My male guineapig is obsessed with my brothers' male guineapig...........

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Charl

Charl

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I would love them to play together and be friends but.....

my guineapig is obsessed with jumping on the other ones back, and being rather agressive when he does it. How can I stop him from doing this? Is it possible for him to have an operation to sort him out like we did for my rabbit?

Also, my guineapig hates being picked up or touched anywhere other than the top of his head. He trys to bite me. He is getting a LITTLE better though, as I have been spending lots of time with him cause it's the hols'. But does anyone have any idea why he does this?

Thanks
 
Neutering will not change this behaviour, since it is a dominance act. Do the boys live together? If not, then you need to decide if they are going to live together, or keep them apart permanently. The mounting is standard dominance behaviour, and will continue to this degree if you keep putting them together and then splitting them up repeatedly. If you keep them together with the intention of them staying together, the behaviour could well subside within a day or two, after they have determined the ranks. You must be sure the cage is large, they have space to escape each other, room for one of each thing for each pig (especially food bowls and hay racks) if you do try to pair them up. Play dates unfortunately just don't work for most piggies.

Skin sensitivity can be a cause of dislike of being touched; if piggies are in pain from sore skin, they are more prone to nipping their owners as a reaction. Mites is a distinct possibility, if you have not already treated for them. However, lack of handling as a youngster can lead to such dislike. Does he try to nip you when you are holding him, or just when you try to stroke him?
 
i agree with the above. if you are not planning to keep them together permanently, i think it's better if you don't constantly put them together for play dates. otherwise they will have to sort out their ranking and then have to separate and then be put back together to sort out their ranking.
 
First of all, thankyou for your replies :)

I do not keep the guineapigs together. They have their own seperate cages. I only put them together when I put them out in their runs daily.

What I have been doing, is everyday, putting them out together in a run, and supervising them. I have stayed with them for about 2 hours daily, and if my guineapig does start getting agressive, then I put him over the other side of the pen, away from the other guineapig. And it just goes on like that.

I don't like handling him that much, because I do fear that he is in pain. He only nips me when I am trying to pick him up. When I have picked him up, he loves it. He'll sit on my knee all day and loves being stroked too on my knee (only on the top of his head) otherwise he will still get angry if I touch him anywhere else. It's only when I go to pick him up.

So if I just leave him to misbehave (which I don't like to see), will he get better and stop doing it? Will he eventually get fed up of it? (Oh and he is much bigger and younger than my bro's guineapig, as my guineapig is large and 2 years old, and my bro's guineapig is small and is 5 years old so my guinea is alot more weighty and stronger than bro's guinea).

Once again, thankyou :) x
 
My pig Minty hates being picked up. Get your piggy checked over for problems at the vets - skin problems, joint problems etc. If they can't find anything wrong there, then it's either down to fear or bad attitude! I got Minty when he was about 3 months old and I think he belonged to a young family before me so it's possible he was dropped or badly handled which has put him off being picked up. He screams blue murder when you go to get him and, despite best attempts, he does still sink his teeth in sometimes to show his disapproval! However, he has improved over time and now settles well on my lap, or is even contented (ish!) for me just to hold him. He only likes to have his head and upper part of him stroked too. Still hates the mid air part, but that's something he'll just have to get used to! He's almost 2 years old, so it's been a hard slog, but worth it when you can see his confidence growing!:)
 
Putting them together and splitting them up constantly can be very, very stressful for them.

The aggressive will continue if you keep doing this. It won't stop because it's the way they are.
They have ranks and rules, like people, and this is their way of sorting it out but they will NEVER be able to sort it out if they keep getting split up.

They need to be together all the time or not together at all, I'm afraid.
It just upsets them and stresses them out.

Going through the introductions for them, is hard work. They have to sniff each other out, then there's chasing, chattering, mounting and I fear that if they get stressed they might hurt each other.
Even with a pair of hands at the ready, you might not be able to avoid one getting hurt.
 
Thanks for your reply, the only problem with me leaving them together is I'm frightened that my guinea (pip) will just keep on mounting (rodney) my bros guinea and just won't stop bothering him unless he sees food. I just want them to be friends, that's all.
 
Usually the mounting goes down as soon as the dominance issue is settled; the worst should be over in a day or two. You will have to sit on your hands during that time.

Please take into consideration that what looks like rough behaviour to you is not in piggy terms; they are wired to behave like that and to accept it! If I were you I'd let them get on with it over a weekend when you are around in case there are bloody fights.

You can help with bonding them by giving them a bath together with the same shampoo and make sure that they are on neutral ground for the beginning.
 
Thanks again x

I've just been with my guinea's and have had a great session with them. It went rather well. Pip at first starting doing his dominance routine (marking scent and mounting) and after about 10 mins things started to calm down. They were rubbing noses! :)p It was really cute x I will carry on tomorrow putting them together and keeping an eye on them and see how they get on.

I am also going to buy some shampoo and give them a bath together and see how it goes x

By the way, how do I bath them?

x
 
You can give them a bath in the kitchen sink or the bathtub (they can't jump out from there).
I prefer the kitchen sink, and am washing them one after the other while holding them on my arm, as they feel safest that way. You will very get very wet yourself; but I wear as little as I can get away with and change afterwards.

I strongly recommend that you leave them together after the bath and do not separate them again, except if there are bloody fights! Leave the boys to dry off on neutral territory; hopefully they will help each other with the grooming and will be bonding that way! The bathing will enable the boys to create a new "us" smell. If you separate them, you will destroy that bond.

Make sure that the hutch/cage you are going to put them in has been thoroughly cleaned and freshly made up. The more neutral you can make it, the better.

A certain amount of humping is normal; but if I were you, I would stop interfering and let them get on with becoming friends on their own terms!
 
Thankyou for all your fabulous advice :)

Is it alright for me to wash them in a plastic wash basin? The one I have is very big :) Because I don't think my mum would approve of me washing the boys in the sink :( I'm not allowed them in the house altogether!

I'm sorry for being a pain and asking all these questions ")

But can I ask you

What temperature does the water in the basin need to be? And should I dry them off with a towel, or with a hair drier on a very low temperature?

Thankyou so much xx
 
They are getting much better now :

PICTURE COMING IN 10 MINS
 
The water needs to be lukewarm to warm (but not hot to the hand). If you are washing them outside, make sure that they cannot jump out and lead you a merry chase when they panic and disappear somewhere.

I would recommend asking your mummy VERY NICELY WITH A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE GUINEA PIG BOARD whether she would allow you to bathe your guinea pigs in the bathtub AND PROMISE TO CLEAN UP ANY MESS AFTERWARDS AND DO IT(!), as this is the saftest way. Put an old towel in the bottom, so they have something to hold onto and don't make them feel like you're drowning them!

You need not blow-dry the boys in this weather (best in the middle of the day), but make sure they are not out in a draft!
 
Thanks again

I think she may let me wash them in the sink --

I'll have to ask

This was them today!

P1010950.webp
 
They make a lovely pair! x)

Best of luck with letting them live together; I think you are in with a good chance!
 
Bad news

The guineapigs were still out together, and Pip must have been chasing rod (like he has been doing) and my dad went in the garage and saw them and he told me to seperate them :{ (And my dad's strict, so he really meant it)

I guess they have been out all day together anyway, and they always have tomorrow.

Pip does push Rod around alot though, and Rod is quite delicate and has grown thinner through age, and Pip is a REALLY strong, young guineapig. Do you think he is hurting Rod? And everytime Pip goes up to Rod, he does this angry vibrating chatter (which I know means 'angry' or 'dominant'). When will he stop doing this?

Thanks all xx
 
Pip is displaying classic dominance behaviour; hopefully, it will subside more once he feels that he has the "top spot" for sure. But it may be that he does it regularly - some boars do. He has been interrupted so many times now! As long as there are no bloody fights you are safe. Unfortunately, dominance behaviour is quite rough for humans, but guinea pigs are wired to deal with it.

I would be a good idea to monitor Rod's weight. If it goes down more than usual, I would keep them apart, as this could be sign of stress. But watch this over the course of a few weeks, as a 30-50g difference from day to day is not unnormal. And you should preferably weigh him at the same time of the day. Get worried only if loses 100g (3oz).
 
Thanks

I'm absolutely sure it is just Rodney's age, and because Pip is quite heavy, I am only used to his weight now! Rodney is a happy and healthy guineapig, according to our vet :).

But thankyou for your concern and I will take your advice into consideration and will weigh him just to be sure :) To be honest, I am no guineapig expert!

xx
 
Joining this late but is your brother Pigpig?

only you post just like him
 
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