Bonding Sows

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abbie.greenwood11

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In need of urgent help I’m currently trying to bond my 8 month who lost her friend and a new rescue who is older of the two but unknown. At the beginning they were getting on very well and began putting them in a outside cage together. However as of recently when I put them in a hutch straight away my younger of the two chats her teeth move her bottom half in a side to side motion and then runs at her around the cage.

I’m really unsure what to do at this point and wondering if their relationship can be fixed or not. (This was a fresh cage, new arrangement and bedding ect). What should I do ?
 
Welcome to the forum
How long have they been together for?
How big is the hutch?
Any new environment can spark a new round of dominance.
 
Piggies&buns said:
Welcome to the forum
How long have they been together for?
How big is the hutch?
Any new environment can spark a new round of dominance.
Click to expand...
Thank you! I’ve had the rescue a week and have been in and out of the outside run to get to know each other. I have an outside cage 4ft home and roost and then I bring them in in the evening for safety reasons to a 140 cage to sleep. They currently have been living in the seperate indoor cages in the same room so they can smell and hear each other. But whenever o try but them in a hutch/indoor cage together it doesn’t go well.
 
Ok so putting them together and then Repeatedly separating is not how bonding is done.
Each time you put them together and then separate you interrupt their ability to form a hierarchy so they need to start over from
The beginning each and every time but never get to conclusion.
You need to put them in neutral territory bonding pen and leave them for several hours. If things go well after a few hours you move them to the thoroughly cleaned out cage together and dont separate ever again (unless there is an actual fight). It then takes two weeks of permanently being together for their bond to be fully formed.

If they do bond then it is best to keep them
in the same cage for two weeks so they can funky get through the process.
Piggies need to reestabliah their hierarchy in each new environment so moving from indoor cage and hutch won’t help while they are still trying to initially bond.

If things don’t go well in the few hours on a neutral bonding pen then it is possible they are not compatible and will not bond.

This is our bonding guide

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Some piggies can be fear aggressive so I have added in that guide which will explain more.

Living side by side is the alternative for piggies who will not bond

Moody Guinea Pigs: Depression, Bullying, Aggression, Stress, Fear and Antisocial Behaviour
 
Okay perfect. I’ve been getting advice from everywhere and I feel as though some of it may had been wrong. Starting from now. Shall I put them in a neutral pen to bond until later this evening and then clean out fully and re arrange aswell as moving the indoor cage.
Then if they chase I should leave them to work it out unless I think it gets violent ?

If there are no issues so I leave them in the indoor cage for two weeks without putting outsude ect?

Thank you for your advice !
 
This is correct.
Once they have bonded then please put them in their cage, and leave them for several weeks so they can fully work through the process. Continually moving them to different locations will just stress them further.

Some chasing is totally normal.
Please read the bonding guide about to understand the process, and have a clear idea of what is acceptable behaviour.
 
They have settled rather well but staying away from each other, in the cage just with hay, at what point should I add tunnels and hideaways (how many days?)
 
Are they in their bonding cage? Or have they been moved to their indoor cage.
When bonding, most decide they are ready to be moved into their permanent cage when they have napped together and woken up again.

It is a good idea to leave them in their new cage for a couple weeks so they can fully get to know each other, but when moved to a new location this process will start again (2 weeks).
 
They are is there always cage but I haven’t put anything in it other then sawdust and hay, I will be keeping them in there for a few weeks. I just don’t know when to put huts ect back in
 
If you have completed the bonding and they are now in their permanent cage then you can add hides whenever you want.

I would recommend you only use ones with multiple exits, as you wouldn’t want anyone getting cornered.
 
You can add hides now but do read the bonding guides as persistent refusal to interact can be a sign the bonding isn’t working.
Sows don’t tend to have full on fights so instead you have to watch for other signs for potential failure
 
I know their indoor cage is smaller but this is the cage I chose to bond in as didn’t want to bond them in their bigger one outside where I can’t watch them. They have been at opposite sides all day but u put the tube in, the longer haired one keeps making noises and goes towards the white one in which she is terrified and backs off. What does this mean or is this just the early stages of the bonding?
 
Are you trying to attach a video? If so you will have to upload it on an external site and attach the link.
Such as facebook or youtube.
 
Oh no I can basically describe it, they are fine eating together and then once finished they just go to seperate sides of the cage and my older guinea pigs seems very scared and runs away from other
 
It’s important not to put human emotion into it.
Making noises and backing away may simply be submission rather than her being terrified.

Add in two double exit hides and see if that makes them feel more secure
 
Honestly it’s so hard when you can’t fully understand them. I just wnat what’s best for them. Thank you for your help. If I need anything else I’ll ask if there is anything else x
 
I have just bonded two sows, both of mature years and they both stay at different sides of their cage. They eat together (veg) without any problems and move about the cage without any chasing, but still lots of squeaking. They are at day 3 but I think they will be happy together. It’s better than being alone!
 
I’ve just noticed a bite on the submissive ones face I’ve taken her out as I don’t want her getting any more injuries
 
I am sorry to hear this, if she does have a bite then that is a clear the bond is broken and the chance of this changing is very unlikely.
You tried your best, but it all comes down to compatibility/personality, no matter how hard we try.

As for where you go from here, are you going to setup two cages next to each other where they can interact with each other through bars, but nothing further than that?
 
I’m not sure what to do now I can’t really house two separate guinea pigs appropriately. I would like to give my younger guinea pig a chance of having a friend even if that is with someone else. I wouldn’t know where to start with finding a new home never mind a good one. Any recommendations on where to go for this?
 
One of them is 8 months old and the other is rescued and is aged unknown but is definitely on the older scale. I wasn’t sure which was best to regime but I’m starting to think the younger one in the hope they can find a friend.
 
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