busybeebabies
New Born Pup
Hello everyone,
I'm new here.
So, about a year ago, my mother and younger sister made the decision to suddenly get two more guinea pigs so that my former baby, Bernie, (who has now crossed the rainbow bridge...) wouldn't be lonely.
Both of my babies (Benjamin, who is orange, and Bucky who is dark brown with a blonde stripe) are males who I believe are about a year old now. They bonded when they were younger but they've had a falling out as Benjamin constantly tries to be dominant and mounts Bucky who does not appreciate the harassment. So I made the difficult decision of permanently separating them. I attempted to give them floor time together every now but they've gone in circles, nipped at eachother, and Benjamin always chases Bucky. So now they're both in their own cages that are beside eachother but I've had to put cardboard between them because Benjamin bites the cage and stands on his hind legs and cries for Bucky when he sees him! Not to mention he's super skittish and I don't want Benjamin getting dental disease! Bucky on the other hand seems completely content and isn't skittish at all and loves getting his head scratched.
The vet suggested neutering for Benjamin but I've heard that neutering actually doesn't change behaviours. I've even bought chews for the both of them to encourage enrichment and so that Benjamin tries biting something else but he quickly went through it and isn't interested anymore. I've even considered if giving Benjamin away would be best for my baby but it breaks my heart and I'm super super scared of Benjamin being neglected in any way so I'm desperate for any other solutions. My family is also quite poor as I have three younger siblings and a single mother so getting another guinea pig isn't an option at the moment.
So overall, I want to know if Benjamin can turn out okay even without a companion with just the right amount of love and attention. Whether he needs new toys or more floortime or bonding with me through mealtime.
Thanks for reading everyone,
I appreciate it,
Busybee
I'm new here.
So, about a year ago, my mother and younger sister made the decision to suddenly get two more guinea pigs so that my former baby, Bernie, (who has now crossed the rainbow bridge...) wouldn't be lonely.
Both of my babies (Benjamin, who is orange, and Bucky who is dark brown with a blonde stripe) are males who I believe are about a year old now. They bonded when they were younger but they've had a falling out as Benjamin constantly tries to be dominant and mounts Bucky who does not appreciate the harassment. So I made the difficult decision of permanently separating them. I attempted to give them floor time together every now but they've gone in circles, nipped at eachother, and Benjamin always chases Bucky. So now they're both in their own cages that are beside eachother but I've had to put cardboard between them because Benjamin bites the cage and stands on his hind legs and cries for Bucky when he sees him! Not to mention he's super skittish and I don't want Benjamin getting dental disease! Bucky on the other hand seems completely content and isn't skittish at all and loves getting his head scratched.
The vet suggested neutering for Benjamin but I've heard that neutering actually doesn't change behaviours. I've even bought chews for the both of them to encourage enrichment and so that Benjamin tries biting something else but he quickly went through it and isn't interested anymore. I've even considered if giving Benjamin away would be best for my baby but it breaks my heart and I'm super super scared of Benjamin being neglected in any way so I'm desperate for any other solutions. My family is also quite poor as I have three younger siblings and a single mother so getting another guinea pig isn't an option at the moment.
So overall, I want to know if Benjamin can turn out okay even without a companion with just the right amount of love and attention. Whether he needs new toys or more floortime or bonding with me through mealtime.
Thanks for reading everyone,
I appreciate it,
Busybee