help needed please rescue boars bond broken

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mstori

mstori

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I'm new here so sorry if I'm posting in wrong place ") And will try to keep this brief. I got two 2 year old boars from a rescue centre who were suppossed to have been bonded there. When we got them one had a scratch to his nose which was done the night before. She told me this was due to little fights they had but nothing major. They have had some major fights since though. Resulting in a bad injury and me having to seperate them. The rescue centre lady did visit (as I was concerned) saying they were happy in themselves, and I was doing a great job etc, and gave me some pointers on what to do, but i received an e-mail yesterday, and she is now requesting them back (and i feel she is blaming me?). Myself and the family are really upset and dont know what to do. We are attached to them now, but she says its for the best... any advice?
 
I'm sorry I have no advice as I have never heard of a rescue asking for them back before :{ I dont see how they could take them off you if you have done nothing wrong through and have done the right thing in separating them ?/
 
PiggiePooh said:
I'm sorry I have no advice as I have never heard of a rescue asking for them back before :{ I dont see how they could take them off you if you have done nothing wrong through and have done the right thing in separating them ?/
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it kinda said as ive had no experience in bonding she would like to re-bond them (even though when she was here she said i could try getting 2 females and having the boys fixed.. which i wont! or getting 2 baby boars which i said i would possibly try then in mail said she didnt think it was a good idea to get babies!?! as i could end up with 4 single boys) It also said that the hutch, run, garden and conservatory were too many places for them, and ive handled them too much, and they werent used to children. Would you agree? The kids are never allowed to just have them on their own. They are loved alot, but i didnt see that as a bad thing, and especially as they lick us, sleep on us etc, that they must feel comfortable (and she did agree when she was here)

Obviously i want to do what is best for them, but at same time, I dont feel as though I have done anything when wrong when i followed the advice given, and until yesterday was told i was doing everything correctly.. AND they were obviously fighting before they came to me.
 
I thought in order to bond two male guinea pigs that an adult would have to be paired with a baby boar and not another adult? I may be wrong and someone will correct me but as far as I'm aware your two piggies will need to stay separated and you will need to bond each one with either a baby boar or a sow (in the latter case you would need to neuter your boys first though).
 
Hiya,

Any boar can fall out all of a sudden. I have had this with same age boars. I have bonded older to younger with no problems at all.

I wouldn't rebond these two at all. 2 baby boars would be ok. What are the Rescues policy? Can they ask for pigs back, do they have a website that lists the policy? If they have no policy then she can't just expect the pigs back.

I would rebond these two with a baby boar each.

Good luck with it,

Louise
 
Male guinea pigs can bond or fall out at any age, we have succesfully paired older boars here as well as adult and baby, but once they've fallen out like that it is very difficult to re-bond. It may be that the rescue lady feels guilty as she knew they had squabbled before she sent them to you - I'd never rehomed a squabbling pair until they were bonded happily, as the move can make them worse.

I think what she's saying about them having too many places (hutch, run etc) is probably because if boars are not bonded happily, each time you move them to a 'new' territory (and in their heads it's new even if they were in it yesterday, and moved somewhere else) they have to go through the same rituals to establish who is boss. They obviously haven't quite sorted this out yet, hence the fighting.

Hopefully when you adopted them, you got some paperwork to sign. Usually this says that if you can no longer look after them, they will be returned to the rescue. However, you CAN look after them - so if you've got room and money for 2 more, I would think as S&T says, a baby boar for each would be the solution, hopefully.

Sophie
x
 
thanks, i appreciate it. its got me really upset. I have been told that bonding should be done with younger and not 2 of same age and thats more the reason why they will have fought. And its not as if they were not fighting before i got them. The process took a while before we were allowed to bring them home, and I followed all advice. She even came out at the weekend and said in themselves how well settled and content they were.
This is the first time that I have had piggies, but I researched them loads first.
There is no policy of returning and she said she has never had this happen before.
Do you think I could have caused the problems by giving them so much space when they werent used to it? The rescue place didnt have room. I guess i am just feeling like I dont know how it could be my fault when they have a 4 and a half ft 2 story hutch a 5 ft run (and they also have free reign of the garden when the rabbits are away) and when its cold and wet they come into the conservatory to play. If I have done something wrong, then I shouldnt be having piggies. Guess I'm just feeling low.. sorry.
 
It's honestly not your fault at all - you sound like a very responsible owner and have done everything in the pigs best interests. I'm sure she's not saying it's your fault either, I bet she just feels to blame. I know I would if I'd rehomed two and they fell out.

If she's got baby boars then ask if you can try these with your piggies. You don't need tons of experience to do this - we can help you. Most adults boars will have the best chance of bonding with a baby boar, as young as possible (the younger the better). They might fall out when the baby hits teenager age but hopefully they'll get through it!

Sophie
x
 
Thanks Sophie, and everyone else..I didnt sleep well at all last night. You have made me feel better. They arent "just" pets are they! lol
I know people who have a farm and constantly have baby guinea pigs (i was originally going to get them to start with) but just thought that there are so many in rescue centres that get overlooked that I would like to do that (my 2 rabbits are both rescue bunnies and i have had no problems at all with them)
Is there an amount of time I should wait? I was told 4-6 weeks before introducing a baby.
One of the piggies has an injury to his neck which I'm bathing twice a day and I'm going to attempt a bath today as they weed over each other on the big fight at the weekend and STINK!
 
You can try bathing them both together - this can help re-bond as they smell neutral again?

Otherwise I would give them some time out - a week or so - before considering a baby boar introduction.

How have you left it with the rescue?

Sophie
x
 
I e-mailed the rescue back yesterday afternoon but havent heard back. Ive been chewed up since. My youngest wanted me to give them back cos she got so upset at the fighting but me and my son were really upset at the prospect of them going. There was nothing on any paperwork about what to do if they didnt settle.
I didnt feel they were correctly bonded the night she brought them and said they had had a fight and one was injured but just put it down to a squabble.
I probably am looking into the e-mail too much, its just really upset me the way it was written after what had been said when she visited and the phone calls we have had.
Also, like I say I thought I had done what was best, and she agreed.
Really wish we had just gone with the babies in the first place now (even though I love the boys sooo much) and there are no guarantees the girls my friends had, wouldnt have fought.
I dont want to neuter them, and the farm has some 5 week old boars at the moment and also some which are too young to be sexed.
Thankyou soooo much for the help, it really does mean a lot just to get it off my chest so to speak xx
I will try the bathing tonight. Fingers crossed! haha
 
thanks, thats the info she gave me, when she brought them round. And thats what they were doing from the first night, just without the actual fighting. They were teeth chattering etc, lunging, then cuddling up, it was only after a couple of days they started to attack (or i actually saw them) they would bicker (jump on each other then walk away) and have staring incidents.
I got to go now to get my kids from school, but do you think it is ok for me to say to the rescue that I wont give them back? MY kids and I feel unsettled not knowing what she can do. We dont have paperwork other than advice sheets. Sorry for the constant questions. Thanks
Tori x
 
If you like the piggies and want to keep them, then politely tell the rescue that you're committed to those pigs and will keep them, and hopefully find them both a friend shortly. I think that's all you can do.

If you're already attached to them, then keep them and do your best for them, I think.

Sophie
x
 
yeah, thanks. Thats my problem, i get soo attached easily. They sit and lick our fingers and when we first got them would run away when you got close now they come to us. They werent even the ones I originally wanted, but stole our hearts when we were there. x)
Thanks for the advice Sophie. and at least it shows I'm commited to them and didnt get them on a whim.
Heck my foster dog has been with me 13 years now, cos I got so attached i kept him haha
 
Oh I know that feeling...2 foster buns and 4 foster pigs have managed to stay full time! :red :(|)
 
SunshineAndTwinkle said:
Oh I know that feeling...2 foster buns and 4 foster pigs have managed to stay full time! :red :(|)
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its so easy to fall in love with them isnt it! I'm a sucker for fur! lol.. this whole business has got me so chewed up i cant eat and sleep, I'm such a softie. My head says take them back and get 2 that are properly bonded, but my <3 says they are my babies and i cant give up on them. x
 
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