Dominance behaviour - advice needed

[Guinea pigs <3]

Evening all,

I think most of you know my two girls by now (Dottie and Mabel), they aren't the best of friends (both very independent) but get on fairly well. Tonight however has been a little different!

Mabel is continually rumble strutting in Dotties face, following her around the cage and poor Dottie has had to squirt urine at her twice in the last 5 minutes. There has been lots of squeaking from Dottie too.

I've read quite a lot on behaviour as they were a bit like this in the beginning but poor Dottie has only ever had to raise her bottom to Mabel to warn her off rather than having to full on squirt!

Do you think one or possibly both of them could be in season and this is why Mabel is being a bit of a pain? They are around 5 months, are they hitting the adolescent stage as I guess this could mix things up again?! They are an interesting pair as I find it really difficult to work out who is the dominant pig...my only concern is that neither of them will back down and they are both trying to reinforce dominance which could become a problem :{ I guess right now Mabel is trying desperately to be top pig, i'm not so sure Dottie will allow this! mallethead

I just went and sat by the cage to keep an eye out that there was no nipping and Mabel seems to have got the hint and has now gone to sit in her hut rolleyes

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

 

[flips]

Sounds like your girl is in season. It used to cause a lot of confusion with my girls but things are a bit simpler now I have a neutered boy (although he does get very tired, bless him).

 

[claremw92]

hey...
sounds like piggie PMT...
my girls go through it ever now and then...
but they get over it...
give it a week... unless theres a big fight where blood is drawn.... then you'll have to seperate them... ive had to give my girlies two food bowls and bottles for when they act like this...
x

 

[Guinea pigs <3]

Thanks guys, thought it might be something along these lines...bless them i still chuckle a little that they can get piggie PMT us girls we really do get the bum deal!

I seriously hope that they don't have a fight, hopefully Mabel wont want to get squirted on anymore and she'll back off :{ i'm definitely going to have to bath them this weekend now rolleyes

 

[Freela]

I would guess that one or the other is in heat... it can make normally submissive pigs act crazy! One of my pigs, Frenzy, was a whole different animal when she was in heat... she would drive her sister nuts! After her hormones subsided, they would go back to normal until next time, and then do the whole thing again.

 

[Guinea pigs <3]

I would guess that one or the other is in heat... it can make normally submissive pigs act crazy! One of my pigs, Frenzy, was a whole different animal when she was in heat... she would drive her sister nuts! After her hormones subsided, they would go back to normal until next time, and then do the whole thing again.

Thanks Freela, the rumble strutting is definitely not as bad this evening, hopefully Mabel is coming out of her piggie pmt