To mate or Not To mate?????

Hi Everyone! Got a question here. I hope you guys can advise me.

My little Brown Velvet Female is currently 9 months old and weighs only 410grams. Her weight fluctuates between 400 and 418 grams. I have brought her to a vet before and was told that she is one of those smaller chins. She has a small frame but is not under weight.

My other chin is a White Mosaic male who is currently 1.5 years old. He weighs about 600 grams. I have been keeping both apart all these while and only put them together whenever I'm around. I know that the female has gone into heat a couple of times.

My question here is: Should I put the two together and risk them mating? Will it be safe for the female to get pregnant with her age and weight?

[Christi]

She is just way too small and you would risk a birth killing not only the babies but her also. I strongly advise against it. Especially since your male is so much larger than she. Typically the males should be smaller than the females.

[Sassy]

I agree with Christi, she is way to small to breed.

Hi! Thanks for your replies.

I know from the start that it is better not to mate her since she is so small. I can't help but feel a little disappointed that I'll never witness or experience the feeling of becoming a chin granny.

Actually, my main intention is not to mate them. I wanted them together because she always appear so bored all the time. Toys do not interest her much. She gets 2 tunnels, a ball, chew blocks and salt blocks but she doesn't play with them anymore.

She kept her head down on the platform most of the time (like a dog lying down) and is happiest when I let her join my male chin for a play session. She is a very dominant chin although she is so small in size. And only my male chin can live with her. I tried placing her with other female chins belonging to my friends and they started a urine spraying party!!!

Sigh! I really do not know what to do. My male chin is the only chin she can get along with and he is very tolerant and has the sweetest temper.

Do you think she'll grow bigger? And what is the minimum weight and age a female should be before they are being bred?

[Christi]

Just wondering how long you left them together when you tried her with other females. Joining 2 chins is a process, sometimes a long one, but it can be done - you just have to take your time and keep at it.

[Sassy]

It can take months to get them together, I use a small side by side cage (one cage that is split in the middle) it usually takes two to three days in this and they are together..

Actually, I tried puting her together with various chins for a few times for a couple of weeks. She does not start fighting them when she meets them. Instead, she grooms them! But after a few seconds of grooming, she's up to her tricks!

She would pretend to groom the fur on their body and then jump on their back, causing the other chin to jump in surprise. She will not let up and continue to do that for as long as she can, till the victimised chin hid in their hiding place. She does this to everyone, even those who are much bigger than her. (Some weighing twice her weight!!!)

When I got her as a baby, I was told by her previous owner that she would do that to her own father and also the surrogate mother and siblings too. Very naughty and dominant! She would throw tantrums when I catch her out of the cage and isolate her. She would thrash around in anger and refused to be carried.

Currently, she is sharing a 4 story super pet cage withmy whit mosaic male with a piece of acrylic sheet in the middle, separating them. It's hard getting her a partner this way. Most of my friend's chins would run the moment they smell her now! My White mosaic, Perry is very sweet or shall I say, tolerant to the extend of being non-chalent. He would allow her to jump on him and even step on his body when he's sleeping on his side!! All this without a sound of protest!

Sigh! My poor Brownie must be thinking why I never place her togaether with Perry for the last 3 days. But how to let her know that it's for her own good??? (She's currently in heat.) She's been trying to jump over the acrylic sheet to Perry's side whenever I open the top of their cage to feed them.

Sigh! What to do! I'll just have to bear all the tantrums and protests from her.

Anyway, I just checked her pelvic area. Her pelvic bones are slightly smaller than my thumb size. I'll continue to monitor her groth. I heard that black Velvet takes a while to be fully grown; about 1.5 years? Does that apply to Brown Velvet and Pastel chins as well?

I guess there's no way out for her right now. We'll have to keep her separate from Perry for awhile till she comes out of her heat. I'm still habouring a tiny hope in my heartthat she'll be able to experience motherhood one day.

Meanwhile, is there anything I can do to keep her occupied right now?

LOL!!!! I think I know what you mean. I suppose Perry is also thinking about the same thing in his mind right now. Heheheheh.