Will my Guinea Pig get along?

[luvguineapig88]

Hi, I just got a new Guinea Pig on Thursday 10,2008.And I was wondering if I can put my new Guinea Pig in with Snickers and would they fight? so I put Oreo with Snickers and they did not fight yet. but they were making a loud sound.Snickers was making that sound,Can anyone tell me what that sound means.Snickers was not try to bite him.Oreo and Snickers are not from the same breed ether.

[RufussMom]

First, guinea pigs are supposed to be quarantined for a week or two before exposed to other guinea pigs. Second you shouldnt just throw them in the cage and see if they get along, they need slow introductions. That means see how they get along during floor time and do floor time with them together for awhile then if they get along house them together. About the noises, read this page: Social Life. Near the middle of that page is a list of noises and what they mean. Please do your homework about guinea pigs and dont just throw yourself into it.

[Jenni_Feathers]

IF they have a large enough cage, and are introduced correctly they will probably get along. As I have said to you before, they need to have at least 10.5 sq. ft. of living space. Since they have already been together there is no use for qt now. Also read the link that RufussMom gave you, it has just about everything you need to know abot intro's and sounds, whats normal, when to seperate etc. It doesn't matter that they are not the same breed.

[Ly&Pigs]

Second you shouldnt just throw them in the cage and see if they get along, they need slow introductions. That means see how they get along during floor time and do floor time with them together for awhile then if they get along house them together.

The first part of this you have right, they shouldn't be just put together. But the rest is not so good. Repeatedly putting them together and taking them apart causes more stress than good. So that means slow introductions isn't a good idea. You find a nice neutral area and put them together. You will know in the first 30 minutes to an hour if they will get along or not. After the time together you have a nice already cleaned cage for them to go into if they are getting along ok. Then you do NOT separate at all unless there is bloodshed.

Stressing guinea pigs out will bring on things like mites or other illnesses. Mites lay dormant in guinea pigs and come out during times of stress/illness. That's why slow introductions are never a good idea. That and the fact that they have to go through the dominance issues every time they are put together and then pulled apart.

[CF#5]

When quarantine isn't an issue, I've had good luck tossing pigs together wherever - in the cage, on the floor, doesn't really matter. They always seem to get along fine. But I'm always ready to pull one out if I have to. I've never had to separate pigs after introducing them. They've always been friendly to each other.

[luvguineapig88]

I have put Oreo and Snickers together yesterday and they did fine. when I take them out they wont to be together. Snickers loves to have a friend now.They don`t fight or anything like that. I have read books about sometimes if guinea pigs don`t get along they will fight.the cage I have they just love. but I`m though thinking about checking into makeing a C&C cage for them because I would like a 3rd guinea pig. of even if I don`t wont another guinea pig I can just make a C&C cage anyways. next week I will have to go to wal-mart to look at the grids to the cage. but what do I use for the sides/bottom?


Thank you for all your help.