Hello all! My first post regarding my Guinea Pig family.

[GPluv]

Here's a little background info about me and my Cavies before I ask my questions:

My 2 Cavies my boyfriend and I got from the Pet Store were supposedly males. Well, on May 7th we were shocked to find 5 babies in their cage!
We separated the mom from the dad that day, but we don't know if they mated after she gave birth (we were asleep), so she may be pregnant again. We separated all of the females from the males when the babies were 24 days old. We have 4 females and 3 males total.

Here are my questions...

1) The babies aren't completely weaned yet. If she does give birth again, will the females from the first litter (who will be around 2 months old by that time), try to nurse from her again and take the milk supply from the new litter?

2) The 2 baby males seem like they have been challenging each other. They make weird noises and the hair on their necks stand up as they stare each other down. But then they chase each other and sometimes popcorn after they do this or when the other backs down. So I don't know if they're playing or if a fight may break out. If a fight does break out, what should I do? Is this normal?

Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks.

[Haley0489]

Not sure about the first question, but what you're describing in the second one is called rumble strutting! You may also notice them sway their little butts and do nose offs (where one tries to get his nose higher in the air). It's a display of dominance. Since they're babies, they're probably just trying to figure out which one is "in charge".
My three boys do this all the time and they're not litter mates to my knowledge, but they have been together since they were at least 6 weeks old. We've never had any fights, thankfully, but if you do have a fight on your hands never put your hands in between them! It's best to throw a hand towel on top of two fighting pigs, as it seems to confuse them long enough for you to scoop one up.

Do check the Cavy Spirit pages, they are very informative. There's a bit about safe dominance displays and displays with the intent to harm towards the bottom. http://www.cavyspirit.com/sociallife.htm


If you haven't heard of Guinea Lynx, be sure to bookmark it too. I trust these two resources more than any other! Guinea Lynx :: A Medical and Care Guide for Your Guinea Pig

[GPluv]

Thanks for the help! I love the Guinea Lynx site also.

[Ly&Pigs]

Answer to question #1 is no. The pups should already be weaned by now.

Answer to question #2 is that it's normal behavior. They are probably playing and trying to challenge for authority but I'm sure dad will straighten them out if they get too cocky.

[GPluv]

It seems as if the mom is weaning them. Sometimes when they go near her she lunges at them to let them know she's not having it. I guess that's her way of weaning them.