My Bonded Pair Causing Trouble!

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cally

cally

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As you may know, I have two pairs of bonded boys that live indoors in c&c cages. Cage clean day happens twice a week, when I clean them out I always put them on the floor of the pet room for floor time. My quiet pair, Dylan and Bailey are fine, they follow each other around the room and end up munching hay, but my other two boys, who I like to call the terrible twosome instantly start up a dominance war! The bum swaying, teeth chattering, heads raised goes on for as long as it takes for me to clean them out, I then scoop them up and pop them on the sofa with me to settle down. When they are on the sofa with me they are fine, they both flop out and nap. If I put them straight in the cage then the dominance issues carry on.

Is it something I'm doing? I was guessing they are trying to establish who's boss as the floor is new territory...is it their personalities? As Dylan and Bailey have no issues.

The boys don't get floor time on the same day and the floor is cleaned after every piggies playtime.

Any advice would be appreciated! I like them having floor time but if it's going to cause them stress and upset then of course I will rethink my cleaning routine!
 
cally said:
As you may know, I have two pairs of bonded boys that live indoors in c&c cages. Cage clean day happens twice a week, when I clean them out I always put them on the floor of the pet room for floor time. My quiet pair, Dylan and Bailey are fine, they follow each other around the room and end up munching hay, but my other two boys, who I like to call the terrible twosome instantly start up a dominance war! The bum swaying, teeth chattering, heads raised goes on for as long as it takes for me to clean them out, I then scoop them up and pop them on the sofa with me to settle down. When they are on the sofa with me they are fine, they both flop out and nap. If I put them straight in the cage then the dominance issues carry on.

Is it something I'm doing? I was guessing they are trying to establish who's boss as the floor is new territory...is it their personalities? As Dylan and Bailey have no issues.

The boys don't get floor time on the same day and the floor is cleaned after every piggies playtime.

Any advice would be appreciated! I like them having floor time but if it's going to cause them stress and upset then of course I will rethink my cleaning routine!
Click to expand...

For some more dominant boar pairs, any change of territory, even run time or a cage clean can mean new territory and renewal of dominance. :(

Have you tried whether it would help if you rubbed a rag over both of them and then lightly over the new bedding and cleaned furniture, so it smells "right" when they come in?
 
No I haven't, I will do that from now on! I gave them a buddy bath today and had a snuggle/dry with them and they are popcorning around the cage now :)

Bucky (the younger boar) is coming out of his shell more now, and I assume he's getting hormonal which could be why they are behaving the way they are...do you think they'll be ok together? Or will they always be wanting to dominate?
 
cally said:
No I haven't, I will do that from now on! I gave them a buddy bath today and had a snuggle/dry with them and they are popcorning around the cage now :)

Bucky (the younger boar) is coming out of his shell more now, and I assume he's getting hormonal which could be why they are behaving the way they are...do you think they'll be ok together? Or will they always be wanting to dominate?
Click to expand...

How old are they?
 
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