Fighting To Separate or Not to Separate

BaconAndEggs · Jul 20, 2015

Bacon and Eggs have lived together for about a year now, and have always had the reoccurring scuffle. But it has never been as bad as it is now. Every few days Bacon has a new scratch, and I have often seen them on Eggs as well. The most recent scratch on Bacon was at the top of his eye, worse than usual, though thankfully not in his eye and not very deep.
The other night during floor time, they almost had it out. They were nearly lunging at each other. Every time they get near each other they start chattering their teeth, and fluff up their fur.
Separation is a last resort for me, but I'm afraid that one of these times one of my piggies is going to get seriously hurt.

So, should I separate? Am I just overreacting? Their cage is a 2x5, newly expanded.
Any advice is appreciated.

PandaPiggle · Jul 20, 2015

Aww nooooooooooooo not Bacon and Eggs!!! They've got such a cute couple name! Do you see anything that might be causing said scuffles? If they've been together for a year then neither is adolescent... Hmm do you have any pigloos or other single entrance hideys? Or are they just like doing it out of the blue?

If they were mine I'd be tempted to throw them in a bath together to see if you can get them to calm down, but I don't know. I've got five sows, two of whom are adolescent and one who will probably hit that in a matter of weeks, so I just blame most tiffs on a high strung adolescent, but you don't have that luxury

Rocky5 · Jul 20, 2015

I would throw them in a bath and clean them. Be as scary as you can so they will bond. Then I would dry them up and give them a bunch of veggies and fruit they normally don't eat but love. Hopefully that will keep them bonded but if it doesn't work I would separate them but keep them seeing and smelling each other then maybe when they get older and calmer you might be able to reintroduce them.

BaconAndEggs · Jul 20, 2015

PandaPiggle said:
Aww nooooooooooooo not Bacon and Eggs!!! They've got such a cute couple name! Do you see anything that might be causing said scuffles? If they've been together for a year then neither is adolescent... Hmm do you have any pigloos or other single entrance hideys? Or are they just like doing it out of the blue?

If they were mine I'd be tempted to throw them in a bath together to see if you can get them to calm down, but I don't know. I've got five sows, two of whom are adolescent and one who will probably hit that in a matter of weeks, so I just blame most tiffs on a high strung adolescent, but you don't have that luxury

Thank you! Yes, I would hate to split my boys up, but, as I mentioned before, it would break my heart if one of them were hurt badly. I will see if I can get some shampoo-I know neither dog or baby shampoo will be suitable, so I'll take to my parents. They have fleece forests as hideys, and I can not find anything that might cause their tiffs. They got along so well-before I moved them into their first C&C cage. It's almost like reverse guinea pig psychology.
The fleece forests are on opposite sides of the cage, as are the food bowls and water bottles.

@Rocky5-Thank you for the advice as well. Bacon is two years old and Eggs is one year and four months(I think-their birthdays are estimated

).

Rocky5 · Jul 20, 2015

@BaconAndEggs Hmm. Maybe if you keep them separate they will become so lonely they will need to be with each other or something? Hope this helps

BaconAndEggs · Jul 20, 2015

Thanks again! Possibly, I would hope that is how they would turn out, because I know guinea pigs should be alone, but my parents would never let me have four guinea pigs, and I can't bear to give one of them up.

Rocky5 · Jul 20, 2015

If it doesn't work out maybe you could find a trusted friend to take 1? That way you could adopt another guinea pig as a friend for 1 of yours and still be able to see your other guinea pig. That would obviously be a last resort.

BaconAndEggs · Jul 20, 2015

Good point, but I honestly don't have any friends I'd trust enough to take one of them in...in addition, how would I choose?

Rocky5 · Jul 20, 2015

If you find a friend that already has 1 or 2 have a little play date to figure out which, if either, get along. If the first 1 works then stop at him. He has been chosen. If your second pig gets along with them then he gets chosen. Then after you establish who gets along with who you could either foster guinea pigs for your local shelter or find a shelter near you that lets you do trial runs or "playdates" or something like that.

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Fighting To Separate or Not to Separate

BaconAndEggs

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PandaPiggle

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Rocky5

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BaconAndEggs

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Rocky5

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BaconAndEggs

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Rocky5

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BaconAndEggs

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Rocky5

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