Behaviour mirroring?

[toodledoodler]

Hello! My two boars Fred and Wilbur are separated due to a bloody fight (they share a huge wall with grids so they can still hang out!) and I’ve noticed that they’ll often do the same thing at the exact same time. They’ll drink at the same time, wash themselves at the same time, yawn at the same time, it’s like they have the whole thing planned! Do your piggies do this? They still don’t get along even through the grids but they seem connected somehow. Strange!

 

[Wiebke]

Hello! My two boars Fred and Wilbur are separated due to a bloody fight (they share a huge wall with grids so they can still hang out!) and I’ve noticed that they’ll often do the same thing at the exact same time. They’ll drink at the same time, wash themselves at the same time, yawn at the same time, it’s like they have the whole thing planned! Do your piggies do this? They still don’t get along even through the grids but they seem connected somehow. Strange!

Hi

We call them 'can't live together but can't live apart' pairs.

They need their own territory but are still strongly bonded and should be still seen as a pair. They will also grieve as much as a live-in pair when one of them dies.

 

[toodledoodler]

That’s exactly what it’s like, they didn’t have a peaceful moment living together but they still sleep next to each other sometimes, and then the next second, one is nipping the other in the butt through the grate and chattering. They have a complicated relationship! But they have truly thrived since having their separate territories, they were like new guinea pigs when I separated them, so much happier and calmer. It’s still heartwarming to see them not completely hate each other sometimes, this picture was captured during a moment of peace

 

[Wiebke]

That’s exactly what it’s like, they didn’t have a peaceful moment living together but they still sleep next to each other sometimes, and then the next second, one is nipping the other in the butt through the grate and chattering. They have a complicated relationship! But they have truly thrived since having their separate territories, they were like new guinea pigs when I separated them, so much happier and calmer. It’s still heartwarming to see them not completely hate each other sometimes, this picture was captured during a moment of peace

Please be aware that a 'power sleep in' is also territorial behaviour where two group territories meet. It can often be very difficult to work out whether it is social or territorial - but either way, they are still very much in contact and in sync with each other.

Most people are not aware just how territorial guinea pigs in their denning area actually are.

A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours (see entry 'Territorial Behaviours')

 

[fluffysal]

They are so gorgeous