Bonding I really need some advice regarding a piggy and bunny bond

[trslmjns]

Unsure if this is the right place to post as I'm new here but I'll try it anyway. About three months ago, I took a guinea pig and rabbit off someone who wasn't treating them very well. They are very close, being all they had in a bad situation for so many years I guess, but I've since gotten another piggy and another bunny for them both because I know that they both need company of their own kind. I'm still in the process of bonding the two bunnies and bonding the two piggies. I have them all inside the same room where the two bunnies are separated from each other and the piggies, but the piggies are together in their own large space. I did this because I thought it would still be best if my first piggy and bunny could still see each other, as opposed to just separating them - I thought it may be distressing if their only friend for so long was just to disappear out of nowhere.


Only thing is is that while they both seem somewhat interested in their new friends, they keep trying to break out and be near each other. They'll sit by the bars of their cage next to each other all day some days and completely ignore the other bunny and piggy. When I let them out for play time, they run straight to each other and will stay with each other. My piggy really comes out of her shell when she is back with her old buddy during floor time and will follow him around, run around and wheek, but is quiet and subdued when I put her back with her new piggy buddy.


Should I just let this happen? Should I separate them? The piggies bonding seems to be going well, my first piggy looks to be the submissive one, and I can see that they are just getting used to each other. My bunnies haven't had a proper introduction yet - my new bunny needs to be spayed so they won't get their first proper meeting for a few weeks.

Has anyone here had to do something similar? It breaks my heart to see the difference in my piggy moving between the two different companions and I feel like I'm making her sad by separating her from her bunny friend. Just want some input if you have any to give. Thanks

 

[Princess_Piggie]

It's generally advised to never let rabbits and pigs be friends as rabbits can seriously injure guinea pigs, but that's pretty much the extent of my 'knowledge' on situations like these.
IMHO however, if you want to bond the rabbit and pig to their own species mates you got them, keep them where they can't see each other, and don't let them have play time together.

 

[labgirl5]

As Princess_Piggie said, I think it'd be better if you stopped letting them have play time together, or have their cages in the same room. Since you already separated them, by separating them time and time again it's almost like having a healing wound cut open again for both animals.

 

[bpatters]

As @Princess_Piggie says, housing rabbits and guinea pigs together isn't recommended by either guinea pig experts or rabbit experts.. For one things, rabbits can infect guinea pigs with diseases that the pigs can't be vaccinated against, like bordatella. That can be fatal for the guinea pigs.

The other reason is that the rabbit can injure the guinea pig, either with its powerful hind feet, or by binkying and landing on the pig, or even by trying to mate with it. Guinea pig backs are pretty fragile, and it's not a good idea to keep it with another pet that weighs several pounds more than it does.

I know it's hard to separate them when they've been together so long. But I think I'd keep them apart, but let them interact through the cage bars until you get the rabbits introduced. If your first guinea pig hasn't caught anything from the rabbit yet, there may not be much risk in letting them sit together at the side of their cages.

The other thing you need to worry about is the new rabbit giving the pigs bordatella, and if it's already housed in the same room with them, they may be exposed. If at all possible, quarantine should be done in a separate room. And, as you're giving care, you handle your old animals first, then the new one(s), then wash the clothes you had on.