My piggy won't stop chewing the cage 😩

[Spike n littlefoot's mom]

Hi guys, my 6 month old boar will not stop chewing on his cage! I'm not really sure what to do. I have both of my pigs in separate cages (right next to each other) for non stop humping issues lol...but I want them to still be able to see each other so I don't want to have put cardboard up or something else to block the cage (and their view of each other). Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get him to stop? Thanks

 

[Piggies&buns]

At six months old they are both in the height of hormones. Normal humping is not a reason to separate them though, it is a normal dominance behaviour and something which they will do throughout their entire lives but more so during the teens. The only time to separate due to humping is if it is excessive and causes depression in the other piggy, loss of weight due to not being able allowed to eat, or not being allowed to rest.

Was their cage big enough (when they were in it together)?

He will chew the cage while he can see the other piggy and not be able to get to him. You could move the cages a little further apart until it calms down, but as separated piggies they need to be able to have communication through the bars to prevent loneliness.

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Bonds In Trouble
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

 

[Spike n littlefoot's mom]

The humping and constant chasing caused terrible fights so I felt it was best it separate them. I got bit on the foot in the process of breaking one fight up, not on purpose I'm sure. But back to the chewing...I hate to move them apart because they start looking for each other and it breaks my heart.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Ok, that’s fine. Some people mistake normal behaviour for aggressive behaviour so we always like to make sure.
They do need to be near each other and the looking for each other could well be because they want to fight. I’d put something between them to calm down and then slowly remove it over the course of the next week and see how they go.

 

[Tigermoth]

What do you do when he chews? If it gets him a “prize” of some sort then he may be doing it to play you. Mine chew the bars because they want a nugget or dinner. Training that out of them has been a battle! (That I’ve not entirely won yet)

 

[Seven7]

My Finn is a chewer, Chewbacca. Most of the times when he chews, he means he needs attention or bored so, he gets to come out of his cage and gets to visit different parts of the house. I feed him several times a day and give him plenty of hay so he is not bored.

I have similar situation as yours where my Finn lives next to Lara who was given to me by a friend. They nose rub and interact with each other through the cage all the time.