Cage setup during quarantine/bonding

[Bettyb26]

So we have finally decided to get new friends for Eddie and Eugene who are separated. We are planning to find babies from pet shops because it will just be easier for us to access (please no judging) and I am hoping it will make the bonding easier. I have read the bonding info but just have a question about the cage situation. They are currently each in a ferplast and I have ordered a stacked c&c which is coming next week. Will it be ok to put Eddie and Eugene in the c&c and then use the ferplast cages to quarantine the new babies, or does the new c&c need to be completely brand new with no scent when we put the bonded pairs in it? If not we won’t be able to quarantine the new ones as they will have no where to live during that period. Is it enough to just give the c&c a really good clean and wash all the bedding and put some new bits in there once they are all bonded? Thank you

 

[Piggies&buns]

So if the babies come as a pair then they can be quarantined together for two weeks in a separate room to Eddie and eugene.

If they do not come as an already bonded pair then it would be best to not do any quarantine and just bond each baby with each of your current boys straight away. Single babies under four months of age cannot be quarantined due to their desperate need for companionship.
Quarantine, if it is done, is ideally two weeks in a separate room.

If you wish to use the new cages as bonding pens, then no piggy can go in the c&c cages at all prior to bonding day. Bonding always needs to be done on neutral territory - nowhere a piggy already sees as their own territory. If you put your existing boys in them, then adding the babies (even id the cage is cleaned) will be seen as a territory invasion

The other thing you can’t do is put Eddie and eugene in a stacked c&c while they are single. They can only go in stacked cages once they are bonded with another piggy.

So, in your case I might be tempted to not do quarantine and instead just put existing piggy and a baby in the c&c on the day you bring the babies home, thereby using it as a neutral bonding pen but it just means they don’t have to be moved again after bonding (normally you bond in neutral territory and then move them to their permanent cage a few hours later)

 

[Bettyb26]

So if the babies come as a pair then they can be quarantined together for two weeks in a separate room to Eddie and eugene.

If they do not come as an already bonded pair then it would be best to not do any quarantine and just bond each baby with each of your current boys straight away. Single babies under four months of age cannot be quarantined due to their desperate need for companionship.
Quarantine, if it is done, is ideally two weeks in a separate room.

If you wish to use the new cages as bonding pens, then no piggy can go in the c&c cages at all prior to bonding day. Bonding always needs to be done on neutral territory - nowhere a piggy already sees as their own territory. If you put your existing boys in them, then adding the babies (even id the cage is cleaned) will be seen as a territory invasion

The other thing you can’t do is put Eddie and eugene in a stacked c&c while they are single. They can only go in stacked cages once they are bonded with another piggy.

So, in your case I might be tempted to not do quarantine and instead just put existing piggy and a baby in the c&c on the day you bring the babies home, thereby using it as a neutral bonding pen but it just means they don’t have to be moved again after bonding (normally you bond in neutral territory and then move them to their permanent cage a few hours later)

Thank you so much!

 

[Bettyb26]

Also just one more question if anyone knows, if we can only get 2 that have already been living together at the shop, would it be cruel to separate them to then bond one with each of my existing boys? I don’t know how likely it is that we’ll find 2 from separate enclosures in the store, or from separate stores

 

[Piggies&buns]

Also just one more question if anyone knows, if we can only get 2 that have already been living together at the shop, would it be cruel to separate them to then bond one with each of my existing boys? I don’t know how likely it is that we’ll find 2 from separate enclosures in the store, or from separate stores

No it wouldn’t be cruel as they would be going to live with another piggy.