Is it possible to repair a broken bond?

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guineapigdays123

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Hi! I just adopted 2 female skinny pigs. Their bond was broken in their old home. I believe it was due to them being in an incredibly small enclosure with only 1 hide, 1 pellet dish, ect. Is there anyway to repair the bond? TIA
 
Hello and welcome to the forum. Well done for adopting the girls. I'm not one of the most experienced people on here and have only dealt with boars, so will leave the advice to them.
 
Welcome to the forum

While lack of resources will cause tensions in a bond, unfortunately, providing what they need after the bond has broken is highly unlikely to make any difference.
Sows tend to be quite steadfast - if they decide they don’t like another pig then they aren’t going to change their mind down the line (they tend to harden their response).

As you are certain their bond has broken, I personally would suggest you don’t rock the boat and would instead keep them separate.

Wiebke

Thread 'Bonds In Trouble'

1 Causes for bonds to fall apart
2 Bonds in Crisis
- What are the signs of a dysfunctional bond?
- Bullying
- How can I test whether a bond is no longer working?
3 Failed bonds and what next?
- What to do if my piggies have had a major fight?
- When rebonding doesn't work out


1 Causes for bonds to fall apart

Every fall-out has of course its own...
  • Like
 
Sadly, I agree with @Piggies&buns .

You might find chapter 4 interesting in an article series in which I have been trying to explore how social species wiring survives in our pet piggies:
Wiebke

Thread 'The Herd, the Group and I: Investigating Guinea Pig Identity and Society'

Introduction
1 A Look at Social Identity
- Identity and Self-awareness
- Herd and Group: Juggling social identities
2 Herd Behaviours
- On the move
- Shared herd feeding
3 The Group and I
- Group identity vs. individual identity
- Group establishment and affirmation
- Use of the denning...
 
Piggies&buns said:
Welcome to the forum

While lack of resources will cause tensions in a bond, unfortunately, providing what they need after the bond has broken is highly unlikely to make any difference.
Sows tend to be quite steadfast - if they decide they don’t like another pig then they aren’t going to change their mind down the line (they tend to harden their response).

As you are certain their bond has broken, I personally would suggest you don’t rock the boat and would instead keep them separate.

Wiebke

Thread 'Bonds In Trouble'

1 Causes for bonds to fall apart
2 Bonds in Crisis
- What are the signs of a dysfunctional bond?
- Bullying
- How can I test whether a bond is no longer working?
3 Failed bonds and what next?
- What to do if my piggies have had a major fight?
- When rebonding doesn't work out


1 Causes for bonds to fall apart

Every fall-out has of course its own...
  • Like
Click to expand...
Thank you for your response. I'm pretty certain the bond is broken as the previous owner said they would fight. Would it be possible for me to introduce another sow to my submissive piggy? TIA
 
guineapigdays123 said:
Thank you for your response. I'm pretty certain the bond is broken as the previous owner said they would fight. Would it be possible for me to introduce another sow to my submissive piggy? TIA
Click to expand...

It’s possible to introduce another sow to each of them - so that you have two pairs. Just because the dominant sow fought with her previous partner, it does not mean she must be kept separate going forward.

We would recommend, where possible, then you use the help of a rescue centre to find a compatible companion.
 
Here is some helpful information for going about finding a new compatible companion for your sows. You can look at both a sow or a neutered boar; but if possible, please rescue date.

This guide looks at the different challenges you face with each combo:
Wiebke

Thread 'A Closer Look At Pairs (Boars - Sows - Mixed)'

This guide is an article series that I have written for Guinea Pig Magazine issues 50-52 (May/July/September 2019).
It is the propriety of GPM and is being shared on here with the magazine's permission.

1 Introduction
2 Sexing Guinea pigs: Where to look and feel yourself
- Textbook pictures
- The hands-on sexing check
3 Boar Pairs
- Common misconceptions
- The tricky teenage months
- the 'Golden Boar...
  • Like

Wiebke

Thread 'Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs'

1 Intro: Reality check on where your pets come from
2 Are guinea pigs really the right pet for me?
3 Rescue adoption
- What extra services do good rescues provide that other places don’t?
- What about not recommended rescues? How can I spot a bad place?
- Shelters and rescues – is there a difference?
- How does the adoption process run?
4 Pet shops
- How will you choose your pets?
- Why...
 
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