|
|
Post by laura331 on Jan 6, 2012 15:01:27 GMT -5
Hey I will be getting a chinchilla eventually, and if given the choice of male or female I dont know what I would pick. I was wondering if you could give me some pros and cons of both and your experience with yours and what sex they are. Thank you so much  |
|
|
|
Post by mistywaterwoman on Jan 6, 2012 15:20:13 GMT -5
These are the main points: boys need hair rings checks, girls spray pee when angry. You pick the lesser of two evils, lol.
For hair ring checks, you extend their manly parts to make sure there is no hair stuck around the base, if there is, you must remove it. This can be life-threatening, so if you are squeamish about it, go with a girl.
As for the spraying, it's not as bad as it seems. It's a dime-sized amount of pee, and none of my girls are accurate about it. Although I have had them try to spray each other and accidentally get me, lol.
I have heard that boys are sweeter and snugglier, but honestly, I think it's just personality. Patty is a snuggler, and Tami loves attention as well, but only while IN the cage.
If you are getting one from a breeder, you can spend a bit of time with the chins and see which one's personality clicks with yours. That is the ideal way. If you are rescueing, or buying from a store, it's pot-luck, you get what you get, BUT you learn to love them all anyway.
They can't help it, they are just all charming little critters, despite their individual personality quirks.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mrs. Peeperz on Jan 6, 2012 16:07:24 GMT -5
I have owned all boys since i've had chinchillas (about 6 or 7 years) and I have only removed 2 hair rings. They can be life threatening if not treated but most don't get them very often.
|
|
|
|
Post by mistywaterwoman on Jan 6, 2012 16:48:20 GMT -5
But checking regularly is a MUST.  |
|
karijo8
Chinnie Companion
Karijo
Posts: 313
|
Post by karijo8 on Jan 6, 2012 16:59:08 GMT -5
I have a sassy little lady and let me tell you, she is very accurate with her spraying. I had to switch her to the bottom cage because she got too good at spraying people in the face. But i think she was neglected before i got her.
|
|
|
|
Post by tweetysoprano on Jan 6, 2012 18:03:33 GMT -5
I have two girls and they have such different personalities but I have only been sprayed once. In 2 years. |
|
|
|
Post by Tara on Jan 6, 2012 18:16:44 GMT -5
I have all boys, and they're all very different personality-wise. Chico was my first, and after that I just got more boys so there could be no accidental babies. Chico belonged to some people who lived near us and were moving from NC to CA, he needed a new home, so I adopted him. I love all my boys with all their different good and bad qualities. |
|
|
|
Post by tinam on Jan 6, 2012 18:29:43 GMT -5
I've only ever had all boys and no hair rings. I love them and love the way they "scootchy" up on my hand like they are in love with my hand and make little noises. Sometimes I will get my toenails manicured or my eyelashes trimmed.
|
|
|
|
Post by Chin ♥ Slave on Jan 6, 2012 20:38:53 GMT -5
Three boys here. We do monthly ring checks. In the three years we've had chins,I only found one ring. I prefer male critters,because male animals tend to bond with their female human,while female animals favor male humans. It's always been very obvious in our house. When we had our dear departed Kate, a dog, she was a complete and total Daddy's girl. While I was just "the fill in" when he was at work.  Our three male Chins love my husband,but I am their WOMAN! Their property!  |
|
|
|
Post by mistywaterwoman on Jan 6, 2012 23:36:07 GMT -5
That is so true! Too bad none of the men in my house want to bond with my chins, and they are stuck with me, lol.
|
|
|
|
Post by tweetysoprano on Jan 7, 2012 3:59:15 GMT -5
Same here Kara. Vernon is still so scared of rodents. He has touched Spaz a total of three times. Haha. Once he actually picked her up when she got out an I almost died of shock.
|
|
|
|
Post by annieo on Jan 12, 2012 23:47:21 GMT -5
I have one neutered boy and one not. Just got the non-neutered one a month ago. Saw the non-neutered male "fastidiously" cleaning his manly parts the other day...with his mouth. I've been traumatized ever since. No one warned me about that! lol. Things I didn't know... |
|
|
|
Post by tagna on Jan 13, 2012 6:17:35 GMT -5
I have all girls for my pets and none have sprayed me. I had a rescue that did spray and she had wicked aim!
Annie, wait til Mr Tibbs does that in front of company!!
|
|
Emily
Chinnie Acquaintance
Posts: 13
|
Post by Emily on Jan 13, 2012 9:43:27 GMT -5
My one female is very outgoing and confident, she's never displayed an excess of defensive behaviors such as spraying. Back when she first joined my home and the dogs obsessed over her she did spray at them a couple times. But now that they ignore her I haven't seen her spray in a couple years.
The thought of checking for hair rings is a bit repulsing, but I'm sure if I had a boy I'd get used to it. And I'd rather have to do that then have a girl who sprayed a lot. I'm thankful Momo isn't inclined to doing it.
|
|
|
|
Post by mistywaterwoman on Jan 13, 2012 9:56:52 GMT -5
Ahahaha, Annie!! I felt that way about the male guinea pigs, there's LOTS of things no one warned me about.  |
|
|
|
Post by ellen on Jan 13, 2012 11:18:25 GMT -5
Annie, you have no many ideas I've "walked in" on Pola! Though I had warning, my friend Alyssa's chin Miles loved to do it in front of people. He'd clean for a while, then sit slumped over still..er... in the act, with his eyes half closed... he really enjoyed "cleaning".  My other boys are more private about it, thank goodness As far as boys vs girls, I do think that it's a matter of your own preference. If you don't mind hair ring checks or walking in on 'cleaning' sessions, or if the occasional spray of pee sounds less offensive to you, haha. Chins as a whole are a mixed bag of personalities, neither gender is more cuddly or friendly by nature. The only thing I do perhaps see as a marked difference would be bonding with other chins. If you ever decided to get a 2nd chin, and wanted to try to get them to live together/have combined playtime after quarantine and successful intros, females do seem to do better with this, but there's still no guarantee. Sometimes I wish I had at least one girl... there's SO much cute girly fleece out there, and I'm one of those chin moms who can't bring herself to put girly fleece in my boys' cages :DD Maybe someday... Though I worry how the boys would be with a female in the house, even if they'd never have direct contact with her. |
|
|
|
Post by mistywaterwoman on Jan 13, 2012 11:34:57 GMT -5
That's probably the biggest issue, the cute fleece available, lol. Works the same way for real kids, too - there's WAY more cuter clothes to buy for little girls than there is for little boys.  |
|
|
|
Post by laura331 on Jan 13, 2012 12:35:11 GMT -5
I dont know.... I really want a little baby boy (real person not chin. lol) because you can always dress them really cute and fancy with little tuxes lol.
But i think if i get the choice i will want a boy chin, cuz i dont think i would mind the ring checks... and i dont want to get a girl that sprays lol. that grosses me out.
|
|
|
|
Post by saras on Jan 13, 2012 12:53:54 GMT -5
Just an FYI... Boys can "spray" too. Scrat used to pee at everything!
|
|
|
|
Post by annieo on Jan 13, 2012 21:08:48 GMT -5
You nailed it Ellen. That's exactly what I saw. I actually ran to get the camera because I thought it was so cute he was sitting like a vulture. Little did I know...
|
|
