one to that, then another.  When the most recent one was added, one of the original chins started acting aggressively, to the point where the owner had to separate that chin from the other three.  I've since heard how this person has tried multiple different ways to get the chins living together again, even to the point of ordering a new cage so they can put them all back together and hope that they all get along (when the cage arrives).  It may work... it may not.  This person has mentioned even surrendering the "problem chin" and getting another one, cause they want all these colors... living together.  I reminded them, even if they do this, they may have this same problem with another chin, as there's just no knowing how everything will work out.  Because it all comes back to this:  no matter whether the chin gets along with other chins or not, you never know how it will go with one specific chin.

One more little anecdote before I go back to organizing the rescue -- we had a chin in the rescue that was adopted out, and later I found out, the new home has her and a buddy living happily together.  No problems, they're doing wonderfully together.  I find this interesting, because when this chin was surrendered, the owner told us that she barbered the fur of the chin she was with (and they brought that chin with to surrender as well, so we did verify this).  Why that chin didn't get along with the buddy at the first home... who knows?  But she got along with a buddy at another home!  Logical, I know.