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Nose-Offs

blewvelvet

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I am a real newbie..but have learned a lot over the past year. I have a big brown male "Hamlet" who was so lonely..so I searched and searched and found a single female spayed for adoption "Cheryl". When I put them together...he was immediately in love. He has been purring for two months straight. I never heard a peep out of him ever in the middle of the night for months until Cheryl arrived..every now and then in the middle of the night..I hear that "ehhm ehhm ehhm ehhm ehhm ehhm" purring sound..I have to laugh a little at 3am..because he's just a big lug in love..Cheryl..is just a chatterbox. She plays hard to get...she was afraid of him for some time (I think because Hamlet was always trying to mount her and she is petite) Things calmed down for a few weeks...but now they have these nose-offs...which I understand is a dominace thing..he still is in love..but I wonder now if it's just a game they play once in awhile.

Can anyone confirm this? That this is ok behavior?
 

skirbo

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What, you've never seen anyone dance the Tango!?!?! It's the dance of love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm just kidding. I'm sure it's normal okay behavior as long as no blood is shed (I'm just repeating what I've been told here).

I'm new to piggies and just in a good mood tonight as mine are doing so well. If you keep reading my posts you will see that I am often silly.

Sarah
 

blewvelvet

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LOL Thanks for the response!

It's not violent..it's like..rock paper scissors. they just do something else after they do this a few times. Like it's getting boring or Hamlet is just doing it to entertain her..I don't know...it looks very sweet actually.


skirbo said:
What, you've never seen anyone dance the Tango!?!?! It's the dance of love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm just kidding. I'm sure it's normal okay behavior as long as no blood is shed (I'm just repeating what I've been told here).

I'm new to piggies and just in a good mood tonight as mine are doing so well. If you keep reading my posts you will see that I am often silly.

Sarah
 

Tatalp

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My piggies sound just like your pigs, right down to the intact male and spayed sow! Mine do this too, especially when they've just gotten food, but the loser just goes and eats some different veggies or eats from the other pellet bowl. Aslong as they don't hurt each other, it's fine.
 

aqh88

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The female has probably just gotten more confident and is now telling the male to back off she's not in the mood. Males and females rarely hurt each other beyond pulling out a bit of fur so as long as it doesn't turn into bloodshed or she isn't plucking him bald it's not something to worry about. Just normal guinea pig conversation. Snickers will pull all the hair off another guinea pigs face if they annoy her too often. There have been a few with bald spots. I have to watch her now that I added neutered Licorice to the cage but with 4 other girls to distract him he's learned to leave her alone.
 

blewvelvet

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I would say it is most common around feeding time.
They are definitely more active during and just after this time.

...another endearing thing I learned about my piggies.

These are amazing creatures! I never knew how funny they were over your common rodent. I've had gerbils...and there is something more going on inside their cute little heads!

I wonder what they do while I'm at work. I should set up the cam!
Maybe do a live piggie cam. check in on them from work. Anyone else have a live pig cam?


Tatalp said:
My piggies sound just like your pigs, right down to the intact male and spayed sow! Mine do this too, especially when they've just gotten food, but the loser just goes and eats some different veggies or eats from the other pellet bowl. Aslong as they don't hurt each other, it's fine.
 

blewvelvet

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Test to see if my profile image of Hamlet works!
He's a BIG Brown Guinea Pig!
 

cavy-cool-crazy

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Welcome blewvelvet!

Hamlet is so gorgeous (I checked your profile for the pigture). Looking forward to seeing more pigtures of your piggies! The purring - is it accompanied by Hamlet swaying his butt? If so, this is rumblestrutting and is another dominance behaviour. If not, and it is just the purring, then I guess he's just very happy to have a girlfriend!
 

blewvelvet

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Hamlet..does that strut..very slow sway..like he's John Travolta.
I think he "pretends to have dominance" but she really runs the roost.

When she is inside her house..Hamlet struts in there..I hear her protest. and Hamlet comes running out quicker than shot through a gun as if a big heavy metal pan is being thrown his way!

But every other time they do hang out, eat hay and food together. He is a very different guinea pig since she came into his life.

thanks.


cavy-cool-crazy said:
Welcome blewvelvet!

Hamlet is so gorgeous (I checked your profile for the pigture). Looking forward to seeing more pigtures of your piggies! The purring - is it accompanied by Hamlet swaying his butt? If so, this is rumblestrutting and is another dominance behaviour. If not, and it is just the purring, then I guess he's just very happy to have a girlfriend!
 

Ly&Pigs

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Nose-offs are a sign of dominance. Whoever get's their nose higher in the air wins that round.
 

terpfan99

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My quarantine just ended on my new little guy and I introduced him to Gabe. Well, Gabe strutted circles around and around him and kept climbing on him and humping. The new guy seems a little freaked out, he's not doing anything. Gabe finally calmed down and is laying down now. Since they weren't fighting I put them together so hopefully things go well. Any suggestions for the name of the new guy, I named my other three after my Grandpa cause he called them "stupid", but he's out of names for me to use.
 

blewvelvet

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It looks like Hamlet and Cheryl are the "Honeymooners" Hamlet thinks he rules the roost..but Cheryl gets the last word in.

I would name the new guy "Riel".
"Gabe-riel"


terpfan99 said:
My quarantine just ended on my new little guy and I introduced him to Gabe. Well, Gabe strutted circles around and around him and kept climbing on him and humping. The new guy seems a little freaked out, he's not doing anything. Gabe finally calmed down and is laying down now. Since they weren't fighting I put them together so hopefully things go well. Any suggestions for the name of the new guy, I named my other three after my Grandpa cause he called them "stupid", but he's out of names for me to use.
 
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