Chewing at the bars

[xkatymayx]

My 2 boys Jenson and Button are brothers and until a few months ago they lived together. Then one day Button went a bit mad and started chasing Jenson around non stop so they had to be separated. Their 5x2 c&c cage is now split down the middle. More info in my other thread http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/...-Button-are-now-on-different-teams&highlight=

Now they are separated Button is obsessed with getting to Jenson, when Jenson comes over to the middle of the cage where Button is on the other side, Button will then rumble up and down. Other times they both lay side by side in the middle and go to sleep next to each other. When they are out and can't see each other they squeek for each other, so I let them go near each other (very supervised! usually on my lap, one to my left and one to the right with a cushion ready to split them) and sometimes they are OK and sit with each other, other times they do a bit of rumbling and teeth chattering and need to be separated again.

Button keeps chewing the bars and actually pulls them towards him quite hard. I am wondering if anyone has any advice to get him to stop chewing and pulling at the bars? He is becoming a bit aggressive with this, his cage is upstairs and we can hear him from downstairs. I think he is just desparate to be near his brother, but right now I do not think they are ready to be put back together again. Is there a way I can help calm him down?

 

[michell240583]

Hi I had that with my male guinea pig percy .He used to do it for attention.In your case I think where he can see Jenson he is trying everything to get his attention.
Is there any thing you could put like cardboard or something that he can not see Jenson through? It might make him calm down a bit x

 

[xkatymayx]

Thank you for your advice. I have put some cardboard up on Buttons side of the divide. He didn't like it very much, he went up to it and got up on his hind legs trying to look over. He was squeeking quite a bit and trying to climb up the side of the cage and even trying to get onto his house to escape. Luckily he has a big bum which holds him back lol! Jenson came out and had a look at the new cardboard divide as well. Jenson started squeeking a bit too and they both tried to climb the side of the cage next to the divide to see each other. Button started trying to dig under the divide then gave up and went back to his house where he tried to dig up the floor in his house too, maybe trying to do a great escape lol.

I do feel guilty for blocking their view of each other, if only I could tell them that if they get along with each other they can live together aain! They are squeeking quite loudly for each other now. Hopefully they will go to sleep and relax! I will look into getting some clear perspex so it covers the bars and they can see each other still.

 

[michell240583]

Hi thats a good idea clear perspex. Hope they calmed down last night .Its maybe where they can smell each other still bless them x My Percy loved company so everytime I walked past he would chew the bars. He had a shelf which I took out purely cause it was constant and next to where I sleep. I covered his cage over at night too.It did seamed to help x