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Behavior Teeth Chattering

Lauren0625

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I have two male piggies named Ollie and Oscar. Ollie just turned 6 months and Oscar is about 3 months. I keep them in a 2 by 4 C&C cage with a 1x2 upper level. Two days ago I walked into my room (where they live), and I heard some teeth chattering. I sat down next to the cage to watch and make sure things don't get out of hand, and the chattering continued. I separated them, and they have been since then. I don't know what's causing the aggression. They've been living together for about a month and a half now and I've never heard any aggression whatsoever until now. Ollie is usually the one who starts and then Oscar follows. Is it because Ollie is maturing? Or is he just tired of Oscar annoying him? I'm not really sure what to do, I don't want to have them be separated forever.
 

bpatters

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They're doing what adolescent male guinea pigs do, and you're not helping, either by keeping them in a cage that's really too small for two boars in puberty, or by separating them.

See if you can take the loft off that cage and expand it. And read https://guinea-pigs.livejournal.com/3002707.html.
 

LexPiggies

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Sounds like my two pigs.. they'll (most likely) sort it. Only separate them if you see blood has been drawn. I just left my pigs be and watched them to make sure they don't get too out of hand and now when I take Joe (the youngest) out of the cage, Mac (who is usually the aggressor) will wheek because he's gone. Mac still rumbles and such but not nearly as much and I often see him being the one to come up to Joe and sit in the pigloo together.
 

Lauren0625

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They're doing what adolescent male guinea pigs do, and you're not helping, either by keeping them in a cage that's really too small for two boars in puberty, or by separating them.

See if you can take the loft off that cage and expand it. And read https://guinea-pigs.livejournal.com/3002707.html.

I put them together for a while and I watched to make sure nothing happened but they started fighting. I don't want to leave them unattended when they're acting aggressively towards each other, so I'm keeping them seperate for now. I'm thinking about expanding my cage to a 2x5 or 2x6 when possible to see if it makes them any less aggressive.
 

Shieme

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Do it as soon as you can, it will help a lot. Go for 2x6 cage, boars need a lot of room. It's why I went for sows. When I go bigger, I might look into a neutered boar but only after I clean out a room to expanded my cage.
 

Lauren0625

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I'm not really sure how to go about this. Whenever I put them near each other the chattering starts and doesn't stop until they can't see each other. How should I make it so they'll be okay with each other again?
 

Shieme

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If you are still using a small cage, you are setting yourself up for failure. But teeth chattering isn't that bad. It actual contact you should worry about. If there isn't blood then let them figutpre it out. Just watch them. That's all you can do right now. Can you make the cage bigger? Like a temporary bigger cage?
 

bpatters

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I wouldn't even attempt to put them back together until you get the cage enlarged. You're just extending an invitation to them to go at each other's throats.
 

Lauren0625

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If you are still using a small cage, you are setting yourself up for failure. But teeth chattering isn't that bad. It actual contact you should worry about. If there isn't blood then let them figutpre it out. Just watch them. That's all you can do right now. Can you make the cage bigger? Like a temporary bigger cage?

I won't be able to make the cage bigger right now, but I'm heading to Home Depot to get some coroplast and rebuild it this weekend if all goes well.
 
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