Fighting: Aggression escalated into fight.

[piggies7]

My 2 piggies were together when I got them. They were with a few other piggies and now they share their own cage. I bought a pigloo large enough for at least 3 so that they could cuddle up. Apparently Chessy took control of the pigloo and Cookie was left outside taking up the food. As much as I put food in the pigloo for Chessy, Coookie would go in and pull it out. I know Chessy would come out, when no one was around, and when the sheet was on the cage at night, so she was still eating. But the remainer of the day, she would spend in the pigloo, at least when we were around.

I had mentioned the issue were they were not getting along, or my Chessy was too shy. The first days it was holding their heads up high, running around, sniffing butts and so on. Chessy did this rumbling dance at Cookie. Then I hear Cookie chattering her teeth last week. Now, Cookie tried to get into the pigloo and probably lost her way out and Chessy got really upset. We came hom to fine Cookie with a lost piece of ear and bleeding. I am really upset and sad this has happened and we have had to seperate them for the better, at least while we are away and no one can overlook them. My husband says to buy another pigloo or a shoebox, but that will most likely kill more of the room in their cage and I say they need a larger area. I honestly am scared to put them together again. She looks horrible without such a large peice of her ear missing and makes me want to cry. Cookie squealed from so much of pain yesterday. We managed to stop the bleeding and we are tending to it, but it will never be like it was.

We are so sad to see them fighting. We decided to get 2 because supposedly they were to be together, now they have to be lonely? If it helps, I will try to see if I can upload a couple of videos I have of them together, with the chattering and head raising. My husband thinks Cookie is so sweet and social and that Chessy is the rebel and aggresive piggy. I think Cookie is indeed very sweet and social, but also picks on Chessy, taking the food away and running around after her, when Chessy only likes to sit around and hide from people. All I know is Chessy is very sweet with me. She will lay flat on the floor and hum at me when I pet her. She likes to get into my hair and will stand still with me. If Chessy's attitude cannot be resolved to where she can be social, she will be isolated and not mixed with any other piggies, which makes me so profoundly sad. I wanted to have a lovely and enjoying group. He also mentioned the idea of passing her to a shelter because we cannot risk her biting my toddler. I am heart broken I will stick with Chessy and work with her as much as I can, but I have no clue to trian or rehabilitate piggies with issues, if this is in fact an issue or just simply her nature.

Honestly I can't determine if Cookie is the one that wanted to be the dominant piggie. She seems so cute, and sweet, while Chessy has much more of a stronger and bolder look.

[Ly&Pigs]

Firstly, you may want to read this: Guinea Pigs Social Life

What size is your cage?

[piggies7]

Wow, I have not seen that page before. Very good information! Thank you! My piggies are quite young, I would say probably in their 6 months, judging by their size, maybe a bit younger. I fear they will not get along but I so wish to see them bond. I believe they are sibblings since they look so much alike. I have never seen 2 gp's look so much alike in their patterns, only one color changed. I know for sure both are girls, I was careful with that. I would want to try to get them together, but I don't think my husband and step D will allow me to try. Since Cookie is "her pet" and the injured one, they are very protective with her and I doubt they will hold up on the idea of putting them again together for now. Although the irony is that I am the one that has had guinea pigs before, but back in those days they were male and female and we didn't have that many problems.

I must admit that my cage is slightly small for them and I am thinking of putting another level in it. As much as I insist I build them a larger cage, my husband disagrees and says that we only need another hidey house, one for each. I am with what the page you gave me says. We live in an apartment, very tight spaced and I will try to insist in a larger space but we can only work so much with what we have, I will do my best to resolve this issue so that I can have them living peacefully together, enjoying each other's company. I know I have made some mistakes but I need to correct them for their health and happiness. Maybe let them ride their adolescence alone? I am a bit confused with that part. The information says that if they are together from very early they will not end up getting along. What do you think I should do? I will not take an easy way out and I am very willing to work with them to socialize and earn their trust.

I did see Cookie popcorning this morning in the cage. We have placed Chessy in the play pen, with a box to hide in, a seperate dish with all the same foods as Cookie, the water bottle and a pan to potty. My husband called me and he says that Chessy has hardly touched her food. Cookie on the other hand is a nonstop eating machine. Even though Cookie seems happy to be alone in the space, I think Chessy, in her bad temper, is actually depressed. If I could only read their actions to understand what is happening.

[rabbitsncavyluv]

If the hideys are taking up too much room, your cage is likely too small. Two males should have a 2 by 5 C&C preferably with a loft. You may be able to get away with a 2 by 4 if they get along well.

You do need at least 2-3 of everything. They rarely share hideys. An x l pigloo takes up a lot space in pet store size cages.

[tehdoc809]

yes, I would say it sounds like you have a spacing issue. I would look into building them a bigger cage if you can manage.

[akstrohm]

Don't build a second level--the ramp will just take away space on the main level. Instead try to expand your main level to about 13 square feet, add another house, and things are quite likely to get better.

[Linda122005]

Space is probably all they need. Try to place hideyholes and igloos somewhere not so close to eachother. Maybe place one at the end of eachside of the cage or back to back if your going to place them in the center. Hope all works for the best.

[MapleOwl18]

I agree, first option I would do would be a reintroduction in a neutral space. Then I would put them in a bigger completely clean cage big enough for two piggies so a 2X4 or bigger.

I recently read on guinea pig lynx where an owner of 2 boar guinea piggies had success with getting them to get along when she removed all hiddies and houses, and replaced them with towel tents clipped to the corner of the cages. You basically take a dish sized towel and clip it to the corners with 2 office clips or 2 clothespins to make a house in each corner. Leave their food bowls, water bowls in there, but only give them towel tents for hides. I recently noticed my pigs fought even in a 2X4 because it was to small for 2 adolescent active boars, and I had to many "toys, cuddles, and houses in there."

If the reintroduction fails I'd take your new large cage and divide it in half. You can always redivide it later. This means about a 2X6 though to divide into a 2X6 and is probably the most space intensive option. Also be careful to secure the bottom grids.

Do you have 2 boys or 2 girls? With girls they probably just wanted to their own space.

[piggies7]

We have tried to put them together in a neutral open space, it just isn't working my husband hates the C&C cage I have built cause he says it just looks we live in a ranch or something. I recall we had 2 guineapigs when I was a kid and they never fought! Now we had to put them in seperate cages and each time they see each other it is back to the teeth chattering. I will keep trying, but I need to post a long update on what has been going on in the last few weeks, maybe and hopefully this will be some of the reasons for Chessie's behaviour.
When we take the hidey out from Chessie's area, she gets so desperate to hide she actually jumps over the C& C wall! I have never seen a guinea pig climb or jump such a high wall just so that she won't be in a visible area. It really breaks my heart. What will I do with a piggy that we cannot enjoy and that only wants to be in hiding? Any type of behaviour techniques we can try? PLEASE?!?!? I really need to work on her so that she can be more social. I know she is cuddly with me (if I managed to pick her up), but when anyone else is around, I can see in her eyes the fear.

[Clarion]

Remind your husband that the point of a C&C is not to look pretty but to be functional. Don't take out the hidey house even if right now all she is doing is staying in it. As you can see, having no place to hide will just freak her out more in the long run. You need to work with her slowly to build trust again. Try starting with feeding her veggies from your hand while she is in her house and work toward luring her out. Also pet her and talk quietly to her while she is in the house. These will not bring results right away of course but should eventually make her feel more comfortable with you and her surroundings.

[Siobhann]

Like others have said, you really can’t take any of the hidey-holes away from either pig. Piggies need a place to hide and feel safe. I’ve had my two girls for almost a year now and they still hide from me. My boy did nothing but hide for about two weeks when I first adopted him. Chessie is probably just extremely scared. If the larger cage didn’t help, I’m not sure what else you can do. Some piggies aren’t meant to be cage mates Now when you’re putting them together in a neutral area, are they just chattering their teeth or are they fighting? I know they’ve fought before that is probably due to a small living area. If they’re just chattering their teeth, it’s a dominance thing and normal. They have to sort that out. If they're actively fighting, that's a problem.

How big of a C&C cage did you make? What’s the setup in your cage? How many hideyholes?

[lissie]

You do need a hidey for each pig, plus one extra one. If you think hideys are taking up too much space, you can clip towel tents on each corner of your cage as Maple suggested. You also need to separate their food area. If you still need to separate their cage, try putting them side-by-side. At least they still see each other without being able to attack each other.

[piggies7]

I will definitely try the towel. I can make some hidey houses with the coroplast that I have left over. I never thought that 2 sisters, could not get along. We put them in a neutral space, it is clear that Chessie is the one that starts going around Cookie and she immediately starts at her chattering the teeth. Of course my step D gets highly nervous and wants to remove the piggy from Chessie. I tell them that we have to keep on trying. I hate to see them in 2 cages and it is senseless to have gotten 2 to be company and not have it working. Very frustrating. Right now we have 2 hidey houses, 2 bottles, 2 salt wheels, to food bowls, but 2 different cages. I just wish we had more space in the area so I could expand.

[akstrohm]

How big was the cage when they were last together?

[Siobhann]

When you separate them, are they fighting or just chattering teeth?