Bond in trouble

[Idag]

Hi all, I posted nearly two weeks ago about my two boars Cocoa and Willow. Cocoa's companion passed away and we (so we thought) successfully bonded him with Willow, another bereaved boar, at a rescue centre. They came home together 5 weeks ago and all seemed well until Willow started aggressively humping and chasing Cocoa one evening. They are in a 2 x 4 C&C cage and we divided it in the middle temporarily but Willow was biting the bars, trying to wriggle under so in the end we had to move him to a separate cage overnight. I reintroduced them carefully the next day and it all seemed peaceful.

Last night, however, Willow started his humping and chasing again. He wasn't allowing Cocoa to rest or eat and drink. In the end, I separated them again. When Willow was gone, Cocoa seemed immediately relaxed, eating and moving around the cage. He wasn't looking for Willow. In his cage, Willow just calmed down immediately too. Cocoa is a gentle older boar, we think about 3 or 4, and the rescue think Willow is about 2. They are the same size, about 1.4kg each so quite big.

So now we have the dilemma - do you think this bond could work? We don't want to keep them separately as they would have to be one above , one below which isn't fair. They are in a C&C cage on a table in our kitchen so we cannot increase the size of their cage either. At the moment Cocoa is alone in the main 2 x 4 cage and Willow is in a Ferplast cage which is not big enough long term. Any advice please on what to do?

 

[Piggies&buns]

There is a line between normal dominance and when things go too far - you need to be certain that what you witnessed is definitely it going too far a d not just then trying to reestablish however, If one seems much happier to be away, then the bond probably isn’t working.

While obviously you need to give each piggy as much space as you can, the smallest cage for a single piggy to live in is a 120cm x 60cm. Is there anywhere you can fit two ferplast cages of 120cm next to each other? With a c&c, each piggy needs a 2x4 to themselves. As you know being one up, one down isn’t an option for separated piggies.

it would be a very hard decision but if they can’t live together and you definitely can’t provide each enough space for side by side interaction, then maybe surrendering one to a rescue to be rebonded and rehomed, with you keeping the other and rebonding that one with a suitable friend so they can live happily together. It’s not an easy decision, I know.

 

[Wiebke]

Please contact the rescue and talk it over with them; they provide back-up help if bonds with their adoptees fail.
It sounds to me like the bond has become dysfunctional. Not your fault - you have done all the right things, including the assessment. Piggies have very much go their own minds and personalities, as I know only too well myself!

Which country are you in? If you are tight on space, neutering would be an option for Cocoa so he could live with a sow in the long term. Apart from an adjoining cage with separate territories but full body sight and sniffing interaction through the bars (for communication on all levels), this is generally the best way forward with bullying boars. Several of my own husboars are neutered bully boys.
More information on these issues in our boar guide: A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars