Confused.

[kevincarpentryandjoinery]

Hi. We have 2 rescued brothers who arrived nearly 3 years ago, they get on well. We got another 2 rescue pigs 2 years ago. One of them got ill and passed on in January. We got a baby last month and he bonded with the remaining brother (Roger) who was very lonely. The problem is this: Roger is somewhat obsessed with one of the original pigs (as was his late brother). The pig of his admiration makes him crazy. They live in next-door compounds and he spends a great amount of time running up and down the boundary fence and trying to bite through the bars to get to his idol. Whenever they are together he is very over the top and snuffles him obsessively, and marks him with his scent and is a general nuisance. We thought this obsession was making him short-tempered with his baby friend. The baby adores him and he seems quite fond of it, but it seems to bear the brunt of his crazed behaviour. So we put up a divider between the 2 compounds and now Roger can't see his beloved. It seems to have improved his relationship with the baby who he is less mean to, but he looks depressed a lot of the time now. Any advice?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi. We have 2 rescued brothers who arrived nearly 3 years ago, they get on well. We got another 2 rescue pigs 2 years ago. One of them got ill and passed on in January. We got a baby last month and he bonded with the remaining brother (Roger) who was very lonely. The problem is this: Roger is somewhat obsessed with one of the original pigs (as was his late brother). The pig of his admiration makes him crazy. They live in next-door compounds and he spends a great amount of time running up and down the boundary fence and trying to bite through the bars to get to his idol. Whenever they are together he is very over the top and snuffles him obsessively, and marks him with his scent and is a general nuisance. We thought this obsession was making him short-tempered with his baby friend. The baby adores him and he seems quite fond of it, but it seems to bear the brunt of his crazed behaviour. So we put up a divider between the 2 compounds and now Roger can't see his beloved. It seems to have improved his relationship with the baby who he is less mean to, but he looks depressed a lot of the time now. Any advice?

Hi!

How long has the baby with Roger? It takes around 2 weeks after the intro to establish a group fully during which time dominance behaviour is normal and should gradually die down.

Randy over the top boars like Roger are thankfully not all that common but they do happen. If the relationship with the youngster is not at risk, it may be worth removing the divider although you will get some really over the top behaviour as Roger will celebrate at first; you have to brace for that.

Situations like this one have to be navigated by trial and error until you have found a solution that works for all of them, if not optimally; but that is long term sustainable. You either have to keep them fully apart and sit out Roger being down about it at first or you have to go back and risk issues once the baby reaches teenage but you can only do one or the other.
Play dates and short meetings are anything but for guinea pigs. They are always full-on bonding sessions, which are then frustratingly aborted, which in turn fuels the over-the-top behaviour. Guinea pigs are either with somebody or they aren't. The 'maybe' is for any length of time is not a healthy place for them to be in for the long term.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I would definitely keep the two pairs away from each other. If Roger is not able to even see the neighbours without it causing problems between him and his live in friend then I would put a divider up which means Roger cannot see the neighbour or move the cages further apart.

You say when Roger is together with the neighbour that he scent marks him and snuffles him. Do you mean through the divider or are they having physical contact outside of the cage? If so, then please do ensure that they do not meet physically. You can’t put two piggies who are not bonded together for any play times.