Mad guinea pig?

**wheeek** · #1 05-01-08, 04:04 pm

Hi, I recently seperated my 2 males, because one of them was always threatening my other one and chasing him back into his pigloo. They had been together since December. Now that I have seperated them, the one that was threatening the other one keeps chewing really hard on the bars(they are seperated by bars) and yanking on the coroplast, shoving anything in his way away. I just seperated them yesterday. Any advice would be appreciated.

**sophistic_chick** · #2 05-01-08, 04:05 pm

Why were they separated? How old are they?

**wheeek** · #3 05-01-08, 04:16 pm

For one of them I have no idea how old he is(at least two) and the other one was born around october. I had to seperate them because the younger one would barely let the older one do anything, he would chase him back into his pigloo many times when he came out of it, and I am pretty sure he tried to bite him. The older one(Josh) did not seem happy after I put them together.

**wheeek** · #4 05-01-08, 05:04 pm

Would someone please give me some advice?

Also how do you get the guinea pigs to stop chewing on the bars and coroplast?

**sophistic_chick** · #5 05-01-08, 05:05 pm

The younger pig may be going through puberty ( I think thats an appropriate age, maybe someone else can chime in). I know my boys still chase each other around. They still have minor dominance scuffles, especially when their greens are involved.
Were they introduced in neutral territory? How big is your cage?

**wheeek** · #6 05-01-08, 05:09 pm

I introduced them in a box in my living room.My older one had been there before, but he is not the pig causing problems. My cage when undivided is about the same size as 2 by 5 grids.

Thank you

**sophistic_chick** · #7 05-01-08, 05:14 pm

So are they actually fighting or is the younger one sort of pestering it? I'm not sure why he would be biting the cage. Are you sure that they are both males? (not to insult you or anything like that)

**wheeek** · #8 05-01-08, 05:26 pm

I am pretty sure they are both males, they both mark my floor.....sigh.......The younger one(Timmy) just pesters, but I think I saw him try to bite the other one(Josh). Whenever Josh comes out of his pigloo Timmy runs up to him and either chases him back in or threatens him. Josh seemed alot happier when he lived alone then with Timmy. After I seperated them he started popcorning again(after I got Timmy he had stopped popcorning).

Thank you

**sophistic_chick** · #9 05-01-08, 05:28 pm

How is Timmy threatening him? Maybe they may be happier living alone. I'm not sure. Perhaps someone could offer more advice?

**wheeek** · #10 05-01-08, 05:38 pm

He jumps at him and tries to hold his head higher, and sort of opens his mouth when he jumps, like he is threatening to bite him. Then sometimes he chases him back to his pigloo.

**cavyinhawaii** · #11 05-01-08, 05:52 pm

Sounds like a nose up. Its a dominance thing. Who ever can get their nose higher wins- I think thats how the pigs think. Did you have 2 of everything in the cage? It sounds like just do to age your little one is being a pest. My best guess is that he will grow out of it. As far as the bars the only thing that may work in putting a really tall piece of coroplast. That way he can't chew on either bars or coro.

**wheeek** · #12 05-01-08, 06:01 pm

Thank you. Does anyone know if guinea pigs will fight after being kept apart for just two days? They could see each other through the bars. I may try putting them together again tonight. If they get along well tonight I will go buy 2 of everything. Thank you for all the helpful posts!

**Pumpkin_RIP** · #13 05-01-08, 06:46 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by sophistic_chick

The younger pig may be going through puberty ( I think thats an appropriate age, maybe someone else can chime in). I know my boys still chase each other around. They still have minor dominance scuffles, especially when their greens are involved.

Yup, that sounds about the age that they start going through puberty. If they don't draw blood, then do not seperate them. I know it sounds kind of mean to let the older one get bossed around, but they are just working through possible dominance problems as the younger one gets older. It could also help to have a bigger cage, if your cage is not big enough already. The web site requirements say a 2x4 grid space. I would try to re-introduce them agian, since they didn't draw blood.

**wheeek** · #14 05-02-08, 06:10 am

Well, I put them together again last night, and they were great for the first five minutes. Then Timmy(the younger one) jumped at Josh and they started fighting. I threw a blanket over them and got them seperated before anyone got hurt. Timmy will not stop chewing the bars. Can their teeth break from doing that?

**Ziggy&Herald** · #15 05-02-08, 06:47 am

They have to fight to establish dominance. Otherwise they will never be able to live together. As long as you don't see blood, leave them together and let them work it out.

As for their teeth, if they are going at the bars hard and long enough I'm sure eventually a tooth will break. If you are going to keep them seperated with the bars. Try putting a piece of cardboard attatched to the bars if you don't have the extra Coroplast.

**cavyinhawaii** · #16 05-02-08, 11:09 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheeek

I may try putting them together again tonight. If they get along well tonight I will go buy 2 of everything. Thank you for all the helpful posts!

They will need 2 of everything before you put them together. I would even give them 2 separate places to eat,identical food, water bottles etc and put them at opposite sides of the cage. That way they can both eat at the same time and not want to run over a steal the others food. 2 or more hiding huts are a necessity.I have a pesty pig(the baby,well she's two but to us she's still the baby) The others just move from hiding place to hiding place when she's bugging them or until Teddy pulls her hair to tell her to stop.

**wheeek** · #17 05-02-08, 01:46 pm

Whenever Timmy sees Josh he starts chewing on the bars like crazy, and he grabs the bars in his mouth and pulls really hard. I tried to put cardboard there but he just ripped it of and started chewing again. Then I tried putting fabric over the place he kept chewing on, but he stood on top of it and tried to jump over the bars. He got high(I think he is part rabbit). So I took the fabric off.the only extra coroplast I have is too short for him. He would just start chewing on that. So unless I can think of anything else, I am just going to buy more grids and coroplast so I can have him live on a top level. That way he can not see Josh, so he won't destroy his teeth. Does anyone have any ideas? Any would be highly appreciated.

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