Behavior Female trying to dominate male?

[BonnieandClyde]

My female Guinea pig is a bit aggressive towards my male. She'll follow him around sniffing his behind, nip him sometimes. She followed him and layed right next to him , rolled around for a sec and started doing a loud purring sound(not aggressive but idk what it means).She also tries to get under him (at least that what it looks like to me)by nudging him. She'll also go to him and tug at his fur on his sides, making him squeak. Is this normal? Has anyone dealt with this? What does it mean?

I usually keep them separate since the male is not yet old enough to be neutered. Their cages are right next to each other with only a wall of c and c wires btw them, so they still somewhat have each others company. I only let them be together if I'm there supervising them, watching them like a hawk to make sure no funny business is going on.

The male is very docile and doesn't ever try to do anything/defend himself. He'll either lay down or run away.

 

[bpatters]

If the male is more than 4 weeks old, he can impregnate the female. It takes less than three seconds for them to mate, so you could sneeze and miss it. If you're allowing them to be together all, you're just asking for a litter of pups.

You also should have a lid on her cage. He can push up the lid on his own cage and escape, but he can't lift the lid on her cage to crawl in. And a male can be awfully determined to get to a female in heat.

She may be coming into heat which is why she's behaving this way. But do separate them immediately and keep them completely separated until four weeks after he's been neutered.

 

[jaycriae]

Bpatters is right on all counts, just wanted to add that the loud purring you're describing is likely a part of rumblestrutting, which is both a dominance and a mating thing, and if done by a female does usually mean she's in heat.


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[BonnieandClyde]

Ok,thank you. I will keep them completely separate from now on at least until after a month after the male is neutered. I'm guessing the female will still act like this towards him even after he is neutered. Should I separate them when she goes into heat? Or what do people do that have gps of the opposite sex together when the sows are in heat?

 

[bpatters]

Once he's neutered, they can live together without being separated. She'll probably wind up being the boss, so he'll just have to get used to it.

 

[jaycriae]

Should I separate them when she goes into heat? Or what do people do that have gps of the opposite sex together when the sows are in heat?

Even groups of females kept together will still often have this issue, the sow will just get extra bossy and grumpy for awhile, there's no need to actually worry about it unless she draws blood (which is unlikely). They'll work it out themselves.

 

[BonnieandClyde]

Okay, thanks a lot you guys .