Bonding help

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Mon Jun 17, 2019 8:49 am


You're not thinking that you have to separate because she rumbles, are you? It's a TOTALLY normal behavior, and all guinea pigs do it.

P P and P

Post   » Mon Jun 17, 2019 10:07 am


No not the rumbling, it was the lunging that concerned us. The rumbling was just constant all evening whenever another pig got near her or she would go close to them and start rumbling at them.

She seems to have calmed down today but my concern was just that if they wouldn't get on in the future which pig to remove. Not that we are planning on that, we want them all to live together happily! Just want to know what to do if it did happen.

JX4

Post   » Mon Jun 17, 2019 6:52 pm


Buddy baths are great at fostering bonding. I'd try again in a couple of days. There are lots of noises and sights that look absolutely horrible to us but really aren't that bad. Unless you see blood or the bullied pig is not eating or drinking then you really shouldn't worry. They do have to work out their hierarchy on their own, and separating them causes everyone to go back to square one.

If you feel you must separate, I'd put the lunging one by herself and the other two together.

Be aware that between 6 and 18 months piggies go through adolescence -- and just like many human teens, they can get downright bratty and tempermental. The spats will likely get worse, not better, during that time period for the young ones. But this too shall pass. Once they exit adolescence, they mellow quite a bit.

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Mon Jun 17, 2019 8:12 pm


That's interesting what you said about adolescence. Two of my boars fought to the point of drawing blood when I tried to bond them. I've mentioned it a few times on the forum. They were about 5-6 months old then, but both are over 2 years old now. Despite being in separate cages, they are very familiar with each other now. They do pretty much everything together, just with a see through barrier between them. I'm almost tempted to try bonding them again since both of them are out of adolescence. I'll think about it and if I decide to try it, I'll post it in their Cavy Chronicles thread.

P P and P

Post   » Tue Jun 18, 2019 5:14 am


I think we probably did intervene too early. Peggy has been with us for a year and she's our baby so it was difficult to watch them arguing. We will try again tonight and see how it goes.

If every time we separate they have to start from scratch does that mean that you wouldn't recommend play dates? If they all get on out of the cage then just put them straight in together?

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Tue Jun 18, 2019 8:42 am


No play dates. Just a lengthy introduction out of the cage, then back in it. Once and done.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Tue Jun 18, 2019 8:45 am


Agree. Multiple play dates tend to cause the whole dominance thing to start all over again, each time.

P P and P

Post   » Wed Jun 19, 2019 4:58 am


Okay, I'll have to wait until the weekend then to give them enough time. They were together for 5 hours or so before this started last time.

Hopefully it will stick this time as I really want them to all live together happily. Polly is the only one who hasn't been spending a lot of time near the bars, she spends a bit of time there but the other 2 are there almost constantly.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Wed Jun 19, 2019 5:50 am


Sounds like a plan. And again, if all else fails, buddy bath has helped in many cases. The theory is that the stress of it helps bond the guinea pigs, plus I suppose it gives them all a similar smell. Good luck!

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