Be aware that the bar biting from the girl could be a territorial/fear reaction and not necessarily a friendly one.
All the best nevertheless. Don't rush the settling in stage and becoming friends through the bars (if that is possible).
Mixed gender pair or trio?
- Thread starter Little Ones
- Start date
Be aware that the bar biting from the girl could be a territorial/fear reaction and not necessarily a friendly one.
All the best nevertheless. Don't rush the settling in stage and becoming friends through the bars (if that is possible).
Little Ones
Forum Donator 2023/24
Oh interesting, I didn’t know that - thank you!
Sprout’s 6 weeks are over on the 23rd, so we would be looking at bonding them in around three weeks time, when they would have been together for 4 weeks. Is this a good length of time? Are there any signs I should be looking for to indicate she does like him in the meantime? The main things I’ve seen from her is her directing her pee at him and then she also lets him stick his nose through the bars to nuzzle at her face. He’s mainly doing a whole lot of rumblestrutting which I’m assuming is him showing off his manliness?
That will hopefully be enough time for him to woo her and win her over; especially as she will hopefully react to his presence when she has at least one stronger season or two during her wait.reacting to his manly pheromones. Ultimately, it is all down to whether the two gel or not.
Most people are not aware of territorial behaviours in guinea pigs and misinterpret them - and are then very upset if the perceived 'friendly' interaction doesn't carry through into the bonding itself. The signs are quite subtle and can even throw experienced bonders.
A - Z of Guinea Pig Behaviours (see entry 'territorial behaviours' for details)
Little Ones
Forum Donator 2023/24
Things are still going well! We’re still trying to figure out a name for her, believe it or not! We’ve been calling her LuLu, short for Luna, but not sure if it’s going to stick. She’s been doing some zoomies and sleeping with her eyes shut, so she must be feeling happy!
Interestingly, she is just like our Digby, who was Sprout’s best bar mate. She and Dig are both Abyssinian’s, so maybe that’s something to do with it? Funnily enough, we’ve never ended up with two of the same breed before so whilst I’ve heard certain breeds have particular personality traits, I’ve never seen it in action until now. Both of them are just daft and nosy, and she has little quirks which Dig also had too. If the dates had matched up, I’d have thought he’d been reincarnated into her!
Interestingly, she is just like our Digby, who was Sprout’s best bar mate. She and Dig are both Abyssinian’s, so maybe that’s something to do with it? Funnily enough, we’ve never ended up with two of the same breed before so whilst I’ve heard certain breeds have particular personality traits, I’ve never seen it in action until now. Both of them are just daft and nosy, and she has little quirks which Dig also had too. If the dates had matched up, I’d have thought he’d been reincarnated into her!
Bill & Ted
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Aw, LuLu is such a pretty girl, hope it works out and they really bond well 
alpacasqueak
Forum Donator 2022/23
Little Ones
Forum Donator 2023/24
Update:
The pair were bonded today and it was a raging success! Very anti-climactic, too! I revealed lady-pigs name in my last post but it has since changed and she is officially called Sisu (pronounced See-Sue). The names Sisu and Luna had been in our top two, and the more we saw her personality the more Sisu felt like a better fit!
Anyway, onto the bonding. There really isn’t too much to tell. Sisu was making lots of happy noises and she didn’t want to be mounted at all. She would tell Sprout no and he would listen. Every 20 mins or so he would attempt again and she’d say no and he’d be okay with it. He was pretty quick at listening and she wasn’t becoming annoyed or agitated by having to say no. They did some follow the leader and some face grooming. Overall, they were in the bonding pen for 2 and a half hours before they were transferred into the cage and things were very smooth and consistent throughout. Sisu is definitely the one calling the shots, and Sprout is more than happy to let her do whatever she likes! So far it’s a happy ending, hopefully it continues as their bond solidifies over the next week or so
The pair were bonded today and it was a raging success! Very anti-climactic, too! I revealed lady-pigs name in my last post but it has since changed and she is officially called Sisu (pronounced See-Sue). The names Sisu and Luna had been in our top two, and the more we saw her personality the more Sisu felt like a better fit!
Anyway, onto the bonding. There really isn’t too much to tell. Sisu was making lots of happy noises and she didn’t want to be mounted at all. She would tell Sprout no and he would listen. Every 20 mins or so he would attempt again and she’d say no and he’d be okay with it. He was pretty quick at listening and she wasn’t becoming annoyed or agitated by having to say no. They did some follow the leader and some face grooming. Overall, they were in the bonding pen for 2 and a half hours before they were transferred into the cage and things were very smooth and consistent throughout. Sisu is definitely the one calling the shots, and Sprout is more than happy to let her do whatever she likes! So far it’s a happy ending, hopefully it continues as their bond solidifies over the next week or so
Claire W
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Aw that’s brilliant news. I’m so glad the bonding was a success and I love the name Sisu 
May their marriage continue to blossom x
May their marriage continue to blossom x
Bill & Ted
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What fab news 
Merab
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Great News.So glad the bonding went well.
Little Ones
Forum Donator 2023/24
Update:
The pair are doing well together still, they seem to get on really well. Sprout does whatever Sisu tells him and their energy levels are pretty well matched. They’re always doing zoomies, and Sprout has gained a lot of confidence from Sisu. She’s very talkative as she walks around the cage, and Sprout rumble struts a lot of the time, which I hope is still a good sign? It seems like he’s always trying to impress her. He humps her head a lot, or tries to - when she starts shouting at him he runs off, sometimes popcorning as he goes.
The only issue we’re still having is with the lice! They’ve had multiple rounds of treatment, but the lice just won’t shift! Not sure what else to do, it’s like the lice are resistant to the xeno stuff we’re being prescribed.
The pair are doing well together still, they seem to get on really well. Sprout does whatever Sisu tells him and their energy levels are pretty well matched. They’re always doing zoomies, and Sprout has gained a lot of confidence from Sisu. She’s very talkative as she walks around the cage, and Sprout rumble struts a lot of the time, which I hope is still a good sign? It seems like he’s always trying to impress her. He humps her head a lot, or tries to - when she starts shouting at him he runs off, sometimes popcorning as he goes.
The only issue we’re still having is with the lice! They’ve had multiple rounds of treatment, but the lice just won’t shift! Not sure what else to do, it’s like the lice are resistant to the xeno stuff we’re being prescribed.
I'm glad all is going well.
Ive just had a really quick look back on the thread - can you confirm that it is in fact mites (hay mites being the correct term for static lice) and not lice. Hay mites and lice are two different types of parasite.
Hay mites dont feed off the piggy itself so while Xeno is the right treatment we are finding some cases on the forum where it isn’t working - yes resistance is potentially becoming a problem. Sometimes a shampoo is also needed
New Guinea Pig Problems: Sexing & Pregnancy; URI, Ringworm & Parasites; Vet Checks & Customer Rights
Little Ones
Forum Donator 2023/24
Sorry! Yes I believe they’re static lice/hay mites - I hadn’t dealt with anything other than mange mites before this, so my terminology is off!
I’m in an owners group with the rescue we adopted Sisu from and other adopters are also having the same problem with the hay mites. The rescue owner has said they don’t need to be treated as they don’t harm the piggy. I feel like shampooing them, especially Sprout, would be too stressful for them as Sprout is an IC pig. Are we okay to just leave them, since the xeno hasn’t worked? Since Sisu is a white piggy, you can just see the little specs all over her which worries me.
They aren’t as harmful as mange mites, they don’t feed off the piggy.
I would speak to the vet again, not sure I’d be happy to just leave them. There is another treatment but not as commonly used in the UK - Stronghold
Little Ones
Forum Donator 2023/24
Okay, will do. Thank you
Bill & Ted
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Aw glad they are so happy together x
Hope you can get the mites sorted soon
Hope you can get the mites sorted soon
Claire W
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Aw I’m so glad they’re happy together I hope you get rid of the mites soon x
I hope you get rid of the mites soon x
What a lovely pair!
Rumbling is the way boars woo their ladies; if you have a 'rumble-singer' instead of a 'mountaineer', then you have a generally more laidback and dominant 'husboar' who is very happily married. Feel blessed and enjoy their close and loving bond that will last all their lives. You just have one very, very happy boy!
There is usually a phase when a new husboar loses their vocabulary and - apart from the big food wheek - everything else comes out as a rumble. I always find it very amusing and endearing.
Merab
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Glad you have such a happy trio.
Sprout’s behaviour sounds so like my Micah’s, especially the popcorning happily away after successfully mounting his wife’s head!
He’s a rumbler too.
Enjoy them
Sprout’s behaviour sounds so like my Micah’s, especially the popcorning happily away after successfully mounting his wife’s head!
He’s a rumbler too.
Enjoy them
Little Ones
Forum Donator 2023/24
This is really nice to know, thank youWhat a lovely pair!
Rumbling is the way boars woo their ladies; if you have a 'rumble-singer' instead of a 'mountaineer', then you have a generally more laidback and dominant 'husboar' who is very happily married. Feel blessed and enjoy their close and loving bond that will last all their lives. You just have one very, very happy boy!
There is usually a phase when a new husboar loses their vocabulary and - apart from the big food wheek - everything else comes out as a rumble. I always find it very amusing and endearing.
he does seem to really like her! They’re both always doing the zoomies, sometimes separately and sometimes at the same time, so they must be enjoying themselves!