Bonding

JJW&Pigs

JJW&Pigs

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hello! You may have read my other post about the new piggy, and I have been bonding her with another one of my girls. Its going well, but she will nip at the baby sometimes and I’m just worried it will become worse :(
They’re currently in 1 cage, but I’ve put a divider in between them so that they can see and interact with one another through the bars, just until I know they wont do anything to one another just yet. For floor time, they are together, but not together in the cage just yet.

Am I doing something wrong? I’ve never bonded any piggies before as they’ve been bonded when I first got them, so its never been an issue. I hope the bonding between them works out :(
 
Bonding is a one time thing, all or nothing event. You put them in neutral territory and leave them for several hours to allow them to form a relationship and not separate them once acceptance has occurred.
As you have put them together for floor time and then put them back into separate cages, then I’m afraid you are interrupting the process and not allowing them to form a relationship. You must not separate them at all once you have put them together unless the bond clearly fails with a fight.

Find somewhere your original sow does not see as her own territory and put them together for several hours. After those hours, if all goes well, then you clean down the cage they are to live in and move them to it together and leave them together from then on

I think I saw on your other thread that the baby is 14 weeks old. Please carry out the bonding properly as babies under four months need constant guidance from an older piggy

Please read the guide below as it explains the neutral territory bonding process and what behaviours you can expect.

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Nipping is gesture of power and is entirely normal. The dominant sow will not hurt the baby but will just allow her to know that she is in charge

Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)
 
Piggies&buns said:
Bonding is a one time thing, all or nothing even. You put them in neutral territory and leave them for several hours to allow them to form a relationship.
As you gave put them together for floor time and then put them back into separate cages, then I’m afraid you are interrupting the process and not allowing them to form a relationship. You must not separate them at all once you have put them together.
Find somewhere your original sow does not see as her own territory and put them together for several hours. After those hours, if all goes well, then you clean down the cage they are to live in and move them to it together and leave them together from then on

I think I saw on your other thread that the baby is 14 weeks old. Please carry out the bonding properly as babies under four months need constant guidance from an older piggy

Please read the guide below as it explains the neutral territory bonding process

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Nipping is gesture of power and is entirely normal. The dominant sow will not hurt the baby but will just allow her to know that she is in charge

Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)
Click to expand...
I probably should’ve mentioned that I have already done the bonding part where they have been together for a few hours, but I’ve only separated them because I don’t want to risk anything, but I was planning on taking the divider out today, or have I already ruined the bonding? 😞
 
JJW&Pigs said:
I probably should’ve mentioned that I have already done the bonding part where they have been together for a few hours, but I’ve only separated them because I don’t want to risk anything, but I was planning on taking the divider out today, or have I already ruined the bonding? 😞
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They are not bonded as you have interrupted the process by separating them. This means they now need to start right back from the beginning.
You will need to start again - put them together in neutral territory and see it through to conclusion (which is moving them into the same cage together after those few hours in the bonding pen) and not separate them. The older sow will not hurt her.

Please don’t just take a divider out as each piggy will wander into the other piggy’s territory and can be seen as an invasion. You need to reintroduce them on neutral territory.
Then while they are in a bonding pen, you can remove the divider in the cage, clean and rearrange the furniture so that they no longer see them as their own divided cages.

It then takes two weeks of them permanently being together to bond and fully form their relationship
 
Piggies&buns said:
They are not bonded as you have interrupted the process by separating them. This means they now need to start right back from the beginning.
You will need to start again - put them together in neutral territory and see it through to conclusion (which is moving them into the same cage together after those few hours in the bonding pen) and not separate them. The older sow will not hurt her.

Please don’t just take a divider out as each piggy will wander into the other piggy’s territory and can be seen as an invasion. You need to reintroduce them on neutral territory.
Then while they are in a bonding pen, you can remove the divider in the cage, clean and rearrange the furniture so that they no longer see them as their own divided cages.

It then takes two weeks of them permanently being together to bond and fully form their relationship
Click to expand...
Alright. I hope this will not in any way affect how they will bond again. 😞 I feel awfully stupid too.
 
JJW&Pigs said:
Alright. I hope this will not in any way affect how they will bond again. 😞 I feel awfully stupid too.
Click to expand...

Dont feel silly - you weren't to know, and that is why we are here to help!
It shouldn't affect them if they like each other and want to be together, just make sure you put them together and dont separate them again.
 
Piggies&buns said:
Dont feel silly - you weren't to know, and that is why we are here to help!
It shouldn't affect them if they like each other and want to be together, just make sure you put them together and dont separate them again.
Click to expand...
Alright. Unfortunately, I don’t have another pen/cage to put them in. I originally just used a carpet and put pillows to make sure they didn’t get into other spaces. I can check to see if I have any playpen fences that are meant for toddlers in my storage room, but would taking the cage fences and putting it into my living room but take the liners away work?
 
JJW&Pigs said:
Alright. Unfortunately, I don’t have another pen/cage to put them in. I originally just used a carpet and put pillows to make sure they didn’t get into other spaces. I can check to see if I have any playpen fences that are meant for toddlers in my storage room, but would taking the cage fences and putting it into my living room but take the liners away work?
Click to expand...

As long the bars are not big enough that the piggies can just slip right through them.
Something like a bathroom or kitchen floor can work as a bonding pen as long as it is escape proof.
A bathtub can also work.
It just needs to be somewhere that your original piggy does not see as her own space - if you introduce a new piggy directly into the territory of another it can cause a fight.
 
Piggies&buns said:
As long the bars are not big enough that the piggies can just slip right through them.
Something like a bathroom or kitchen floor can work as a bonding pen as long as it is escape proof.
A bathtub can also work.
It just needs to be somewhere that your original piggy does not see as her own space - if you introduce a new piggy directly into the territory of another it can cause a fight.
Click to expand...
Alright. I’m gonna go ahead and try to do that.
 
Update 1

No fighting, theyre just staring at each other while sitting in the corner, and they wont do anything cute when I’m in there 😞
 

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Update 2

Baby went up to my other girl and she nipped at her nose, making the baby run off. The baby is roaming around, the older one, not as much. She sits in the corner.

This is the first time my girl has been with another guinea pig, I pray it works out.
 
Its been 4 1/2 hours, and everything is still going amazing. They haven’t fought, no scratches, wounds, anything. They get along, grooming one another, and popcorning! I’m wondering if I should consider this a win, or should I still keep waiting? Maybe another 30 minutee?
 
That’s amazing. I’m so happy it’s gone so well. Have they been to sleep yet? Sometimes when they wake up it can cause friction. Going well though.
 
weepweeps said:
That’s amazing. I’m so happy it’s gone so well. Have they been to sleep yet? Sometimes when they wake up it can cause friction. Going well though.
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Yes. Bambi (The name we’re going with for the little one) was sleeping in the hay, what a cutie! Bambi was trying to hide underneath her, making her jump up and squeal 🤣
 
It sounds as if it’s a success. Clean down the cage (remove the divider) and then you can move them to the cage together.
Make sure you don’t have any single exit hides - ensure all hides have two exits
 
Piggies&buns said:
It sounds as if it’s a success. Clean down the cage (remove the divider) and then you can move them to the cage together.
Make sure you don’t have any single exit hides - ensure all hides have two exits
Click to expand...
Thats what I was worried about… my girls favorite hidey is a little castle from petco/pet smart, and if we take it out, she gets angry
 
JJW&Pigs said:
Thats what I was worried about… my girls favorite hidey is a little castle from petco/pet smart, and if we take it out, she gets angry
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If you leave it in and as she sees it as her space and the new baby tries to go inside it, particularly if it only has one exit, then a fight can occur inside it and given the other piggy won’t have an exit, injuries can occur
 
Piggies&buns said:
If you leave it in and as she sees it as her space and the new baby tries to go inside it, particularly if it only has one exit, then a fight can occur inside it and given the other piggy won’t have an exit, injuries can occur
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Alright. I’ll put some other hideys in there. I have a crinkle tunnel and a log tunnel that they like to go in. I’ll try and make some new multiple exit hides for them too.
 
So pleased that all seems to have gone well.
Be prepared for some dominance behaviour to continue and don’t panic. It’s normal.
 
I’m not sure if anyones still reading this thread, but I was wondering if even after almost a week of bonding, is it normal for my older piggy to still get defensive and nip at the baby? I hope I don’t sound like I’m overreacting, I just want to make sure everything is normal.
 
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