Bonding Questions

[PiggyPoppa]

Hey all we have a solo piggy and have been thinking about getting him a friend for a while now. I have a few questions about when we do bring a new piggy in. I've seen on the forum here it's good to quarantine for two weeks, does that mean the new piggy shouldn't touch our current piggy at all? I've seen some posts saying to put up a divider so they can see and smell each other, is that only for when the two week quarantine is over? Another issue I can foresee is our piggy has a room to himself, pic attached, and this is where we let him out twice a day to run and get some exercise, however this is the only area in the apartment that has open space to zoom. So when we bring in a new piggy will I have to find a new space in the apartment for them to get exercise? My initial thought was to use the same room and just let them out at different times so they wouldn't interact until the quarantine period is over. We already have a smaller cage ready for the new piggy to use for however long it takes them to bond, once bonded the new piggy will move into the current cage our piggy uses 2x6 C&C. Any help is appreciated, Thanks

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yes quarantine is keeping them completely apart for two weeks (quarantine in a separate room for two weeks) . However, quarantine only piggies who are over four months of age. If a piggy is under four months of age, then you cannot quarantine as babies need constant interaction. You would just have to take the risk of the new one bringing something in and then have to treat them both if anything was passed on.
If the new piggy comes from a rescue centre who already quarantine prior to allowing them to be adopted, then you do not need to quarantine at home at all and can go straight to bonding.

If the new piggy is over four months, after any quarantine, then to allow them to get to know each other, you can put them in separate but side by side cages so they can interact through the bars for a few days before bonding day.

Bonding is a one time event with boars. You put them on neutral territory for several hours to allow them to go through the early stages of bonding. If all goes well after those few hours then you clean down the cage they are to live in and then move them to it together, leaving them together from then on. It is a one time thing seen through to conclusion (success or failure) on that one day.
If acceptance occurs, then it will still take two weeks of permanently being together for them to fully form their hierarchy and bond.
If it does not go well in the bonding pen and they don’t accept each other, then they need to live in separate cages permanently.

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

 

[PiggyPoppa]

Yes quarantine is keeping them completely apart for two weeks (quarantine in a separate room for two weeks) . However, quarantine only piggies who are over four months of age. If a piggy is under four months of age, then you cannot quarantine as babies need constant interaction. You would just have to take the risk of the new one bringing something in and then have to treat them both if anything was passed on.
If the new piggy comes from a rescue centre who already quarantine prior to allowing them to be adopted, then you do not need to quarantine at home at all and can go straight to bonding.

If the new piggy is over four months, after any quarantine, then to allow them to get to know each other, you can put them in separate but side by side cages so they can interact through the bars for a few days before bonding day.

Bonding is a one time event with boars. You put them on neutral territory for several hours to allow them to go through the early stages of bonding. If all goes well after those few hours then you clean down the cage they are to live in and then move them to it together, leaving them together from then on. It is a one time thing seen through to conclusion (success or failure) on that one day.
If acceptance occurs, then it will still take two weeks of permanently being together for them to fully form their hierarchy and bond.
If it does not go well in the bonding pen and they don’t accept each other, then they need to live in separate cages permanently.

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Thanks for the info that's a great help. I believe all the piggies at the nearby rescue are over four months of age, however I don't know if the rescue quarantine's the one's up for adoption. I hope they do so we can go straight to bonding. Thanks again

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks for the info that's a great help. I believe all the piggies at the nearby rescue are over four months of age, however I don't know if the rescue quarantine's the one's up for adoption. I hope they do so we can go straight to bonding. Thanks again

Hi and welcome

Please enquire at the rescue whether they have a mandatory quarantine or not.

You may also find this brand new forum guide here helpful: New Guinea Pigs: How to Best Manage Arrival and Settling In