2 questions - essential oils and hidies

[mintpotatocc]

Hello! I am a new piggie owner. Please be nice because I have read forums where OPs will get attacked for asking questions/made assumptions about. ):

1. I see some articles that say essential oils are dangerous and some say certain oils are okay. My guinea pigs are in my bedroom and I wouldn't say they smell, but it does smell heavily of hay. Can I make my own Chamomile/Rose/Lavender spray? I would just put water in a spray bottle and infuse it with the smell of flowers. Or do you know of any pig-safe essential oils to buy?

2. Is one (large kaytee igloo) hideaway enough if I have a Guineadad fleece? Guineadad fleece has a fold where they can burrow in, so I was just wondering! This is for two male pigs.

Thank you so much!

 

[mintpotatocc]

Hello! I am a new piggie owner. Please be nice because I have read forums where OPs will get attacked for asking questions/made assumptions about. ):

1. I see some articles that say essential oils are dangerous and some say certain oils are okay. My guinea pigs are in my bedroom and I wouldn't say they smell, but it does smell heavily of hay. Can I make my own Chamomile/Rose/Lavender spray? I would just put water in a spray bottle and infuse it with the smell of flowers. Or do you know of any pig-safe essential oils to buy?

2. Is one (large kaytee igloo) hideaway enough if I have a Guineadad fleece? Guineadad fleece has a fold where they can burrow in, so I was just wondering! This is for two male pigs.

Thank you so much!

Sorry, one more question! My adult piggie is now 1 year old and he lived his entire life alone. (Well, next to a cage with a female). I tried to bond a young pig ( son) with the adult piggie (dad). The dad seems a bit distressed/is always chased by his son. He doesn't seem to enjoy it and will loudly yelp if his son gets close to him. Does it take time or are they simply unbounded?

 

[Siikibam]

Hi. Questions are always welcome. It’s better to ask than assume I think, so don’t be afraid
essential oils whether sprayed or as an air freshener aren’t a good idea in the same room with piggies. So you can’t really use anything scented with them.

It’s better to have at least one hide for each piggy. So in your case you should have two. As well as two bowls, two bottles and two hay feeding areas.

How old is the son? If he’s between 4-14 then he’s in his teenage months. There will be hormone spikes where he may go ‘crazy’ for a short while with constant chasing, mounting and humping if allowed. It sounds like mild dominance behaviour. Chasing, mounting, humping and teeth chattering can all be part of mild dominance behaviour. The squeaking/yelping is a sign of submissiveness. So the older one is telling the young one that he understands who’s boss. Have a read of the threads below to know more about boar bondings.

A couple of questions. How big is their cage? And did you bond on neutral ground then move them into a thoroughly cleaned cage?
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Bonds In Trouble

 

[mintpotatocc]

Hi. Questions are always welcome. It’s better to ask than assume I think, so don’t be afraid
essential oils whether sprayed or as an air freshener aren’t a good idea in the same room with piggies. So you can’t really use anything scented with them.

It’s better to have at least one hide for each piggy. So in your case you should have two. As well as two bowls, two bottles and two hay feeding areas.

How old is the son? If he’s between 4-14 then he’s in his teenage months. There will be hormone spikes where he may go ‘crazy’ for a short while with constant chasing, mounting and humping if allowed. It sounds like mild dominance behaviour. Chasing, mounting, humping and teeth chattering can all be part of mild dominance behaviour. The squeaking/yelping is a sign of submissiveness. So the older one is telling the young one that he understands who’s boss. Have a read of the threads below to know more about boar bondings.

A couple of questions. How big is their cage? And did you bond on neutral ground then move them into a thoroughly cleaned cage?
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Bonds In Trouble

Very good to know! Thank you so much! He is 2 months old! Wow very interesting and useful information; thank you!

I noticed some chew marks on the dad's ears.. but never saw the young one biting him! I adopted from a Cragislist poster so maybe he already had them. They are in a Midwest cage. I did bond them on neutral ground, as the person who had them before kept them in tiny hamster cages.

 

[Siikibam]

Okay. Sounds like he just wants to be boss and older piggy may have just let him. Leave them to it unless you think tensions are rising and there could be trouble. Then watch them carefully and read about bonds in trouble to decide whether they’ll be okay or not.

 

[Piggies&buns]

an eye on things, and definitely do read the guides linked in above as they will guide you through the behaviours you are seeing and help you determine whether they are good behaviours or warning signs.
To my knowledge a Midwest cage is 120cm x 60cm, do correct me if I’m wrong though. While that size cage meets the minimum requirements, it may be too small for two boys. Boys need a lot more territory and we recommend at least 150cm x 60cm, but 180cm x 60cm is better for boys. Lack of space can cause problems between boys (although character compatibility is key to a successful bond).

 

[Swissgreys]

I just wanted to say welcome to the Forum.


There will always be someone here to help answer your questions, so ask away.
And we love pictures so feel free to share those too.

 

[Sweet Potato]

welcome! the more hides the better but it doesn't have to be anything expensive a few cardboard boxes will make your piggies very happy

 

[mintpotatocc]

an eye on things, and definitely do read the guides linked in above as they will guide you through the behaviours you are seeing and help you determine whether they are good behaviours or warning signs.
To my knowledge a Midwest cage is 120cm x 60cm, do correct me if I’m wrong though. While that size cage meets the minimum requirements, it may be too small for two boys. Boys need a lot more territory and we recommend at least 150cm x 60cm, but 180cm x 60cm is better for boys. Lack of space can cause problems between boys (although character compatibility is key to a successful bond).

welcome! the more hides the better but it doesn't have to be anything expensive a few cardboard boxes will make your piggies very happy

I just wanted to say welcome to the Forum.


There will always be someone here to help answer your questions, so ask away.
And we love pictures so feel free to share those too.

Thank you all for the warm welcome!

The first image is the son who is still skittish and very dominant. He thinks my hand is a vegetable but no blood drawn yet! He loves popcorning.

The second is the father who is very sweet and gentle. He loves being held during lap time!

Also -- unrelated note, if anyone has ever purchased a Guineadad fleece and used the box as a hide, my piggy got his head stuck in the hole! I freaked out when I saw it