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Two female sows fighting :(

guineawheeking

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Hi everyone, Guineawheeking here :) I am the proud momma to two female guinea pigs. Duchess, white with swirls in her hair and Lola, brown and black short hair. :) I now know pet stores are not the greatest to buy guinea pigs from, or any other animal, but I got my ladies from PETsMART. They were in the same cage, so naturally I got them as a pair. I've had them for a little over a month. They were in a 2x4 c&c cage. U had to cut it down to 2x3 when they chewed a small hole in the bottom corner of my coroplast. I now had to make the cage even smaller when I separated them! Lola seems to be bullying Duchess. She chases duchess out of any hidey she is in, out of the hay box and away from any toys. I've noticed a scar on duchess' ear, back and nose :(

I tried giving them a bath, and giving the cage an entire cleaning but it didnt seem to help. They now live un two 1x3 cages... The 2x3 divided by grids down the middle. Its funny Duchess seems to calling out to Lola and trying to get through the grids to her bully. :( I need advice and maybe tips to help get them to be friends again! Please and thank you :)
 

scoottie

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If I may I feel as though you separating them was a bad idea. How many pigloos do you have I am guessing one it may be a good idea to get another and put the cage back to what you had it as. Some guinea pigs even though they are friends/bonded dont want to share. Also get a pigloo with more than one entrance so they dont run into one another.
 

guineawheeking

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I actually have two hideys for them already. A hay rack, and a hay box (incase they didnt want to munch together) two bottles, two food dishes... Multiple toys. I have two of everything for them. My hideys have two opened ends for an easy escape in case of fights like these. (I've done plenty of research before getting my ladies)

I do not feel like leaving them together would be a good idea seeing as how one of my piggies has a new cut almost every day. They can see each other and socialize. My hopes was to get them to get used to each other again for a day or two before removing the divider. I do not want Duchess to end up with more severe wounds. :( I had also hoped someone would give me advice on how to get them to be friends again or slowly get them used to each other without one of them ending up with wounds again.
 

bpatters

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LifeAsItMayBe

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How much open space is left in a 2x3 with all of that stuff in there? My girls can't stand each other if they don't have space to run.
 

guineawheeking

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I do not have any coroplast left to extend my cage again. But I was thinking, I could make their hideys stackable. To save space. And I could add a 1x1 grid area to put the hay box? That would add more space to play too? I could do a slit in the coroplast as a doorway?

I didnt think the tunnel would be a space problem. Seeing as how the only run through it.

So with the hay box "on the outside" that would make it 1x4 on one side and 1x3 on the other. (all open of course not divided). I'm not really sure how to properly mesure the size all in one. But hopefully you get the idea.
 

Nannub

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Keeping a pig in a 1x3 cage is like keeping them in the pet store cage. That's not even enough for 1 pig. You can stack both cages but it has to be at least 2x3 for a piggy. Please don't keep them in such small place. I have my two piggies in a 2x4 cage and they get along really well.
 

guineawheeking

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After I got home from work tonight, I took the divider out. I sat and watched my ladies interact, they seem to be getting along better already. I think a bit of time apart did them a bit of good.
For those of you who seemed to think I am a terrible person, I've ordered another piece of coroplast to remake the 2x4 cage again. Also, I never intended to leave them in the 1x3 for more than a day. O needed them to stop fighting. As I stated before, I did a complete cage wash, and gave them baths. That did not help. Time appart seams to have helped for now. Hopefully they get along better.
Thanks for all the judgment. Please read before accusing me of having my pigs in a 2 by 3 foot cage instead of a 2x3 c and c cage. I know the measurements of the grids as that is what I have, but thank you for the hate.
 

Eat the cheese

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Maybe they just need a larger cage so they can sought themselves out and so they can have some 'alone time' when they have fights.
 

guineawheeking

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Maybe I should have specified, they started fighting when they were in the 2x4. Not when they were in the 2x3.
 

PudgePig

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How are your piggies doing? Are they getting along better? I did intros with my piggies today and it's stressful when they're acting like a bully.
 

Eat the cheese

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I'm surprised they were fighting so much, I have never had any guinea pigs fight that were girls. Good luck on keeping them together :)
 

lissie

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One of them could be in heat.
 

guineawheeking

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Just a quick update, if anyone still reads the threat :p,
After being separated for a day (GASP! I'm a terrible person), I'm glad to report that my ladies now seem to be great friends.
They share a sleeping area, cuddle and even share their lettuce leafs. :) there have been no new marks on my Duchess and Lola seems to have calmed down. One of their hideys is completely useless now as they do not go in it at all. It is still there incase they change their minds on sleeping together.

I've also added a second floor 2x2 c and c. This space is reserved for food, water and hay. They seem to love running up and down the ramp :) and I've even noticed them popcorning around the cage lately :)

Hopefully this means the fighting has ended. Thanks to those of you who recommended more space. I couldn't build horizontally, so I went up but didnt limit it to a tiny 2x1.

And to all of you who assumed I would be leaving the girls in the small divided cages, shame on you. Please don't jump to conclusions. Im not heartless. Like I said, it was only a few hours (from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm) and it really seems to have helped.
 

pinky

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Make sure you have enough space on the bottom level for them to run laps. Personally, I wouldn't go any less than a 2x4 for a pair.
 

guineawheeking

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Good for you! I too have a 2x2 second level and my cavies get far more exercise with running up and down the ramp than they would ever do running laps. I found that a 2x1 is virtually useless for a cage with two cavies. Invariably, they both would want to go to the hay rack, litter box or pellet bowl at the same time and both simply didn't fit in the loft. With a 2x2 I have a medium-size litter box, hay rack, water bottle, pellet bowl AND a favorite cardboard hidey. Mine never ever fought but seemed to enjoy having a place to get away from the other one.

See the difference between a 1x2 loft and a 2x2 loft below:

Ah man! Thanks for the pictures! I hadn't started with a 2x1 loft and I'm glad I didnt! There is far more room! And it leaves the lower level virtually empty for them to run and popcorn :)
I also love how the entry looks to the second level! I have just left a grid off, but I like the way this one is done. Is this yours? Did you just cut the grid with pliers?
 
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