How do I prevent my guinea pigs from fighting?

[bluetrooth]

Hello!

So I've had my guinea pigs (two boys) for about 4 months now, and they've always gotten along perfectly so far. They chase each other from time to time, rumble, have those nose-offs, but always in a friendly manner.

Just now though one of them chased and mounted the other quite persistently, over a duration of 5 minutes or so; and didn't want to give up despite the other running away every time.

I've read the sticky post and see that this isn't very alarming, but I was wondering if there are things I could/should do to help prevent escalation, cause it 'does' look like it 'could' turn into a fight at some point if he pushes it too far.

What I did this time around is I picked them up, gave them both a bath (together) and dried them off before putting them back. This seemed to have 'reset' their minds completely and they're back to normal now.

I was thinking of perhaps just doing that every time I feel it's getting a little out of hand. Good idea? Tips?


This also made me a little anxious to leave them, because what if this happens when I'm not in the house - how bad can this get?

 

[mikulinek]

Hello!

So I've had my guinea pigs (two boys) for about 4 months now, and they've always gotten along perfectly so far. They chase each other from time to time, rumble, have those nose-offs, but always in a friendly manner.

Just now though one of them chased and mounted the other quite persistently, over a duration of 5 minutes or so; and didn't want to give up despite the other running away every time.

I've read the sticky post and see that this isn't very alarming, but I was wondering if there are things I could/should do to help prevent escalation, cause it 'does' look like it 'could' turn into a fight at some point if he pushes it too far.

What I did this time around is I picked them up, gave them both a bath (together) and dried them off before putting them back. This seemed to have 'reset' their minds completely and they're back to normal now.

I was thinking of perhaps just doing that every time I feel it's getting a little out of hand. Good idea? Tips?


This also made me a little anxious to leave them, because what if this happens when I'm not in the house - how bad can this get?

All you can do is ensure that they have two of everything and that they have enough space to get away from each other if necessary. Other than that, you have to leave them to it - you cannot really do anything to affect their behaviour. You can reduce the things for them to fight over but, during the hormonal phase which they are now in, they will either get on or not and it's up to them.

One pig must emerge as the dominant male and the other must submit. If niether is willing to submit and their fighting escalates to physical violence, you may have to separate them. It sounds like they are not at that stage yet and may never have to be separated but the hormonal phase is quite long and it's a possibility and you should be prepared for that eventuality.

We had to permanently separate our boars in the end as they just couldn't get on. I'm not saying that yours won't and I hope they do but you might want to have a plan B in place just in case

If you have any other concerns that aren't already listed in the stickies, just ask or PM me or others that have had similar boar experiences. At the moment though, just try to ensure space and two of everything (feeder, water bottle, hidey etc) and let them get on with it.

 

[mikulinek]

Also, bonding baths like the one you gave them are good but you shouldn't bathe your piggies too often. Try to have a towel at the ready if you have to pull them apart - you don't want to get bitten by accident. Until they actually draw blood, just let them do their thing basically. I know it's hard, we've been through it. I'm sure it's very unnerving and disconcerting for you and you get anxious at every little sign of confrontation but, in the end, it's up to them.

 

[bluetrooth]

Thanks so much, that's very helpful advice!

I bathed them without using shampoos or anything, just to distract them really, but how often can I do that you think, per month say?

Also, I towel dried them and kept them on my lap for a while after that until they were dry enough, but summers here get incredibly warm and I was wondering if it was okay to leave them somewhat wet, as it might cool them down. Is that a good idea to combat the heat, or does it just make them prone to colds and such?


Thanks again!

 

[mikulinek]

On average, you shouldn't really bathe your piggies more than say 3 or 4 times a year but certainly not more than once a month (this is still quite a lot). Despite the heat, I wouldn't let your piggies air dry. Any wet bellies can lead very quickly to health problems. You need to get them as dry as you can as quickly (and as gently) as you can after a bath.

I generally use a couple of towels. One to dry quite a lot. Then I gently blow dry (from a good couple of feet away and not hot) using the same towel as well. Then I get a nice dry towel and keep my piggy in that one my lap. This way you can keep them close and cuddled up while they dry.

 

[bluetrooth]

Great to know, thanks!