Bonding failed?

TulipAndButtercup

TulipAndButtercup

New Born Pup
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Hi y'all,
I got a rescue piggy yesterday, the people working there let me hold the piggy and pet it, and she seemed like a very talkative, very nice friend for my lone pig Tulip. We named the new pig Marigold, but when we introduced them (in a completely new box none of them have been in), they immediatly started attacking each other. We cleaned Tulip's cage, and wiped it down and everything. We put a divider in the center, it was a wire grate kind of thing, full of holes. The pigs can't get through, but they can see each other. We put them in at the same time, and immediatly Marigold came over to the wire and started hissing, and Tulip started chattering her teeth. What should I do? Should I take Marigold back to the shelter? Please help!
 
I'm sorry to hear this.
If they have immediately attacked, then yes it is a failed bonding.
Unfortunately unless Tulip picks her own friend via dating at the centre (some dont offer it though), then there is always a risk a bonding will fail.

It needs to be your call as to whether you take her back to the shelter. When a bonding fails, the alternative is living in separate side by side cages (a minimum of 120x60cm each) as neighbours. However, at present it sounds as if they aren't happy to be neighbours.
If you return her, then you can try to find a new suitable and character compatible companion for Tulip.
 
I am very sorry; it is always difficult when one party is fear-aggressive and feeling very much out of their depth but it is never going to work as soon as piggies have made up their mind that they don't suit. Find the right companion can be very tricky. They can however live alongside each other as neighbours with full-time interaction and mutual stimulation through the bars. That is the fall-back option for every bonding where you get a new companion piggy on spec.
 
Sorry about the failed bonding.
Just like humans, piggies don’t always get on with each other.
Hope you do manage to find a friend for Tulip. She’s lucky to have such a caring owner looking out for her well-being
 
I’m so sorry that the bonding has failed. Piggies can be very particular about who they will live with, and once they’ve decided they don’t like another piggy, there’s not much you can do as they won’t change their mind. I’m sure the shelter will understand and will take Marigold back. I am part of a rescue in this country and we can never guarantee that piggies will get along together, so we tend to do the bondings ourselves. But if a piggy has gone to potential new home for a “date” we will always take them back if it doesn’t work out.
 
I decided to spend more time with Marigold, and she seemed like a really sweet pig, so we decided to keep her, and they did their dominance fight today, and I decided to hold Tulip about an hour after the fight. I had held Marigold 2 minutes earlier, and when I held Tulip, she latched onto my arm with her teeth and would not let go. Do you guys think it's because she smelled Marigold?
 
What do you mean they; did their dominance fight today'? As they had already had a fight the other day when you originally made this post, then they should not have been put together again. They clearly dont like each other, so please keep them entirely separate from now onwards.

She may have done it because she smelled her on you, but we can only guess. She may also have done it simply because she didn't want to be held.
 
:agr: If they fought the first time then it wasn’t advisable to try them together again. Unfortunately there’s nothing you can do to change their minds once they’re made up. You could have them living as neighbours - that’s the next best scenario.
 
TulipAndButtercup said:
I decided to spend more time with Marigold, and she seemed like a really sweet pig, so we decided to keep her, and they did their dominance fight today, and I decided to hold Tulip about an hour after the fight. I had held Marigold 2 minutes earlier, and when I held Tulip, she latched onto my arm with her teeth and would not let go. Do you guys think it's because she smelled Marigold?
Click to expand...

I am really hoping that you didn’t put them back together again after their earlier and very clear message to you that they didn’t like each other. They won’t change their minds. They really won’t.
 
If they've fought twice, there is no way they are going to accept each other. Some matches simply do not work, and this seems like one of them. Pigs don't have a 'dominance fight' and then establish friendly relations once one has won and won has lost... pigs who fight cannot live together, they will keep on fighting and someone is going to end up seriously injured! These girls cannot live together... guinea pigs make up their minds and remember about companions!
 
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