Popps&Dais
Junior Guinea Pig
Hello,
Would love some suggestions about how best to support our two piggies.
They were a trio until a month ago when we lost our Dais. We’ve been keeping an eye on our remaining two because our younger one (5 and half years old) can get quite dominant with our older one (7 years old). It’s mainly grooming and sitting on all the hay, getting in her space and sometimes stopping her from eating. There’s two or more of everything and plenty of open space (2x5 C&C), hay spread all over. Mostly they knock along together ok but our 7 year old isn’t as mobile as she once was and so I also have to put hay and things close to her (which the other one then might sit on and the dominant behaviour begins). She does come out if the other one goes to sleep elsewhere and so is getting plenty of food and quite often they’re fine and just eating together. I make sure to fuss the dominant one first or at the same time and give them their veggies first etc.
Is there anything I need to watch for that would be a definite need to separate them? The younger one wouldn’t like that at all. They are both maintaining their weights. The younger one likes more attention from both piggies and us and so I wonder if that might be some of it. Our older piggie likes attention but very much prefers her own space. Thought I’d check here in case I’m maybe missing something. I had wondered if extra friends might help but that could just make things worse.
Would love some suggestions about how best to support our two piggies.
They were a trio until a month ago when we lost our Dais. We’ve been keeping an eye on our remaining two because our younger one (5 and half years old) can get quite dominant with our older one (7 years old). It’s mainly grooming and sitting on all the hay, getting in her space and sometimes stopping her from eating. There’s two or more of everything and plenty of open space (2x5 C&C), hay spread all over. Mostly they knock along together ok but our 7 year old isn’t as mobile as she once was and so I also have to put hay and things close to her (which the other one then might sit on and the dominant behaviour begins). She does come out if the other one goes to sleep elsewhere and so is getting plenty of food and quite often they’re fine and just eating together. I make sure to fuss the dominant one first or at the same time and give them their veggies first etc.
Is there anything I need to watch for that would be a definite need to separate them? The younger one wouldn’t like that at all. They are both maintaining their weights. The younger one likes more attention from both piggies and us and so I wonder if that might be some of it. Our older piggie likes attention but very much prefers her own space. Thought I’d check here in case I’m maybe missing something. I had wondered if extra friends might help but that could just make things worse.
