Behavior Need help! Lesbians?

soupz said:

This is a mini-emergency so sorry if there's a similar post, I don't have time to look.

Can guinea pigs be lesbian? Because here's the story. I have two "girls" supposedly. And just today the older one kept sticking her nose at the butt of the other "girl" and looked like she was trying to mount her. I thought this was a show of dominance or play (because they were chasing around whining and chutting) but then I heard a low rumble that sounded A LOT like the mating call... I AM VERY WORRIED! I've captured the one that kept sticker her nose at the other "girls" butt and checked her over. She doesn't have a scrotum looking thing and she has long nipples. I poked around her stomach and have found no penis, or any that I could see (how far away from the anus are they?) I haven't had a chance to catch the other one yet.

Here's the thing too. The other "girl" the one that's being mounted suddenly gained 45g in a week which is quite a bit more than usual. And also, she is much much harder to catch now! (They are about 4 months old)

Do they make the mating call when they are in heat and "horny" and do that? Or is it only the guys that do it? I am so worried, replies needed!

Click to expand...

Animals, are just like people. They are not made to be "gay" or lesbians. So i doubt it. Id re check the sex of both.

I don't think there are 'horny' guinea-pigs, or lesbian ones. If they are both the same gender, one is trying to say "I'm the boss of this cage!". Rumbling and walking in circles is called rumblestruting, from what I was told, and it's the same idea they're trying to get across.

... I'm not too sure about the weight-gaining. Recheck the genders.

I've just looked at some pictures and prodded and poked both piggies. I am 99.99% sure they are both girls, which is some relief. However, now why does one of them look like she really wants to mate with the other pig? Chasing her around in circles and rumbling exactly like the mating call and trying to mount her? I know mounting is a show of dominance, but she looks... REALLY eager...

soupz said:

I've just looked at some pictures and prodded and poked both piggies. I am 99.99% sure they are both girls, which is some relief. However, now why does one of them look like she really wants to mate with the other pig? Chasing her around in circles and rumbling exactly like the mating call and trying to mount her? I know mounting is a show of dominance, but she looks... REALLY eager...

Click to expand...

You're telling me your guinea pig looks eager? One female trying to mount another female is the exact same as two male guinea pigs mounting each other. They aren't gay or lesbian! They are animals! They have no sexual preferences, they do what they were made to do. If you stuck a male in there the male would mount the female, just like they were made to do. It's all pre-programmed, they are not "lesbian". One is showing one who is boss, no matter the gender.

I suggest you do some major research.

Okay okay, sorry 2sCompany, I've already understood that they're not "gay."

I've done some reading around since my panic (mums keeping an eye on the pigs).
It sounds like Snowflake is just in heat, and this is normal. But my next question, would I need to seperate them? Because Snowflake is chasing the other girl round and round the cage, and she is looking quite flustered, and whining quite a bit.

(At first) My guinea-pigs used to chase eachother, rumble, and nip all for dominance, and they never really hurt eachother, and the one being chased and humpted was fine, so we kept them together.

At first? What do you mean by that? I read they only need to be seperated if blood is shed, otherwise it would cause more stress to them if they are seperated.

soupz said:

At first? What do you mean by that?

Click to expand...

She means it over with now - they have settled down.

Oh okay XD
They have calmed down now finally after an hour or so of rumbling/chasing/mounting. They are wimpering a bit now every so often but I'm guessing that's normal; just them feeling weird about being in heat? (Maybe their first time because I havn't seen it before)

Ok, just plain curious now. Do they feel the way humans do when they menstruate? Because Snowflake is whimpering and being a bit skittish, are they in pain or just hormonally imbalanced?

Oh my gosh there they go again just as I'm typing this!

I wish my two girl pigs could be lovers...because they'd possiby get along better (Possibly).

That's absolutely normal. Even when I had 2 female rabbits they used to mount too. It's a natural thing.

It is completely normal for male guinea pigs to mount other males and females to mount other females. Same-sex 'sexual' activities such as mounting are extremely common in the animal world. My two females only hump or mount each other when they're in heat, so it's probably at least somewhat influenced by pheromones.

Also, I don't think guinea pigs feel any discomfort when they're in heat. They don't menstruate the way humans and other animals (e.g. dogs) do, but their dominance behaviours may increase, and they can get a bit cranky like you have seen. But I highly doubt that they feel menstrual cramps or headaches or anything like what human PMS is like.

LOL piggy PMS. Keep them together unlesss they are drawing blood and having major battles (ie teeth clashing or rearing up and leaping at eachother or bitting at eachothers necks). I am surprised no one has linked this yet but here is guinea pigs social info:

Guinea Pigs Social Life

Since they are girls they will probably be doing this off and on for 2-3 days every several weeks (when they are in their cycle) It should settle down in 3-4 years I hear. I only have males and I know from time to time mine bug eachother too. Especially if I give them a new toy or hidie home. Its nothing to worry about. Its like a couple, sister, roommates etc...Having a small spat. It happen and its nothing to worry about. The weight gain is probably from you feeding them better food and they have weight gains like we do. Depending how old they are they gain weight at the beginning of puberty (like 6-7 months) and then a big weight gain at the end of puberty (lik 9-11 months) and then when their hormones settle in to adult levels which is the start of their mature life (14-15 months) then there should be little if any growth. (kind of like us gain weight and get hips at around 12-14 years, a bit more weight at 16-18 years and then the freshman 15, 15 lbs weight gain the first year of college, 19-20 years is usually the last until pregnancy for most woman anyways) Hope that helps...Good luck! We would love to see pics!!!

Wow thanks Beahbeah and onetwo, that was some very clear information okay, I am not worried anymore. Thankyou

Onetwo said:

(kind of like us gain weight and get hips at around 12-14 years, a bit more weight at 16-18 years and then the freshman 15, 15 lbs weight gain the first year of college, 19-20 years is usually the last until pregnancy for most woman anyways) Hope that helps...Good luck! We would love to see pics!!!

Click to expand...

O my lol...that got me laughing. So true!

Oh I didn't see the last bit I will get pics up shortly!

Beahbeah said:

It is completely normal for male guinea pigs to mount other males and females to mount other females. Same-sex 'sexual' activities such as mounting are extremely common in the animal world. My two females only hump or mount each other when they're in heat, so it's probably at least somewhat influenced by pheromones.

Also, I don't think guinea pigs feel any discomfort when they're in heat. They don't menstruate the way humans and other animals (e.g. dogs) do, but their dominance behaviours may increase, and they can get a bit cranky like you have seen. But I highly doubt that they feel menstrual cramps or headaches or anything like what human PMS is like.

Click to expand...

Ditto to all the above.

Animals, are just like people. They are not made to be "gay" or lesbians. So i doubt it. Id re check the sex of both.

Click to expand...

This is one of the most offensive, and uneducated responses I've ever seen. Your own heterocentric rhetoric aside, (I won't address the origins of human homosexuality, as it's off-topic here) animals are NOT "just like people". They have different "emotions" (some would argue they don't have any at all, but they surely don't perceive the world in the same way humans do) and perceptions. They form relationships, but not in the same manner as humans. They are driven much more by instinct and less by emotion and thought. Their NORMAL social behaviours (butt sniffing, mounting, etc) would seem very abnormal in humans.