Help, warning signs - Male guinea pigs

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Amishia

Amishia

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Hiya everyone

My two ½ year old guineapig males have shown an aggressive behavior towards eachother the last couple of weeks. It started with teeth chattering and what I call 'Nose-off's' where they will raise their heads towards eachother and eventually one of them will try to bite, but it has become more and more frequent. When should I take action? I am afraid that they are uncomfortable in eachothers company, despite them squeeking for eachother whenever one of them is alone in the cage.

Is this normal behaviour? Should I worry? I feel bad if I have to split them up, I'm afraid they'll be lonely.
 
Please also read through the links that are included; their behaviour is pretty normal for two boars of their age. 6 months old is often a time when hormones flare up; months 8-10 can be the trickiest time. Afterwards fall-outs and fights are generally much rarer as the hormones are starting to settle down towards a much more stable adulthood.
 
Hopefully this is just the teenage years where boys like to get a bit grumpy and throw their weight around. Keep watching carefully and just make sure there is no actual damage inflicted. Even a pair that love each other greatly will have their squabbles and test out the dominance hierarchy from time to time but at the moment your youngsters are probably just trying to work out who is top of the pack. The fact they call for one another when separated is a good sign they are still keen on being together.

Often the advice is to separate if blood is drawn and while this is generally a good idea it is possible that sometimes the odd little nip happens in the process of everything settling down. If there is a chance of them fighting, keep a towel and dustpan handy for separating them so you don't have to get your hands in the way and if you end up with a bite or two like I did last year when my boys hit their hormonal years then separation is best. My boys are so much better off now, both with new friends. If they do need separated then don't worry or think badly of yourself. Sometimes it just isn't meant to be. There is always the option to re-bond them with someone they have chosen themselves via boar dating or get them neutered and find a wifeypig.

Try not to worry and ride out the storm, in all probability they will squabble for a few months then settle down to be best buds, it's just all the process of growing up, just like human teenagers!
 
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