Deep purring

[Kategarrison15]

Hi! I recently adopted a New Guinea pig and as of yesterday, both my piggies, old and new, are sharing a cage.

We introduced the piggies in a bathtub and they were doing great so we decided to move them in together.

The older guinea pig started to make a deep purring sound and try to mount the other piggie when they encountered each other in the cage.

I am just wondering if there is a way to stop this behavior? Or if it will go away in its own?

thanks!

 

[Piggies&buns]

The noise is called rumblestrutting. It is a dominance behaviour and along with the mounting is perfectly normal. Your two will now spend the next couple of weeks establishing their relationship and their hierarchy. You will see this behaviour continue for quite some time. It will settle down and they won’t do it as much the longer they are together, but it is something that they will always do and it will never stop completely.

 

[Kategarrison15]

Thank you, this definitely helps to put me at ease

 

[Piggies&buns]

if your new piggy is a youngster/teenager, then you will see a lot of hormonal dominance. Mild dominance really isn’t anything to worry about

These two guides will help you

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs