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Dominance Territorial over food?

Cupcake0x

New Member
Cavy Gazer
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Jan 5, 2020
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Joined
Jan 5, 2020
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Hi, any help would be so appreciated.
I have 2 females, Biscuit was adopted and is at least 2 years old (actual age unknown) and one new addition that we got 2 days ago, Piglet - she’s a baby.
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We did an introduction and all was really smooth. Biscuit seemed to take Piglet under her wing immediately, popcorning and grooming her, they did a little piggy train around the introduction area as Piglet followed Biscuit around.
Now they are living in the cage together, we have one bowl of pellets for them to share but a bowl each for vegetables because BISCUIT DOESNT SHARE FOOD! (who got the reference? Heh.) which is fine.
Our hay manger is accessible from all sides and they have been sharing it - today however, Biscuit has been territorial over the hay and will not let Piglet get near it. She pushes her away with her nose and to me appear to be scrapping sometimes. There are no squeals or marks so I know it’s nothing too vicious but I’m just worried that Piglet is going to go hungry.
Is this normal behaviour?
Any advice on curbing or helping this behaviour?
Please, anything will help me I’m a first time piggy mum - we have had Biscuit for a year but she has never had a cage friend.
 

bpatters

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Cavy Slave
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Sep 23, 2009
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Just spread the food out around the cage. Biscuit can't guard everything at once.

Weigh Piglet daily, preferably in the morning before breakfast, to make sure she's steadily gaining weight.
 

ItsaZoo

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Sep 8, 2018
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It probably wouldn’t hurt to have some kind of visual barrier so they can’t always see each other. So if you have a couple piles of hay, a fleece fringe between the two hay piles would give each pig a change to eat without the other seeing. I would also have two pellet cups for them.
 
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