Introductions Nerve Wrecking!

MrsSuzy said:

Sorry to keep going on about this but I feel so depressed today . Just wanted to share that.

Things pretty much still the same as above, Itsy and Bitsy chasing and eating Lola's hair but Dahlia (who is last in pecking order) has been showing her teeth at Lola. I've put some grids separating them but still allowing them to see each other and starting to think what I should do next. Might wait till the weekend (as I'll be at home for longer) and try a bath.

I confess, this is much harder that I thought and I'm a but clueless in how to take it all. I've read it always looks worse that it is but I'm finding it hard to assess it myself. Maybe they are just fine as no blood has been drawn but I just don't know. Maybe I'm having a bad day too but I just want to cry. Sorry for the moaning all.

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Don't worry! I felt the exact same way! It was awful when my piggies weren't getting along well. Piggy Bath time worked wonders for Eugene and Max! Later in the week during introductions I was very depressed. I was convinced both of them would be single cage dwellers, and that they would never become friends. In the bath they didn't seem too friendly either, but the water scared them a lot, and they seemed to huddle together. That afternoon after bath time, they finally started tolerating each other, and by the evening they were cuddling together in a Pigloo. As they say "The Piggies who Bathe Together, Stay Together!"

Hi all, sorry about the radio silence. Things have been crazy at work which is stealing my precious internet time.And thank you so much @Razzle for your messages, it put a smile on my face to know someone remembered my introductions panic.

So my girls are still apart (but not for long). After I last posted I realised I was getting too stressed with the whole thing and also a bit paranoid. I decided to calm down and plan things properly. There was no blood drawn when they were together, just (I say just lightly because it looks very dramatic) the typical dominant behaviour. But I panicked when Monday arrived and I just didn't feel brave to leave them all together for 9 hours whilst I'm out for work. I work far from home so couldn't even nip out to check on them. I placed a few grids in their current cage so they can see and sniff each other. The first night the main herd actually managed to break through my barrier! I secured it better and left it at that.

So I have a new plan. This coming weekend is a holiday weekend here in UK and I decided to take 3 days off work, starting this Wednesday. So that will be 6 days at home where I can re-introduce them and keep an eye on them. On Wednesday I will give them all a bath (not together as 2 hands for 4 piggies is not good) and place them all together in a new neutral area. I will not interfere at all as thanks to you all and a few others I know it looks worse than it is and it is all normal behaviour (I'm kind of saying this to myself ). After a few hours I will move them to their new clean cage and that is it, no matter what happens and unless blood is drawn I will not interfere or separate.

I then have 5 days where I will not be out of the house for long and can keep an eye. I feel much more happy knowing I'll be around but I know I'll have to be strong. I really don't want to mess things up for them and for that I have to leave them to sort it out.

Any other words of wisdom or advice for me? Thank you all for reading and helping me

If you can get a helper try to bath all 4 together.
As well as smelling the same, the 'ahhhh, mean lady put us in the wet scary thing, quick come here look after me' seems to work wonders.

I've managed to bath 3 at once but never 4 so I would guess a helper is needed!

Also if you have any help for the supervising can be great. Even though I know the whole dominance thing, within 10 mins I'm screaming tears in the kitchen that they're killing each other. My partner is much calmer at it than me. So while I continue to wince he'll keep an eye and say 'nope not killing each other, just some humping'.

Try to stay strong I know how scary it is! Good luck with your bathing! x

Sounds like a fine plan. I think I had a hard time accepting the bad girls behavior. I thought of them as gentle sweet, loving creatures. They don't seem to behave toward each other as I had expected. But they are very interesting to watch, the herd interactions, and now that I no longer expect them to be loving toward each other they seem fine now. Of course, I don't have any fighting going on, just grumpy, selfish behavior. They seem to work it out by the time they get to the end of the cage and go their own way. Look forward to updates on your herd dynamics.

Thank you @Iklepink and @Razzle!

I tried to get other half to take today's off work so he could help me with bathing and all but he couldn't. I'm definitely trying to keep my cool

I gave them a bath one by one and they're all together now in a new neutral area. Usual teeth chattering and stuff but what is interesting is that suddenly Dahlia, who I always took as the bottom pig, has been teeth chattering even at what I thought was my dominant pig, wow!

Poor Lola is just running all over the place, even when one of the other just approaches. The neutral area looks like a war zone after 40 mins.

Wow. What a tribe you have. It's a good thing they are so darned cute. Right?:eye-poppi Are they still in the "intro" area or in their cage?

Razzle said:

Wow. What a tribe you have. It's a good thing they are so darned cute. Right?:eye-poppi Are they still in the "intro" area or in their cage?

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I know, they are gorgeous

I have just finished putting them in their cage. They stayed about 3 hours in the intro area with just a bit of teeth chattering and a few chasings but not much more. I'm expecting there will be more of that in their cage now but so far, so good .

Sounds very hopeful. As I said before, I really messed things up with a little piggie by separating over and over. Just so sad that I made it impossible for them to live together. I just did everything so wrong. Keep updating.

Razzle said:

Sounds very hopeful. As I said before, I really messed things up with a little piggie by separating over and over. Just so sad that I made it impossible for them to live together. I just did everything so wrong. Keep updating.

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Yes, I definitely don't want to mess things up for them. Unless blood is drawn they are together now for good. And so far, it hasn't been too bad (few chasings and teeth chattering but that's it

What happened to your little piggie? Did you have to house him/ her alone?

Thank you for your thread and updates, @MrsSuzy! I'm hopefully going to be going through some introductions for the first time in the near future and I'm happy to read that sticking it out really does work!

I would just put them together in their cage and leave them alone. The more you mess with them and change their locations the more they are going to feel a need to assert dominance. When pigs are in a new environment they often feel a need to do the dominance dance all over again.

It can be very stressful to watch guinea pigs asserting dominance and figuring out their pecking order. Sure, there's lots of chasing and posturing. But since no one is actually getting injured I would leave them to it. I am assuming you weigh your pigs? That will let you know if someone isn't getting the food and water they need. In which case a few food dishes and hay areas and water bottles in different areas should solve that.

My advice to you is to put them in their nice big cage and leave them alone. Leave the room. Leave the house.

MrsSuzy said:

Yes, I definitely don't want to mess things up for them. Unless blood is drawn they are together now for good. And so far, it hasn't been too bad (few chasings and teeth chattering but that's it

What happened to your little piggie? Did you have to house him/ her alone?

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Yes, they had to live separate because I did not understand their behavior and kept separating and re-introducing and made them nuts. That was a long time ago but I still feel so bad and always will for the mess I made. I ignor the girls when one is in a "mood" and does not play nice. I know they are pistols and let them be. No one hurts anyone. One may chase one but by the time they get to the other end of the cage the war is over. They are just so cute. I follow the information regarding "introductions" with each addition and things have worked out very nicely. Five live together and they are pistols but I adore them.

Yes, my girls certainly have moody times lol They are not big cuddlers, even between themselves (one in each hidey).

It's been about 2 days now and it has been ok(ish)! There's been a few chasings and quite a bit of hair pulling/ eating but not as much as when I put them together first time. They seem to be tolerating Lola but not sure if they have accepted her. I know she is eating as I have seen it and also weigh her daily. So early days maybe?

I think she might be a bit scared as she stays in the same spot all the time only moving when one of the others chases her but even then she quickly returns to that spot. Most of the times she actually runs and squeals even if they just approach her. Is this because she's scared or is she keeping a low profile until the others warm up to her? I feel so sorry:weepy: when I see her there all the time but I've been good and not done anything. I have been placing one of the veggie bowls right next to her to give her some advantage whilst the others are busy down the other end (with the other veggie bowl), but that has been it.

That's her on top right corner...she's just been there since yesterday. :weepy:

Hi all, me again

Nothing changed from my above post but I do have a question. I know it's a bit subjective and it will depend on piggie's personality, etc but just curious about everyone else's experience.

When you introduced a new piggie to a group how long did it take for the new piggie to start behaving normally? Lola is doing fine but she doesn't venture out of the 2X2 kitchen area. She was quite the explorer when I had her separate and even loved to do zoomies.

Is she still in that hay area and afraid to hide in the fleece?

Yes @Razzle :sad:

I think I will separate them today.

So I think I'll have to separate Lola from my 3 girls today.

As Lola didn't seem to move much I added some more hay racks and trays to see if there was an improvement. But they are all still picking on her. I went out for an hour and have just come back 30min ago and checked on Lola. There's a bit of dried blood in her ear and what looks like a tear

That is it I suppose, not much more I can do. Will set a divider soon.