New person saying hi there everyone!

[surinecet]

I've been a silent "lurker" on these forums for a while, but finally registered today. My husband and I are parents to two adorable guinea pig girls, Shifu and Skittles.

We started out like many first time guinea pig owners, we got Shifu first, from *gasp* a pet store, before we knew any better. I'm so glad we have her though, she's amazing. She totally acts more like a dog than a piggie - loves all attention and of course food! She's a nut, but we love her.

I was researching cage options a few months after we got her and wow did we learn a lot about guinea pigs! I found out that her cage was much too small (we had gotten it from the pet store), and that she needed a friend. So enter Skittles, adopted from a rescue organization in the area about a month ago.

Poor Skittles was given up with two of her cage mates by her owners that no longer wanted to care for so many, I think they had 9 total. But then her two cage mates died. :weepy: She was really scared and depressed, poor thing. She seems happier now, though still quite skittish. She's a lap baby though, and we love her too.

Introductions.. not going so well between the two unfortunately, but that's a post for another day. They are in a 2x5 cage right now that has to stay divided, but hopefully that won't be the case forever. I know it's not an ideal size to be divided, but it's the best we can do at the moment. Originally we had planning for them to share it together, with a loft. But it has soft fleece and fun hideys, so they seem like pretty happy girls!

Anyway, here's some pictures of them. Shifu is the white one, she is part Abyssinian I think, and has a crazy mohawk thing going on on her behind. Skittles is the short hair tri-colored.



^Our curious one, always has to see what is going on and preferably stick her nose in it. Or climb on it. Or eat it.



^Our lap baby, so content just to snuggle in a fuzzy blanket or cozy.



^In their new cage. It was a ton of fun to make! Btw, neither one has red eyes, it was just the flash.

Anyway, glad to be here, looking forward to being on these forums!

 

[ellisa]

Hello and welcome! Thanks for posting pigtures! They are both so cute!
About the intros, have you looked at Guinea Pigs Social Life ? Towards the middle of the page it has great info about intros and getting pigs to bond! Good luck!

 

[surinecet]

Thanks! Yes I have, we've followed everything, even trying the bath thing last night. It didn't work so well..

 

[ellisa]

It can seem very stressful with first intros. Most new owners are worried that they are badly going to hurt or even try to kill eachother :melodrama
In reality, guinea pigs are quite peaceful creatures, they just need to find out who is top pig and then once that settles usually things smooth out. That's why it's best to introduce them once and leave them unless there is bloodshed or one is keeping the other from eating. Of course, every pig is different and I have no idea what all you have been doing to get them to bond, but I wish you good luck and we are here if you have any questions

 

[surinecet]

Thank you very much. After the initial quarantine period we tried putting them together in neutral territory. They tolerate about 10 minutes with each other, but then they start getting really upset. They do their rumble thing, then nipping, then rearing up and flying at each other. At this point we separate them. We've tried it several times without improvement. Then last night we gave them a bath together, and dried them, then put them together in their completely new cage. We put some food in the middle, which our one guinea pig completely dominated. Finally after the fascination with the food ended, they went at each other. We waited for longer this time, as it seems like everyone says you are supposed to wait until blood it drawn. Well sure enough, Skittles bit Shifu in the lip. Shifu did deserve it, but we separated them, and now I am really not wanting to put them together again. We hate seeing our piggies hurt. :sad: So I'm not really sure what to do at this point. Shifu is ok, btw, she's eating normally and everything, but boy was it a shock to her! Poor things.

 

[ellisa]

Hmm, well it sounds like you're doing everything right. How are they doing with the grids separating them? If they are not trying to bite at eachother through the grids, I would leave them that way for a bit and then try again at a later time. Hopefully they will have gotten used to the idea that it's okay to be near eachother by then, and the grids separating them can be taken out without any problems.

I'm glad to hear that Shifu is OK!

 

[bpatters]

Couple of questions: When you put them together in the cage this last time, was it in the large 2x5 cage, or do you still have it divided and just put them in one half? Was there anything at all in the cage that smelled like either one of them? And do you have at least two of everything in the cage -- water bottles, food piles, pellet dishes, hideys? And a big enough hay rack that they can eat without getting in each other's way?

 

[surinecet]

When the grids are separating them they mostly leave each other alone. Sometimes they sniff at each other, sometimes they rumble and chatter their teeth, sometimes they make their complaining noises or whatever they are doing (seems to be saying "I don't really like you" or "this is my stuff stay away").

It was in the entire 2x5 cage we introduced them. We didn't put the grids up til after Shifu got bitten and was bleeding. Everything was completely new except for the water bottles, which we washed thoroughly. We had two of absolutely everything except for the food pile. The guinea pig rescue we adopted from suggested we make one big pile. So we did, and Shifu sat in the middle of it, guarding it while eating. She also didn't seem to like Skittles eating any hay either, even there are two hay racks. The reason Shifu got bitten though was that she insisted in going inside of Skittle's hidey. We had one flap up so we could watch them, at the time.

 

[bpatters]

Well, that "guarding the whole pile" is exactly why we recommend having two of them -- preferably at either end of the cage. Water bottles too, and everything else you've got double of. That way one pig can't keep the other one away, and is less likely to get its hackles raised when the other pig comes to get some food/water/pellets/whatever.

Are you introducing them in the cage, or somewhere else? I'd put them somewhere else first, maybe for several hours, with plenty of food and supervision, and in a very large place. Bathroom floors work well if you don't have a pen or other area you can use. If they co-exist there peaceably, you can try moving them to the cage. But they definitely need plenty of room for one to get away from the other at first, and as few opportunities as possible for conflict.

 

[surinecet]

We've tried introducing them in different neutral territories. We put them together in the cage this time because we had just built it that night and it was completely new. Either way though, completely neutral locations, large or small, with or without food, they still fly at each other. We'll try it again though, perhaps in an even bigger area, and maybe it'll work. How long should we wait in between sessions? Especially now that one of them has been injured?

Thank you for all the suggestions!

 

[bpatters]

I'd definitely wait until any wounds have cleared up and you're sure there are no abscesses.

It may be that you've got one of those rare pigs that won't live with another pig, but I wouldn't give up yet. How old are they?

 

[surinecet]

Skittles is 1 year old, and Shifu is just a little younger than that. It seems like Skittles has always been with other cavies, but Shifu hasn't since we got her at three months old.

Their personalities are very diverse, could it be they won't get along with each other but could with a different guinea pig? Skittles is quiet and reserved, not moving much at all, except to eat or run into her hidey, and the occasional lap around her cage. Shifu is very curious, energetic, and stubborn.

I'm not ready to give up on them yet, if there is still hope they can get along. This is our first time with guinea pigs and introducing, so we don't know much except what we have read. We just want what's best for them both.

One of the reasons we chose Skittles was that they rescue suggested she might take to another guinea pig quickly because she has been used to others and lost them, and so may be eager for companionship. I guess that didn't turn out to be the case.

 

[surinecet]

A different guinea pig meaning another companion for each, not a third added to the group right now. We couldn't add any more yet anyway, but in the future.

 

[SurfingPigs]

Some pigs just don't get along with other pigs... it is possible that you have one of those pigs, but I believe it is best to exhaust all options before settling on that. You could try intros again, in the future, and if the intros go well then give it a shot in the cage again but with more accessories.

If you have a nearby rescue and plan on attempting to pair them in the future with new pigs, I would inquire about bringing your pigs with for some meet and greets. That is how my one pig turned into four pigs with little drama... they picked their future cage mates. Certain pigs are happy to ignore an aggressor, while others are always up for a challenge.

 

[SurfingPigs]

And feel free to send either of your pigs my way... they are really cute!

Another option, if they both seem happy, would be for them to share their cage as is, especially if you could expand it a little. Some pigs that haven't taken too great to new cagemates do wonderfully with a shared wall. Some of them love to nap right next to their neighbor at the grid, so long as their hay, veggies, and pellets are safe from pilfering in their own sanctuary lol

 

[pinky]

They're beautiful and I love the blue fleece! welcome!

 

[surinecet]

Oh I could never give either one of them up! We love them both, but thanks for the offer. We should have taken Shifu to the shelter to help pick, I guess if there is a next time we will do that. We're going to give them at least a few more months of trying. I think we'll keep the grids separating them for a while, so they can interact safely. After a while we'll try again. Thanks everyone!