Bonding Re-bonding two boars

[Wheekers135]

I am the owner of two big boars. I only had one but then got another when I found out that they needed a companion. When I got the second one, I don't know very much about guinea pigs and I just cleaned the cage and then plopped the two right in together. I know I should have introduced them differently but I didn't know back then. They don fight much but they bite and rumblestrut. Would it be a good idea to give them buddy baths or something? Just as a bonding experience?

 

[Princess_Piggie]

Are they actually biting, or just nipping at each other? Nipping is nothing to worry about really. But a buddy bath certainly couldn't hurt, and you could do a vinegar wash on the cage for good measure.

 

[Wheekers135]

most of the time just nipping but sometimes i have caught them actually biting and getting chunks of hair in their mouth. so how do i do a buddy bath? i dont have guinea pig/small animal shampoo so should i buy some or can i use something else?

 

[Princess_Piggie]

A buddy bath is exactly what it sounds like, you bathe them together which a)removes the scents and neutralises them to each other and b)bonds them over the horrible being-bathed experience. You need guinea pig shampoo because the PH levels in anything else wouldn't be suited to their skin, try Gorgeous Guineas products.

 

[bpatters]

You can get small pet exotic shampoo on line, at Walmart, Target, etc. I use Squeaky Clean.

But a buddy bath won't do much for two boars who are already living together. They work best, if at all, on an initial meeting where the scents are strange and neither boar knows each other.

Nipping is part of two boars living together. You'll just have to put up with it unless there's all out fighting. What you can do is make sure their cage is large enough to stay out of each other's way (see the Main tab at the top of the page), that there are no hideys with only one door, and that there are multiple water bottles, pellet dishes, hay racks, etc. in the cage.

 

[Wheekers135]

ok thanks. yes their cage is a 2x5 and they have two pigloos, (they only have one entrance but it doesnt seem to be a problem) a tunnel, a fleece bed, two hay balls, two water bottles, and a food dish that has two sides to it.

 

[Sugarbunnylet]

Okay I just rebonded my two boars as well.

If they are getting chunks of hair out of eachother you really need to watch them.

If they are fighting for too long, they will get really stressed out.

This is what I did for major success of my two boars.



- CLEAN EVERYTHING. Soap and water. Dishes, toys, beds, the entire cage. New litter, new hay, new food.

- Bathe them together. Tub or sink. No running water, the sound scares them.

- Do you have any vanilla extract? There is the science behind bathing together. Pigs will get along with another new pig if they smell like they are part of the heard. so you wash them completely so thier own oils are not as potent, and make them smell the same. After bathing dab some vanilla extract on your finger and just touch both piggies grease spots with it (its by their butt and greasy, where a tail would be if they had one) yay smell the same now.

-Introduce them to their new home, with TWO houses and TWO water bottles.

- They will spray and mark corners. The dominate one might do that to the sub one as well.


Watch them, if they draw blood, its over. You will have to separate them and just make a C&C cage with panels in between so they can still chat to eachother but not harm eachother. Like this: https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=61180&d=1392163641


Hope this helps you