2 Male guinea pigs that are territorial questions about c and c cage

[Charolette1]

I have just recently had them rehomed to me. They are an extremely bonded pair. Unfortunately I wasnt expecting what I was told when the lady was telling me about them and the state things were in. The father and daughter brough them in a small but a longer cage the gentleman just rolled them up and into my apt from downstairs and the daughter held the water bottle. So when they came in and the family left I saw the way they were kept. The 2 males had been together kept in this small cage because they didnt get along with the 2 in the bigger cage. They walked on top of each other only had the one hut and an empty bowl. Just a few pieces of hay. I was told this is where they stayed in and she had run out of pellets for them 3 days before they came. Right away i filled the bowl with pellets and hay and they devoured right into it all. So I had moved them to a cage 2x the size of that one just to give them more room and a cleaner area. They were doing great with it. So I have been getting the items together and put up a c and c cage 5 by 2 they had both their two huts and hay and as well water water bottle and had put in a couple also of beds and cuddle spots and it was when they saw my female on the other side of the room the one really went crazy. Biting the bars to get to her which i stopped right away then the two males started on themselves. The one that was biting at the bars started in on the other one jumping on him and taking a jump from the side on top of most of his body. It was then the squealling started. Not all from the guinea on top it was from the one underneath and running. then the other jumped and started what looked like he was trying to mate with the other from behind. I put them in the bigger cage that they were more familiar with and it took a while as well as guinea pig relaxation music things calmed down. I have been thinking was too big a jump from the size they were always in and even the one I had so that it really scared them or there was something in the c and c cage I didnt think of that would have helped them feel safe and settled. I have rearranged the c and c cage so on one end there is its own spot they can go in so that is that ones and then on the other end the same thing just in a different direction so that one has its own spot. I have the area for the hay and the water and a common area. Its a beginning that i am starting on to get their live better. Does anyone have any advice or ideas that I have forgotten didnt know about or anything else I can do to help them make this next cage okay and safe for them that would be great. I really want the best for the 2 as my own female guinea pig I adopted from the humane society here.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Welcome to the forum

Any new cage or environment will cause even bonded pairs to reestablish their relationship. It’s not the size of cage being too big, it’s the fact it’s changed at all. So you will see lots of mounting, chasing, rumbling for approximately the next two weeks while they reestablish. With that said, those kinds of behaviours are normal lifelong.
If you plan to move them to another cage, it will cause another two weeks as they reestablish in another new environment.
You can minimise this by making sure you use soiled bedding in a new cage as that way it will still smell like them. It won’t stop the behaviours though because they are normal behaviours.

The other issue you have is that you have introduced a pair of boars into a room where there is a sow. For a bonded boar pair, smelling a sow can be a disaster for their bond - at worst it can cause them to fight over the sow which can break their bond even though they cannot get to her.
Ideally the boars should be in a different room to your sow.

Reacting to group or territorial changes: Dominance and group establishment/re-establishment
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

 

[Charolette1]

Welcome to the forum

Any new cage or environment will cause even bonded pairs to reestablish their relationship. It’s not the size of cage being too big, it’s the fact it’s changed at all. So you will see lots of mounting, chasing, rumbling for approximately the next two weeks while they reestablish. With that said, those kinds of behaviours are normal lifelong.
If you plan to move them to another cage, it will cause another two weeks as they reestablish in another new environment.
You can minimise this by making sure you use soiled bedding in a new cage as that way it will still smell like them. It won’t stop the behaviours though because they are normal behaviours.

The other issue you have is that you have introduced a pair of boars into a room where there is a sow. For a bonded boar pair, smelling a sow can be a disaster for their bond - at worst it can cause them to fight over the sow which can break their bond even though they cannot get to her.
Ideally the boars should be in a different room to your sow.

Reacting to group or territorial changes: Dominance and group establishment/re-establishment
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

Oh wow I didnt know that. I am so glad I recognized it and put them back in the smaller cage as is further away from her. Right now what I have done is I rebuilt the c and c cage so they each have their own little area with the cage jutting out then back to the cage. That way each one has their own little cavy area and as well right now until I can get some help moving things around I have the female on the other side of the room as the males in their cage but I have covered the side of the cage so they cant see her. It has stoppedf most of the mounting and the other things they were doing. I am so glad I have learned this and will make sure that they dont have their cage anywhere near her. Thanks so much for letting me know.

 

[Charolette1]

Thank you so much for the information. I have made sure something is in between the cages. I have been trying to figure out how I can move the female into my room but at the time I am not able to. I am doing my best to figure it out but I also have some more ideas to look for the help get their cages off the ground. At this point I am not able to move the female into this room but I am doin my best to see if something I am able to do to do that especially when I have their cages lifted or raised off the floor