Bonding new Piggies

[Womble]

I bought a neutered male and a female a couple of weeks ago to join my two females.
They have been living side by side with a divider between them. So they can see and smell each other. They have sniffed noses and seen each other. It has been really positive so far. But the new female is still really scared, she darts off the moment she sees me. She is eating out of my hand which is a really good sign.
Do you think they are all ready to bond in neutral territory, or would it be best to leave them for a few weeks so the new Guinea Pigs get use to everything.
Or would the new ones be happier living with two more guinea pigs.

 

[Wiebke]

I bought a neutered male and a female a couple of weeks ago to join my two females.
They have been living side by side with a divider between them. So they can see and smell each other. They have sniffed noses and seen each other. It has been really positive so far. But the new female is still really scared, she darts off the moment she sees me. She is eating out of my hand which is a really good sign.
Do you think they are all ready to bond in neutral territory, or would it be best to leave them for a few weeks so the new Guinea Pigs get use to everything.
Or would the new ones be happier living with two more guinea pigs.

Hi

I would think they are ready for an introduction as long as you accept that it will always come down to whether the personalities involved can gel and want to be together. There is nothing you can do if that is not the case.

Also be aware that it is easy to mistake territorial behaviours for friendly ones because very few people aware that guinea pigs are territorial in their denning area.

You may find these guides here helpful:
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
When Sows Experience A Strong Season (videos)

All the best! There always comes the point when you have to make the jump and commit.