Bonding issues...

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Jojoba

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Hey guys,

Hoping someone can give me some advice.
My guinea Silvio is about 2.5-3 yrs old. He didn't get along with his friend when a baby (he got bullied) which is how he ended up with me. I got him a friend - Furio - and they got along very well. Sadly after a year Furio had to be PTS and Silvio got a new friend - a baby boar called Pickle.
At first all was fine tho Silvio was never as interested in Pickle as he was in Furio and they never got as close. As he grew up Pickle got bigger and bigger and is now much bigger than Silvio. He is also a bully.
At first it was small things, then I thought maybe at a year old Pickle was just asserting himself. Now, however, he is 18months old and only getting worse. A couple of months ago he bit Silvio badly after a scrap. Now he constantly harangues him; running at him, chattering, both with mouths wide open. He traps Silvio in corners, chases him from the food and is generally a complete.... well, 'pain'.
It has got to the point now where Silvio has started screaming when Pickle comes near and running away the minute he appears. Even on the sofa they won't sit together - Pickle just constantly tries to get underneath Silvio and Silvio gets angry and kicks him. Out of the cage Pickle is desperate to be near Silvio, inside he just hassles him.
Silvio is a very nice, friendly guinea. He is very laid back and a bit of a wimp. Pickle is bolshy and a bully. He doesn't like being held despite living indoors and being well handled since a baby. Silvio, on the other hand, loves coming out to roll over and sleep on my lap (or in front of the fire) as it gives him a break!
I have finally given up and seperated them; they usually live in two large cages joined together so I have just put the partition back in, giving them one rabbit-sized cage each. So far Silvio couldn't care less; Pickle flips between not caring and pacing up and down the partition, chattering and staring at him.

What now?! Is this how I end up with four guinea pigs? {:|
I think Silvio would happily bond with any age so long as it was friendly and quiet.... Pickle, no idea.


Help?


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If you could give us your location it would help LOADs.

If you are in the UK, some rescues do something called boar dating. Where your boy gets to choose his own friend, of any age, that he gets along with. If there were to be a problem with the bond in future the rescue would always take him back and try to find him another friend. This would be a good option for you and your two boys.
 
Hey,

I'm in Scotland - I have looked at local rescues for boar dating but no luck. Id rather not get more pigs if at all avoidable but can't see how I can get around it otherwise? My fear would also be that Pickle would bug a new one too, and then I end up with 6 :p (or three and one!). I dont think I could give one back!

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In my opinion if its possible, its DEFINALY worth traveling. Do you have any relatives or friends in the Uk that may live near a rescue?

Boar dating is usually very sucessfull if done propperly. As your two have already drawn blood the odds of them going back to live together happily are sadly not very good. :(
 
Spoke to a lovely lady from a rescue centre who said her advice would be to have Pickle neutered and get him a girlfriend. Then we can try boar dating Silvio with a boy to try a new friend. Silvio will likely find a new friend but unfortunately it seems Pickle may be too aggressive to bond with a boar.
Spoken to vet and it will be £91 to have Pickle neutered, so will have to consider that. They had a tiff in the background as I was on the phone and describing their behaviour (chattering, yawning, scrapping) she thinks they need permanently seperating immediately :(.

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