Stupid testosterone!

[DocDolittle]

Well, my boys are NOT getting along as well as I had hoped. They've been together for a week, and I guess I just didn't see it, but I was sick today, so I had to stay home from school, and I stayed in the same room as the piggie's cage all day. All they do is rumblestrut, teeth chatter, butt chase, and fight. There hasn't been any blood shed, but should I partition there cage? I'm afraid of waking up to find a dead pig now. Any advice?

 

[dagwellismypigy]

My boys sound just about the same. I'm not sure but to me it just seems like the piggies are roughhousing, because they seem happy afterwards, neither of them are sulking or anything. If they both get food and water and no bloodshed I think you should keep them together. If you feel that they absolutely hate eachother from the bottom of the heart seperate them. If no ones getting hurt, let them play is my opinion.

 

[DocDolittle]

But I thought that teeth chattering was a sign of aggression?

 

[dagwellismypigy]

My boys chatter but it is when they are running away from eachother, maybe my piggies are just stupid, heh.

 

[lindsey's boys]

My pigs did the same thing! We did seperate them. Rodney (the older one) seems more happy. When I take him out, he lays on my chest and doesn't try to get away (like he used to). Chip (the younger one) chews on the bars of the cage seperating them, so I take them out and he just chatters his teeth at Rodney. Then they calm down, so I think they're getting along, but 5 minutes later the same thing. I would seperate them and see what happens.

 

[dagwellismypigy]

hm maybe i should seperate mine... nah they like eachother most of the time

 

[lauren]

DocDolittle -- I'm so sorry to hear it!
I was eager to see how your guys get along. You thought it was working well at first... When did it change? Do you think that cleaning the cage more often would help?

 

[DocDolittle]

I have no idea when or why is changed, it just hit me all of a sudden exactly how many little fights they had. I had them separated for the first two weeks in their new C&C cage because I thought the fighting would turn serious. Well next time I cleaned the cage I gave them a bath and cleaned everything out, and I left them in for a little longer than before, and they got along fine. Well, it's been a week and now they're constantly rumblestrutting. When they were separated all they wanted was to be in the same cage with each other, so I just don't know WHAT to do!

 

[sasha]

My current pig is not afraid of anything.She's a brat, and proud of it too, if she acts this way when her neutered friend arrives, there will be BATHS.

 

[Stereophobia]

this may sound a bit harsh for the poor guys, but does neutering work the same for Pigs as it does for cats and dogs? maybe a quick snip would make them more co-operative, god knows it would work on me lol
Obviously this is a question and not somthing ou should do without knowing but hey its an avenue to explore

 

[DocDolittle]

Actually, I don't even think neutering changes behavior in dogs and cats, and it certainly doesn't for guinea pigs. Trust me, I've looked into it! lolWell, I just read the article on Social Life again, and it says that all of the behaviors I named are dominance issues and non-combative. Are they ok, then?

 

[dagwellismypigy]

i believe so! think of it as football,(get it ? pig skin?)

 

[RubyPiggie2]

These are normal behaviors, Doc. My boys still do it, my pairs at least. The worst pair is getting split up soon, because Simon is getting neutered and then Fred is being adopted out from one of my friends. But, my two boys in the 2x6 do it occasionally, it really is nothing to worry about.
Ps. I was sick too! Well, I had a MAJOR tooth pain that's been going on continuously for four days now, I always wake up from it! My mom let me stay home today because I woke up at 4.20 and it was hurting so bad, she gave me pain killers but I didn't get to bed till about 5.20. So I went to my dentist appointment and I'm getting a root canal. But I have to wait till NEXT week. I'm so mad! >.< Right now I'm on penicillin(sp?) and it dosen't really work, even though it's supposibly strong stuff.

 

[DocDolittle]

How long have they been together? I'm just afraid for their welfare, but I would hate to split them up!
P.S. Aw, that sucks! My mom had to have a root canal done a few years back! Ech!

 

[RubyPiggie2]

These boys have been together since the younger one was about 3 weeks old... Maybe 6 months? I would have to check the calender... Lol.
PS. Did she say it hurt? I've heard the bad part is that you have to keep your mouth open for EVER.

 

[DocDolittle]

Okay, than I think I'll leave them. Hopefully things will settle down when Pippin outgrows his, "Hey, I think I'll spazmatically run around the cage, leap annoyingly over Cocoa, leave a few presents in his food dish, and mount him all at the same time!" phase.*Crosses fingers*
P.S. That's what my mom said. It hurt a bit, but she got over it soon enough.

 

[joab97]

I think neutering does help male cats and dogs. Not sure about piggies. My cat was spraying and meowing all the time and wanting to go outside. Once we got him fixed..he stopped doing both. I had a male dog that didnt get neutered and one that did when he was young. The one that didnt get it..lifted his leg EVERYWHERE, (including my daughters carseat,YUK) the dog that I had fixed has never done the leg lifting thing. The same went for my mom's dogs too. I think if they are young enough,,it works. Sorry,,abit off the subject,,sorry .

 

[DocDolittle]

It works sometimes with behavioral matters, but in most social behavioral matters, it will not work. Most often in a pair of males it isn't whether or not their sex organs are intact but it's their personality, how they've been raised, etc.

 

[Ferdypig]

Well, my boys are NOT getting along as well as I had hoped. They've been together for a week, and I guess I just didn't see it, but I was sick today, so I had to stay home from school, and I stayed in the same room as the piggie's cage all day. All they do is rumblestrut, teeth chatter, butt chase, and fight. There hasn't been any blood shed, but should I partition there cage? I'm afraid of waking up to find a dead pig now. Any advice?

My piggies do the same thing. They're both boys - one about 2 years old and one is just a couple of months old. I don't worry that they're going to hurt each other as it never gets that serious but I do worry that my older boy is actually less happy now than he was before I got the little one :-(

 

[ChadWPB]

Well, my boys are NOT getting along as well as I had hoped. They've been together for a week, and I guess I just didn't see it, but I was sick today, so I had to stay home from school, and I stayed in the same room as the piggie's cage all day. All they do is rumblestrut, teeth chatter, butt chase, and fight. There hasn't been any blood shed, but should I partition there cage? I'm afraid of waking up to find a dead pig now. Any advice?

Doc, please do not separate them. The dominance process can take weeks. Only separate if there's reeal bloodshed, otherwise let them be pigs and sort it out.