My guineapig won't stop chattering angrily

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Charl

Charl

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Hi there :)

I have a guineapig named Pip, and he is 2 years old << Pic of Pip (Avatar). I also have another guineapig (my brothers' really), that is 5 years old. They are both male guineapigs. And when I put them out in a run together, my guineapig Pip always makes the hair on his back stand up, does this angry vibrating chatter, and does a daft walk :{. I am currently in the process of bonding them. Whilst trying to stamp out Pips humping obsession, I am trying to stamp out the chattering problem too.

But he constantly does it, everyone time he and Rodney go up to eachother. And he is a bit of a bully pushing old Rodney around too (and he is quite frail).

Will all these problems stop when he's older or something? Or will they never go? What can I do to stop them?

Thanks xx
 
Either let them get through with the bonding uninterrupted or keep them separated.

Pip is obviously a very dominant boy. Where are they at the moment?
 
They both have seperate cages, and I can't put them out yet together until I have my breakfast (parents rolleyes). So they are seperate. But as soon as I have had my breakfast I always put them out together.

And yes, Pip is VERY dominant. He's a big boy.
 
I meant where do you put them together indoors? Is Pip going to Rod's cage or the other way round?
 
We have puppy play pens (2 put together sometimes) and we let them run around all day in them. So none of them own the pen(s).
 
Pipxxxx said:
Hi there :)

I have a guineapig named Pip, and he is 2 years old << Pic of Pip (Avatar). I also have another guineapig (my brothers' really), that is 5 years old. They are both male guineapigs. And when I put them out in a run together, my guineapig Pip always makes the hair on his back stand up, does this angry vibrating chatter, and does a daft walk :{. I am currently in the process of bonding them. Whilst trying to stamp out Pips humping obsession, I am trying to stamp out the chattering problem too.

But he constantly does it, everyone time he and Rodney go up to eachother. And he is a bit of a bully pushing old Rodney around too (and he is quite frail).

Will all these problems stop when he's older or something? Or will they never go? What can I do to stop them?

Thanks xx
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What Pip is doing is exhibiting normal boar behaviour. I am the boss! The chattering is letting Rodney know he's a bit irked at having him so close, the hair standing up is making himself bigger & the daft walk is rumblestrutting meaning i am the man! If he is mounting Rodney too this is also a sign of dominance. If you are wanting to bond them then put them both in a neutral space with distractions ie: veggies or a pile of hay or grass. Make sure there is nothing in there that one could entrap another in (ie a pigloo) & watch them.
Do NOT separate them unless they show signs of going to attack. If Rodney is happy to accept Pip as the boss then they should be fine, if not this is when problems can arise & you need to be on your guard.
If all is well then put BOTH boys into a cleaned out cage/hutch making sure they have 2 of everything to lessen any chances of argument.

If they do look as if they are going to fight or they do draw blood then i would keep them separated.

Have a look here at normal boar behaviour & the signs to look out for when trouble may be brewing. http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=28949

Good Luck with them :)
 
Thanks! That's really helpful what you have given me!

I think Rodney won't accept Pip as the boss because when Pip goes up to rodeny, sometime (and ONLY sometimes) he tries to bite Pip :(. Does anyone know what are the signs when you know one guineapig has accepted the other one as the boss?

Once again, thankyou very much xx
 
They start behaving more normally again, though the rumbling and occasional chattering and humping can continue with some pairs.

Yawning and opening the mouth is another way of saying "stay off me!". If there haven't been any bloody fights for several hours you can try and leave them together over night. Remember, the bonding can take several days before they settle down! If you take them apart now, it will have to be for forever, or you really mess up your boys!

Not all bondings are straightforward friendships, esepcially with older boars, but as long as there is no real damage, it's worth trying to sit them out.

At the moment, there is a lot of posing and threats thrown around; that's perfectly normal fo two adult boars. But from what you are telling, none of the boars has followed through with any of their threads.
 
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Pipxxxx said:
Thanks! That's really helpful what you have given me!

I think Rodney won't accept Pip as the boss because when Pip goes up to rodeny, sometime (and ONLY sometimes) he tries to bite Pip :(. Does anyone know what are the signs when you know one guineapig has accepted the other one as the boss?

Once again, thankyou very much xx
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The under-pig will rarely challenge the boss-pig anymore. They may still have the odd bout of chattering but it will stop at that. They may raise their heads to one another but again it won't go any further. Some pigs (sows as well as boars) may lay together, others won't i guess you could say they "tolerate" each other which is the better option than being alone. If one pig is constantly being harassed & by this i mean not being allowed to go where it wants, being stopped from eating or is being kept in a corner or a pigloo but no actual fighting has occurred then i personally would also separate.
I have had this with a pair of boys. Space was definitely NOT an issue; their hutch was 10ft long they had 2 of everything & still one would try to stop the other eating or being in a pigloo or going about his business.
The dominant one of the pair would run between bowls trying to stop his cage-mate eating & the final straw came when the dominant one had the other one pinned inside a pigloo & was headbutting it to keep him in there.
At this point i separated them & they've lived happily side by side for almost 3 years :)
 
Thanks all

I think I may have to keep them seperate.

I am not allowed to keep them in the same pen overnight, sorry about that. They love their own space. I only want them to bond so they can play together in the day-time, not all hours of the night aswell.

They have NEVER had a bloody fight. And yes, sometimes they do eat together and lie next to eachother. They never fight over food. If one has some veg or fruit and starts eating it, that's it, that's their food. Surprislingly, they won't try and steal the food off eachother.

I would still really love them to be friends though.
 
Are you allowed to keep their cages next to each other so they can keep in contact through the bars overnight? That way, you do not break the bond completely as long as they can still see, smell and hear each other.

They sounded as if they were starting to seriously bond together.
 
Yes I am allowed that! :))

As soon as I'm dressed I will put them out together, and tonight I will leave Pips' cage next to Rods'. :)
 
Good - I wish Rod and Pip all the best! :))

Don't worry if you see a repeat of all the behaviour from yesterday when you put them together! Guinea pigs ALWAYS have to start with sorting out their relationship!
 
Thankyou so much for all your great help!

I will surely keep you updated x
 
Pipxxxx said:
Thanks all

I think I may have to keep them seperate.

I am not allowed to keep them in the same pen overnight, sorry about that. They love their own space. I only want them to bond so they can play together in the day-time, not all hours of the night aswell.

They have NEVER had a bloody fight. And yes, sometimes they do eat together and lie next to eachother. They never fight over food. If one has some veg or fruit and starts eating it, that's it, that's their food. Surprislingly, they won't try and steal the food off eachother.

I would still really love them to be friends though.
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To have them living in their own space near each other so they can interact if they choose is great. This is no different to how my single boys live; next to each other with a mesh divide between their hutches.
When my lot go out into the run to graze i have ALL my boys out together; 2 pairs & 2 singletons, they're supervised by me but are usually too busy munching to bother about each other & then they go back to their respective homes.

From what you say i'd say your boys are friends, if they weren't you would know. Each has his own home but can chat to the other if they want & they share a run together - excellent! :(|)
 
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Thanks :(|)

But today, Pip went up to Rodney normally and sniffed him, and then Rodney lashed out at him with several nasty bites. Pip is getting much better, and Rodney is getting worse. :{. Whenever Pip goes up to Rodney now, Rodney bites Pip. And Pip hardly does anything anymore! I don't know what to do?
 
Is Rodney really biting or just nipping a little to tell Pip off? If Pip gets the message and behaves, they will be fine; if the bites are bloody, I would separate.

Nipping (or headbutting) is not unusual and a way for guinea pigs to tell the other off and saying "that's it and no more"!
 
They circle eachother and yes, it is only nipping really. I was just exadurating a bit xx>>> Rod won't let Pip go near him now
 
Pipxxxx said:
They circle eachother and yes, it is only nipping really. I was just exadurating a bit xx>>> Rod won't let Pip go near him now
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As long as Pip doesn't push the boundaries with Rod he will be fine, as Wiebke has said a nip is perfectly normal, it's when it's taken further. You will see/hear the signs that they mean business - LOUD chattering, squaring up to one another, strutting, mouths wide open. At this point be on your guard & distract them but do NOT put your hand between them. These signs can be a pre-warning for a full-on fight, if this happens you have no choice but to keep them separated :)
 
Thanks :)

I've just had a great 2 hours with the guineapigs, and they were both fabulous! Pip and Rodney were standing together and playing. Only in bits Pip starting doing the silly walk and Rod only bit him once and Pip only attempted mounting Rod twice (I counted!). They seem to be getting on much better now, thanks to all your great help! I really appreciate it! :)

Charl x
 
I am so glad that they are getting on. Rodney is just showing Pip how far he is allowed to go; and once they have settled these issues to everypigs satisfaction, they will be absolutely fine, apart from the very normal occasional squabble.

The worst bit is always at the beginning.
 
Thanks for all your support :) You've really helped me
 
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