Mardy piggy

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Elaine Prince

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I have 4 piggies, my older set and a couple of younger ones who live in the same lg cage, but separated by bars, so can see and chat to each other. They all got together in a communal area in their bedroom, but the boss of both cages had a full on fight. They have all eaten together before, but always gone back to their own cages straight after, but not on this occasion. Since then the boss of my elder two, has been very grumpy with her ( up until now) very close buddy. No actual fights but always telling her to go away from whatever she is doing. Also now, where the piggy ( top one eldest) would sit with the boss of little ones at the bars, they now are very snotty with each other. Not sure what's happening
 
Allowing your piggies ot mix outside of their regular pairs has caused a shift in the social dynamic.

Once a piggy is in an established pair/group they should never mix with others.
Every time they meet their will be a struggle to establish a hierarchy, and it sounds like on this occasion someone has resisted and that has resulted in a fight.

Social relationships are complicated and piggies don't do play dates.

You might find the bonding threads useful, and hopefully they will settle back down, but be prepared for the previous bond not to work out now it has been disturbed.

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
 
Bonded pairs need to be kept separate at all times to other bonded pairs - they shouldn’t have a communal area and they should never be meeting the other pair. Piggies do not do these things of meetings - they either have to live together as all four (which won’t be possible at all now the two dominant have had a fall out) or be kept in separate pairs.
Every time you allow all four of them to be together, to them it is a full on bonding session between them all and they will be trying to form a new hierarchy as a quartet, with one dominant of trying to take over as leader all four of them and the other one having to relinquish her position (or in this case refusing to relinquish which is what causes fights) which then gets interrupted when they go back to their own cages.
Please do not allow them to have physical contact with each other again
 
Were you trying to bond them or was it a case of just giving them time together?
 
Piggies&buns said:
Bonded pairs need to be kept separate at all times to other bonded pairs - they shouldn’t have a communal area and they should never be meeting the other pair. Piggies do not do these things of meetings - they either have to live together as all four (which won’t be possible at all now the two dominant have had a fall out) or be kept in separate pairs.
Every time you allow all four of them to be together, to them it is a full on bonding session between them all and they will be trying to form a new hierarchy as a quartet, with one dominant of trying to take over as leader all four of them and the other one having to relinquish her position (or in this case refusing to relinquish which is what causes fights) which then gets interrupted when they go back to their own cages.
Please do not allow them to have physical contact with each other again
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Siikibam said:
Were you trying to bond them or was it a case of just giving them time together?
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It was to see if they could be put together, as when we tried it eating together it went really well. If it went well this time, we were going to try them together in a newly clean changed around home. Side by side they got on so well, sitting together all the time, and thought it was time, but obviously not the right thing to do
 
When you decide to bond it needs to be a one-off and several hours spent in the neutral area together. So trying them with food should have been continued rather than splitting and trying again.

Unfortunately the top pigs won’t decide so your choice has been made. Hopefully they settle back down soon. I would maybe consider blocking the view between the two pairs. They each have a companion so there’s no need for that cross-interaction.
 
Bonding is a one time thing in a neutral territory bonding pen - you can’t try it a few times beforehand as that isn’t how piggies function. It’s an all or nothing one time event seen through to conclusion. Sadly it hasn’t and won’t work And they will need to stay in their pairs.
 
Piggies&buns said:
Bonding is a one time thing in a neutral territory bonding pen - you can’t try it a few times beforehand as that isn’t how piggies function. It’s an all or nothing one time event seen through to conclusion. Sadly it hasn’t and won’t work And they will need to stay in their pairs.
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I did know that they can never be put together again now, as they had a fight. I am more concerned about the eldest in the same cage. To be honest I do panic a bit too much, the boss only had to nudge the other one out of the way, and I think it might kick off, but it hasn't, the other piggy just walks away. Very mild Teeth chattering, but thats it. If I block the little piggies from seeing the elder two through the bars, will that need to be for good, because that would seem such a shame?
 
Siikibam said:
When you decide to bond it needs to be a one-off and several hours spent in the neutral area together. So trying them with food should have been continued rather than splitting and trying again.

Unfortunately the top pigs won’t decide so your choice has been made. Hopefully they settle back down soon. I would maybe consider blocking the view between the two pairs. They each have a companion so there’s no need for that cross-interaction.
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Siikibam said:
Not for good. Just until the older pair calms down. How old are the younger ones?
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The eldest ones are a year, the little ones are 6 months. Its my fault really the first time I put them together, I panicked when they got to were they needed to sort the leader out, and put them back. Just thought I needed to try one more time ( I'd read somewhere that you could try again, but I know better now. I will put something across so they can't see each other, there is a cover they have to go behind to see each other anyway, they seemed to like that, and they still do it, but Honey the boss of the babies ( I think ) now might be the one causing trouble. I think she might be the one upsetting fudge,the eldest top piggy, and then she is maybe taking it out on cookie ( they are normally best of mates).
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Siikibam said:
When you decide to bond it needs to be a one-off and several hours spent in the neutral area together. So trying them with food should have been continued rather than splitting and trying again.

Unfortunately the top pigs won’t decide so your choice has been made. Hopefully they settle back down soon. I would maybe consider blocking the view between the two pairs. They each have a companion so there’s no need for that
Click to expand...
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Siikibam said:
Not for good. Just until the older pair calms down. How old are the younger ones?
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Thought I'd reply, not sure where it went sorry. 1 year the eldest, 6 months the youngest.
 
Unfortunately a bonding does have the potential to cause a bit of a stir in the established relationships. It’s just the way of piggy bonds.

The 6 month olds have each other for company so having interaction through the bars with the older pair isn’t so important. Give them some time and hopefully they’ll be okay going back to living alongside each other with no repercussions.
 
Update on the piggies. Fudge and Honey who had the fight, are now sat side by side with the bar separating them ( and there is a blanket over each side) so both have chosen to go under the blankets to be with each other) which is great news, and fudge has now gone back to normal with her parter in her cage. All is well in piggy land yaaaa.
 
Laying near each other by a divider isn’t the positive you’re looking for. This is a way for them to mark out their territory. I’m glad they’ve all settled down now though.
 
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