Bonding

[brittanystone27]

Hello everyone! I’m new to Guinea pigs but I’ve done EXTENSIVE research on them. I have a 7 month old & a 4 month old, both males. I had the oldest first and got him a friend. My problem is the bonding. So I put them in a neutral area with lots of hay. Lots of snacks. There has been ZERO attacks/fights . Introduced them MULTIPLE TIMES. The rumblestrutz <-(can’t remember how to spell it & don’t feel like looking it up lol) NEVER ends. Like , the youngest has shown submission the whole time. He hides, pees on the oldest, hides, gets humped. The whole time. Is this still good? It’s been like two months now. I can tell the younger one gets stressed because he starts trying to hide and run away and the oldest just keeps chasing. I just don’t get it. Pancake (youngest) has shown you can be the boss Reese (oldest) , why are we STILL keeping this up? Can I put them in the same cage now since there is never any kind of fight? Reese & pancake will wheek back & forth to each other, they cuddle on each others scents (I’ll take something from each of them & put it in each others cages). As you can tell yes , I am getting impatient. But not to/with them. Because it is a process. So I’m here, venting to some experts while I give them a pet and some yummy snacks. I’m just confused. They act like they like each other & then all of a sudden after being humped for the 13th time pancake starts running away and Reese follows and its a lot of spraying pee and it just doesn’t stop until I separate them. Idk . Please don’t be mean , I’m just at a loss and I can’t find any research for my specific question. Technically if I go by what all I’ve read, then they aren’t bonded but technically I could put them together in the same cage since they don’t fight. But I feel like ripping the bandaid like that will cause stress that will cause fighting. Some guidance would be appreciated so much

 

[Piggies&buns]

Welcome to the forum

Bonding is a one time event, not something they can be done multiple times. You put them in neutral territory and leave them together for several hours. If all goes well you then move them to the cage together permanently. It then takes two weeks for them to fully sort out the fine details of their relationship.
As you are repeatedly separating you are interrupting everything and they aren’t getting through the process. Done too much and it can actually hamper the bonding process.

The other issue is that the youngest is now just hitting his teens so you have two teenagers - this is at the time when bonding can be trickiest due to the hormones.
Pee spraying is a strongly worded stay away so it sounds as if one pity does not want the other there.

I would suggest you put them on neutral territory one last time. Leave them for several hours and see what happens. If there is no fighting after several hours then move them to their thoroughly cleaned out cage together and see what happens over the following two weeks.
If any issues or fights oxcur during that time then it is safe to say they don’t like each other and can’t be together.

Make sure their cage is big enough - that is 180x60cm.
Also make sure you have multiple of every item and they all hides have two exits

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

 

[brittanystone27]

I knew I should have came here first . People told me that they have to spend 15-30 minutes in a neutral area multiple days a week until it all stops. I really hope I haven’t ruined them, oh my goodness. I have a cage larger than that (I wanted them to feel like they were in a two story castle) and I have 4 of everything so I can switch out when it’s major cleaning days for their cages . Thank you so much for your reply, I will use today to do it. Thank you