Bully Pig

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PepperPig

PepperPig

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hello,
So I have two pigs named Pepper and Bubbe. Pepper is the dominant one, and she is a big old bully. All she really does is hog the food, but everything other than that seemed okay up until now.
Pepper has taken to chasing Bubbe around the cage and Bubbe starts making a high pitched, short whistle, which, out of further research, means fear. So I go running up the stairs to the cage, and sure enough, Bubbe's crouched in a corner, Pepper standing there like a big overlord, Bubbe squealing her praise and fear so loud the whole house can hear it.
Well I stick my hand in the cage and take Bubbe, who shrieks at my hand, (which she doesn't do normally, so I'm wondering if she's saying, "Please! My 'master' is a witch! If you take me away she'll come and attack!) and I put her up on the upper level with a food dish, hay, a water bottle, and a little hut to sleep in. I even put some bedding up there for a bathroom. Bubbe stops shrieking instantly, because I take the hut and block the entrance to the upper level, confining Pepper downstairs and Bubbe up. Right away, Bubbe stops her shrieking, like, "Oh, I'm safe!"
But I'm worried that confining will do nothing to help the problem. Yes, the cage is much to small, and yes, I'm getting a larger one very soon, but I'm afraid the problem will persist. Comments? Ideas? Please help my pigs and I! :...:...:...
 
Okay, here's an update: PEPPER IS NOW JUMPING ONTO THE UPPER LEVEL, DEFEATING THE IDEA OF SEPARATING ON LEVELS.
I have thoughts of putting them in totally different cages, but I'm told you're not supposed to do that. Please help! Bubbe is suffering! I can hear them fighting right now!! I need help!
 
Hmm, well from what I know of male guinea pigs, even though yours are female, heres a few things I suggest.

Two of everything. Hidies, food, bottles etc so one pig can't hog and stop the other piggie from eating and drinking and hiding.

I'd reccomend reading this, too

http://jackiesguineapiggies.com/Companionship.html
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Watch Carefully for bullying behaviour
 
Hi Pepperpig,

Your two sound exactly like my two girls and I have posted worried about the same question myself. My dominant girl mounts Titch who submits by lying down and just letting her get on with it then Ruby (dominant one) popcorns off after mounting. Titch squeaks all the time but when she rumbles near her her squeaks get louder and louder. I feel sorry for Titch and sometimes I put my hand to stop Ruby otherwise I leave them to it. Titch does stick up for herself though, does yours? As after a few days when their hormones have calmed they are a bit better again.

Maybe yours is their hormones and the dominant one teaching the other 'I am boss in here'. I think unless they fight properly ie. blood they should stay together.

When they are like this and you have just got them, you do wonder if they are boys don't you, I even had the vet check.

I made sure I have two food bowls, two veg piles, and two snuggles, caves etc. That way hopefully they won't fight. Even with two of everything though Ruby still hogs things.

Hope that helps.

Silly.
 
Does Pepper actually nip and harm Bubbe? I know it sounds awful but sometimes you have to let them work it out. When we first got Ted and Dougal this happened. The shrieking drove me insane but Dougal never harmed Ted and it did settle down. Its all about dominance and asserting authority. Pepper is saying to Bubbe 'I'm boss, you do as I say' If Bubbe is getting adequate access to food and water and is not being harmed then leave them to it (small nips might happen and if there is no blood drawn this is also ok) You might see a scuffle and some mounting too, all ok if no serious harm is done. Also look out for signs of depression in Bubbe, if she is happy to eat and move around the cage then you know she is ok. When my pig Spike was bullied he never moved from his hammock and wouldn't eat. Sometimes this will happen on and off for a long time, hormones can play a big part (just like a stroppy teenager!)They just work things out differently to us. Keep an eye on them and hopefully it will settle down Xx
 
Thank you all for posting. They have cooled their arguments since I posted this, and they only fight when Pepper's on her cycle. Now that they have a bigger cage it's easier for Bubbe to run off and not be bugged by Pepper any longer.
 
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