Dominance Can't Keep Them Together?

[Rayvn]

A few months ago, I acquired Raphael as a buddy for Leo. After quarantining him, I started introductions. I must have done something wrong, because no matter how many times I put them together on neutral ground, they fight. Leo will pull Raphael's hair out, and I keep panicking and separating them. Currently, they live in a 2x6 cage with a partition in the middle. When they aren't actually in the same area, strangely, they'll lie down right next to each other and purr. How can I put them together? Any ideas?

 

[PigPandemonium]

Guinea pigs should only be introduced once and then left together in a cage for the rest of their lives as long as there is no blood drawn, or any kind of food guarding. Pulling out tuffs of hair is fine, they just need to be watched closely to make sure it doesn't go beyond that into blood being drawn.

 

[Catahoula]

I take it since you've tried introducting them before you've read Guinea Pigs Social Life

When introducing new pigs you need to have a large neutral area that doesn't smell like either pig. Put lots of hay and veggie piles around, so the food helps distract them. Leave them together, unless there is bloodshed. They will rumble, mount, chase, and nip each other but give them time to work it out. If you seperate them, then they have to start the dominance dance all over again.

You could give them a buddy bath. There's information about that in the link too, right under the introductions part.

Make sure when you are ready to put the together in their cage that everything is thoroughly washed and doesn't smell like pig. You'll need at least 2 of everything: hideys, food bowls, water bottles, etc...) For safety reasons, you will also want hideys with 2 or more openings.

Good Luck! I really hope they can work it out.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

My four girls do not get along together at all. Ivy and Mama live on one side of the cage, and Sundae and Loofah on the other. I had wanted to have them all together but Ivy does NOT like either Sundae OR Loofah! Major fighting, blood drawn, hair ripped out. So I split the 2X6 with grids down the middle and a piece of coroplast as a shield and they are fine. I tried to not have the shield but they were aggressive at the grids! So, this way they can't even see each other. It works quite well, although I'm disappointed they can't have a big cage to live in, and there is just no room at all in my house for another big cage. The boys live in a 2x5 and get along perfectly. But then, Squiggy is so laid back I think he'd get along with anyone!

 

[rachelappel]

when we first got lily, munchkin was not a fan on her so we bathed them together and dried them with a hair dryer. i honestly felt bad doing it, but it seemed to do the trick. munchkin will still rumblestrut around her occasionally, but she doesn't chase her around and bite at her like before. i know how nerve-wracking it is when you watch them fight, especially if its just one picking on the other. but if no blood is drawn, you just gotta stick it out. i live with the same theory for all the animals we have: if you give them long enough, eventually they'll get along. best of luck!

 

[LitaRutherford]

My Odair and Bear hated eachother when they were introduced. Hair pulled chattering etc. now they are always together. Last night I took Odair out for cuddles and he was nipping and moving around so I put him down since thats normally his "i gotta pee". Nope he was just mad I took him out while he was sleeping with Bear. Sometimes they just take time.

 

[Rayvn]

I haven't tried the bathing idea yet, mostly because I've never bathed my pigs and I'm afraid that I'll bungle it. How do I know when it's getting out of hand? Do I really have to sit and wait to see if blood is drawn?

So, the basic idea would be this?
Take the piggies out for floor time (in separate areas). Completely clean the cage. Bathe/dry them together. Put them back in the cage and watch. If no blood is drawn, keep them together under supervision. Is that right, or am I missing something?

I've noticed that only Raphael seems to be the aggressor. Is that good or bad?

 

[bpatters]

So, the basic idea would be this?
Take the piggies out for floor time (in separate areas).

Not quite. Floor time should be together, in a large area, with piles of food and some open-ended hideys. Let them be for quite a while -- several hours, if necessary. Then, if you want to try to buddy bath, do that. But it means bathing both pigs together, not one at a time. Once they're dry, you can put them back in a thoroughly cleaned cage that smells nothing like either one of them. If you've got hideys that can't be washed, take them out and replace them with cardboard boxes until things calm down.

 

[Catahoula]

I haven't tried the bathing idea yet, mostly because I've never bathed my pigs and I'm afraid that I'll bungle it. How do I know when it's getting out of hand? Do I really have to sit and wait to see if blood is drawn?

So, the basic idea would be this?
Take the piggies out for floor time (in separate areas). Completely clean the cage. Bathe/dry them together. Put them back in the cage and watch. If no blood is drawn, keep them together under supervision. Is that right, or am I missing something?

I've noticed that only Raphael seems to be the aggressor. Is that good or bad?

Not quite, they need to have an opportunity to be introduced on neutral territory before the bath.

1) Put them together in a completely neutral area. Have a towel, oven mitt, or dust pan on hand to be able to seperate if necessary. Place them at opposite sides of the area and let them find each other. You'll know its out of hand if they end up in a flying fur ball or you see blood. But really, give them plenty of time to rumble, chase, butt sniff, chatter, mount, and everything else... An hour or more is probably enough time, but be patient

2) If they don't settle down after that, then it's bath time. The link has good instructions about filling the tub, what type of shampoo to use, and how to dry them afterwards. Please read it carefully.

3) After they are bathed and dry put them into their very clean cage. If their introductions aren't too aggressive you can clean the cage while they are "getting to know each other." Or you can always have them in seperate areas before you start intros and clean the cage then.

 

[Triksey]

i have the same question...what if only one piggie is the agressor and the other runs and hides? can this still work?

 

[Catahoula]

i have the same question...what if only one piggie is the agressor and the other runs and hides? can this still work?

Yes, it can still work. Once your dominant piggy is confident that the submissive one knows his place, then things should calm down.

Please read the link I gave to Rayvn at the beginning of the thread. The Introduction section starts half way down the page. If a buddy bath is necessary, those instructions are right after. Chances are you won't need the bath, so give them the time to work it out first.

 

[sugarbunnies]

I feel like I wrote this post lol! I had to put grids in as dividers as well and I am very bummed that they don't have the big open cage!

My four girls do not get along together at all. Ivy and Mama live on one side of the cage, and Sundae and Loofah on the other. I had wanted to have them all together but Ivy does NOT like either Sundae OR Loofah! Major fighting, blood drawn, hair ripped out. So I split the 2X6 with grids down the middle and a piece of coroplast as a shield and they are fine. I tried to not have the shield but they were aggressive at the grids! So, this way they can't even see each other. It works quite well, although I'm disappointed they can't have a big cage to live in, and there is just no room at all in my house for another big cage. The boys live in a 2x5 and get along perfectly. But then, Squiggy is so laid back I think he'd get along with anyone!