I think I made a mistake.

piggl said:
The lady we are working with has also suggested an overnight bonding. Since I am not working I am hoping to do this next week.
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That’s a good idea.

A few hours of speed dating only gets to me through acceptance but not through the other stages which are also where it can fail - they can initially like each other but not be able to form a hierarchy.

A few days residential bonding can really help.
Do note is still takes two weeks for a bonding to be fully settled, but even if he is away overnight, it will hopefully give you a clearer idea is whether it’ll work out
 
Piggies&buns said:
That’s a good idea.

A few hours of speed dating only gets to me through acceptance but not through the other stages which are also where it can fail - they can initially like each other but not be able to form a hierarchy.

A few days residential bonding can really help.
Do note is still takes two weeks for a bonding to be fully settled, but even if he is away overnight, it will hopefully give you a clearer idea is whether it’ll work out
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Hi, we have planned to do an overnight bonding next week, which is 1 week after the boys second treatment. Unfortunately overnight is all I can do due to the distance.

I was wondering if, assuming all goes well, the boys can go in the same cage for the ride back? I separated them last time but that was because they were only together for about an hour, this time they should be together for well over 12 hours.
 
piggl said:
Hi, we have planned to do an overnight bonding next week, which is 1 week after the boys second treatment. Unfortunately overnight is all I can do due to the distance.

I was wondering if, assuming all goes well, the boys can go in the same cage for the ride back? I separated them last time but that was because they were only together for about an hour, this time they should be together for well over 12 hours.
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Hmm, that’s a tricky one - 12 hours isn’t a huge amount of time but I suppose a bit better than an hours speed dating. Id personally rather they were together for a few days at least before putting them in the same carrier. It might be best to have two carriers but to see how things have been when you go and get them and make a call at that point.
 
piggl said:
Hi, we have planned to do an overnight bonding next week, which is 1 week after the boys second treatment. Unfortunately overnight is all I can do due to the distance.

I was wondering if, assuming all goes well, the boys can go in the same cage for the ride back? I separated them last time but that was because they were only together for about an hour, this time they should be together for well over 12 hours.
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How long is the car journey?
 
Everyone has already shared great information. I am not an expert and can only share my own experiences but I 1) have had two boars (sows as well) housed next to each other using C&C grids to separate for socialization if they can't live together. They may also come out together for lap time or veggie time if things don't immediately escalate to fighting. This may be a more negative opinion but I'd like to caution against neutering. It can be done well and successfully but I feel like each case is unique. My very first guinea pig, Temby, was an ill little boy. We were inexperienced with piggies but a "pig savvy" vet cleared him to be neutered. A few days later he passed from another medical condition and the emergency vet informed us he was very poorly and underweight for his age - too much so to be considered for a major surgery. We have had 2 boys that were successfully neutered but had very risky and expensive complications (abscesses). I posted about Murphy, my most recent boy we attempted to neuter, who was adopted to be a companion for one of our older boars. We wanted him neutered so that he could also hang out with our sows. He was cleared by a vet for the surgery, had it, and declined from there until he passed in my arms several weeks later.

I don't mean to fear monger because plenty of people have these surgeries done with no complications. I'd just like to warn of the inherent risk as well since it is so painful for all of us when we lose one of our babies.

Edit: Just to say all vets involved were small animal "specialists" at exotic vet practices.
 
brilapiggies said:
Everyone has already shared great information. I am not an expert and can only share my own experiences but I 1) have had two boars (sows as well) housed next to each other using C&C grids to separate for socialization if they can't live together. They may also come out together for lap time or veggie time if things don't immediately escalate to fighting. This may be a more negative opinion but I'd like to caution against neutering. It can be done well and successfully but I feel like each case is unique. My very first guinea pig, Temby, was an ill little boy. We were inexperienced with piggies but a "pig savvy" vet cleared him to be neutered. A few days later he passed from another medical condition and the emergency vet informed us he was very poorly and underweight for his age - too much so to be considered for a major surgery. We have had 2 boys that were successfully neutered but had very risky and expensive complications (abscesses). I posted about Murphy, my most recent boy we attempted to neuter, who was adopted to be a companion for one of our older boars. We wanted him neutered so that he could also hang out with our sows. He was cleared by a vet for the surgery, had it, and declined from there until he passed in my arms several weeks later.

I don't mean to fear monger because plenty of people have these surgeries done with no complications. I'd just like to warn of the inherent risk as well since it is so painful for all of us when we lose one of our babies.

Edit: Just to say all vets involved were small animal "specialists" at exotic vet practices.
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Thanks for sharing your story!

I will have to think about it, neutering is a last option for me, but one I am open to considering. I think at some point its a risk I would have to take so my boy can have a friend.
 
piggl said:
Thanks for sharing your story!

I will have to think about it, neutering is a last option for me, but one I am open to considering. I think at some point it’s a risk I would have to take so my boy can have a friend.
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Best of luck! Yep, it’s all for them, I totally get you. Each time I learned there was more I should’ve asked or pushed against. The forum has an excellent neuter guide 😁
 
If you can find a really good vet with a success of neutering guinea pigs then I would probably go for it. My Ted was neutered at 5 and he sailed through the op with no problems whatsoever. The vet was really experienced which I think is the major factor here
 
Personally I would recommend to use two carriers; the risk that one piggy suddenly freaks out and all hell is breaking loose is just too far that short a time into a bond while bonding process is still very much underway.
 
Wiebke said:
Personally I would recommend to use two carriers; the risk that one piggy suddenly freaks out and all hell is breaking loose is just too far that short a time into a bond while bonding process is still very much underway.
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Okay. Will the separation undo all the time they spent together overnight? I know they have to be in different carriers, but I am just so worried I get back home, put them together and it all falls apart again. Ive bought a hotel this time, and unfortuantly I can not afford to do this more than once.

Is >12 hours enough to create a somewhat bond/acceptance that will be brought over to their re-introduction in my home?
 
piggl said:
Okay. Will the separation undo all the time they spent together overnight? I know they have to be in different carriers, but I am just so worried I get back home, put them together and it all falls apart again. Ive bought a hotel this time, and unfortuantly I can not afford to do this more than once.

Is >12 hours enough to create a somewhat bond/acceptance that will be brought over to their re-introduction in my home?
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Hi

Yes, you are by then past acceptance and hopefully already past the very worst of the dominance. I would just not risk it during the extra stress of a car ride - that can easily be too much pressure too soon into the bond. ;)
 
Thank you all!

Fingers tightly crossed the initial bonding is strong enough to carry through to my home 🤞🏼
 
Hi, I’m looking for some advice,

We started the new bonding last night at about 8pm, but it failed by 3am. The lady then tried him with another boy but she says that Reggie is just way too scared and defensive.

I can honestly see it in Reggie. Ever since him and Remi got separated and then put back together (very stressful for 2 days and then they fought), he’s been very timid and nervous.
In his now 3 failed bondings, he doesn’t want to be the dominant pig, but refuses to take the role of the under pig happily, so he gets chased around for a couple hours and he acts all defensive and then they fight.

What do i do? I think putting him with a baby could be his best option as it will just take the under pig position, but I am aware that they may fall out in the future. I am also aware that neutering is an option, but again is costly, has risks and doesn’t mean he will find a lady friend 100%.

In an ideal world, when him and Remi fell out i should have gone for my “second option” and have them living side by side, but now Remi has been adopted.
I watch Reggie enjoy through bar interaction, but then goes off on his own and popcorns and lives his own little life.
Having them side by side is still an option, but i’ve spent so much money on this that I don’t have the money to buy another hutch and DIY the wall with mesh like previously discussed.
 
piggl said:
Hi, I’m looking for some advice,

We started the new bonding last night at about 8pm, but it failed by 3am. The lady then tried him with another boy but she says that Reggie is just way too scared and defensive.

I can honestly see it in Reggie. Ever since him and Remi got separated and then put back together (very stressful for 2 days and then they fought), he’s been very timid and nervous.
In his now 3 failed bondings, he doesn’t want to be the dominant pig, but refuses to take the role of the under pig happily, so he gets chased around for a couple hours and he acts all defensive and then they fight.

What do i do? I think putting him with a baby could be his best option as it will just take the under pig position, but I am aware that they may fall out in the future. I am also aware that neutering is an option, but again is costly, has risks and doesn’t mean he will find a lady friend 100%.

In an ideal world, when him and Remi fell out i should have gone for my “second option” and have them living side by side, but now Remi has been adopted.
I watch Reggie enjoy through bar interaction, but then goes off on his own and popcorns and lives his own little life.
Having them side by side is still an option, but i’ve spent so much money on this that I don’t have the money to buy another hutch and DIY the wall with mesh like previously discussed.
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I’m so sorry for you, it has been difficult. Is there any chance of finding a good secondhand hutch online that you could alter? Two C&C grids are really all that’s needed to create a “window” between two hutches as long as they are secured in place.
A baby boar might be best if you don’t have the money to go down the neutering route but be prepared to split and alter two hutches if that fails so they have adjoining company

Good luck x
 
Bill & Ted said:
I’m so sorry for you, it has been difficult. Is there any chance of finding a good secondhand hutch online that you could alter? Two C&C grids are really all that’s needed to create a “window” between two hutches as long as they are secured in place.
A baby boar might be best if you don’t have the money to go down the neutering route but be prepared to split and alter two hutches if that fails so they have adjoining company

Good luck x
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Thanks for your response.

I just really can’t decide between baby and neutering. The baby is the obvious easy option, but Reggie just does not seem to get on with male pigs, and then my worry with neutering is the risks of surgery and the fact a sow/boar bond still comes down to personality. Neutering of course also takes money and time.
 
It is difficult. I really feel for you having been in this position last summer. In the end I went for the side by side option because a boar with a similar problem was available and there were no babies. It's a difficult decision.
 
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