Fighting Girls, Help?

[CJGMuffin]

hi everyone, this forum helped me so much when we lost our darling Muffin (aged only 12 months) last year. Smudge is almost 2 years old and Cookie is Muffin's "replacement" and is only 8 months old. We did everything by the book to introduce them, they have been getting on fine/well for the last 6 months, then tonight they have started fighting. I was warned that when Cookie reaches adolescence this might happen, what do I do? I don't have a spare cage tonight, worried they are going to really hurt each other. At the moment they are chasing each other round the hutch like crazy and chuttering a lot. Help?!

 

[Wiebke]

hi everyone, this forum helped me so much when we lost our darling Muffin (aged only 12 months) last year. Smudge is almost 2 years old and Cookie is Muffin's "replacement" and is only 8 months old. We did everything by the book to introduce them, they have been getting on fine/well for the last 6 months, then tonight they have started fighting. I was warned that when Cookie reaches adolescence this might happen, what do I do? I don't have a spare cage tonight, worried they are going to really hurt each other. At the moment they are chasing each other round the hutch like crazy and chuttering a lot. Help?!

Sows don't usually fight and fall-out during their teenage months, unlike boars. Whoever told you that was wrong!
It is likely that Cookie may have had a very hormonal season and tried to stage a bit of top spot takeover, which has obviously not gone down well, so your girls have ended having a little spat. How big is your cage? You can separate overnight if necessary if you have got a laundry basket or a large cardboard box. Hoepfully by tomorrow the season is over and tempers have cooled down again. Pre-adolescent sows can have hormonal spikes, but unlike with boars, it usually doesn't end with full-on biting fights and permanent fall-outs.

Alternatively, have Smudge checked for ovarian cysts. Small growing ones are usually the ones that cause sudden aggressive behaviour.

Sow behaviour
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Introducing And Re-introducing Guinea Pigs

 

[A&T]

I've recently put my Amber (4yrs) with Willow who is about 8 months old too, everything has been fine although every now and again Willow tries to push the boundaries it only last a few hours or a day, next morning there cuddled up happy as Larry again. Although I know that females don't get that hormanal increase when they reach a certain age, I do think from personal experience that becauae there young they do wanna push the boundary and see if they can win domanace every now and again, but again that's not like facts that's just my own personal observation.

Was there any blood drawn? When you say fight? What do you actual mean? Like full on fighting? Or humping and lunging?

 

[CJGMuffin]

Thank you. I think they are just having a dominance spat. stayed up with them until they stopped last night (3am) then Put them out for a huge run today and they were fine, cleaned out the hutch, gave them all their favourite treats and left them alone to sort it out, all is well at the moment. I think cookie is just trying to throw her weight around and as much as smudge is an older, wiser and calm spirit, she's being pushed a bit too far by her cheeky little cage mate! Thank you for your advice x