Hi, I’m new to this group and just after some advice, up until a week ago I had 3 male guinea pigs, 2 in a pair and another (recently bereaved) living alongside them. I decided to get another male to go with him, I also decided to try them all together which initially worked great and I was so happy but my bereaved piggie has bonded with one of the originals and started fighting with the others, I have now put them into pairs again, they are all calmer but in different pairings to what they were to start with, is this ok?
New bonds
- Thread starter Jems
- Start date
Welcome to the forum
Yes As long as they are ok and compatible with their new cagemate then it’s fine.
Sadly you can’t keep any more than two boars together as they find it so hard to create a functioning hierarchy that way. That is why they started fighting. (Plus the space required to keep three or more boars together is exceptionally large and much beyond any normal cage sizing requirements).
Yes As long as they are ok and compatible with their new cagemate then it’s fine.
Sadly you can’t keep any more than two boars together as they find it so hard to create a functioning hierarchy that way. That is why they started fighting. (Plus the space required to keep three or more boars together is exceptionally large and much beyond any normal cage sizing requirements).
CTWC
Teenage Guinea Pig
Hi. Trio's and quartets of male guinea pigs rarely work most result in a failed bond so if you're two new pairs are working it would be best to leave them as they are and not risk upsetting any relationships they've got going on at the moment and all being well they will live as two happy pairs 
fluffysal
Forum Donator 2024/25
Welcome to the forum. We would love to know more about your boys. Pictures would be good too. I am slave to Dignified Sir George and his unruly neighboar Mischievous Master Boris.
Thank you for the advice, I’m just concerned that one of my piggies isn’t very happy now as he’s not with his original mate, I didn’t know whether to put them back together and then try to bond the other two, hard to know what to do for the best.
What makes you think he isn’t happy? What behaviours are you seeing?
What made you put them back in different pairings?
If you do really feel he was happier before then you can certainly try putting them back as they were.
However if the bereaved piggy has rejected the new piggy (the one you got with the intention of being his cagemate), then he may not change his mind about that if you try to bond them as a pair. Meaning if the original pair do go back together, and the bereaved piggy still rejects the new piggy then you will be left with a pair and two singles permanently.
You must make sure you carry out all introductions properly - put two of them in neutral territory and rebond for several hours before moving them back to their thoroughly cleaned out cage if the time in neutral territory goes well.
The guide below explains the correct process
However if the bereaved piggy has rejected the new piggy (the one you got with the intention of being his cagemate), then he may not change his mind about that if you try to bond them as a pair. Meaning if the original pair do go back together, and the bereaved piggy still rejects the new piggy then you will be left with a pair and two singles permanently.
You must make sure you carry out all introductions properly - put two of them in neutral territory and rebond for several hours before moving them back to their thoroughly cleaned out cage if the time in neutral territory goes well.
The guide below explains the correct process
Thank you for the advice, I’ve been given a lot of conflicting information. I think I will leave them as they are and see how they go, one pair are quite happy, the other pair are together with no fighting, just getting used to each other. While they are calm let them adjust.
It takes two weeks for them to establish a new bond and hierarchy.
There is a lot of conflicting information out there - we can help clear up any confusion for you though
It’s just knowing what to do for the best, one pair are just co habiting at mo, not having much to do with each other but no fighting. Just wish I hadn’t joined them up to be altogether in the first place then bonds wouldn’t have been broken.
CTWC
Teenage Guinea Pig
You were doing what you thought was best at the time and although we can learn from our past mistakes as such we cannot change them we can only use the experience to make better decisions in the future. I am not an expert far from it but I do think you are making the right decision leaving the pairs you've got at the moment as they are.
One pair of my guinea pigs are fine together as they knew of each other before, the other pair, one of which is fairly new aren’t doing as well. One keeps chasing the other off and nipping, almost like bully behaviour, should I put a divider between them for now so they can get used to each other in a more gentle way? I have the space to do it or don’t just let them work it out? Thanks for any advice
Nipping is a gesture of power and chasing is a normal dominance. While behaviours remain within the green territory as explained in the guide below, then leave them to get on with it.
It takes two weeks to settle a hierarchy so during that time you will see a lot of dominance.
Do not separate them unless a fight breaks out.
For boars it is all or nothing - they need to remain together unless there is a fight.
Bullying is a sustained set of behaviours which is much more than dominance. Bullying will result in one pig being chased away from hay constantly so the bullied pig loses weight. Humping and chasing is relentless (beyond normal dominance) so one pig is never allowed to rest. Ultimately the bullied pig can become withdrawn and depressed.
- What are the measurements of their cage?
- Do you have two hides in their cage?
- Do all the hides have two exits? No single exit hides should be in the cage as they risk one pig bsind trapped and that runs the risk of causing defensive injuries and fights
- make sure you have two loose hay piles at opposite ends of the cage so they can eat apart from each other. (Best not to use any hay racks)
- don’t use food bowls and instead scatter feed veg and pellets into loose piles of hay. This prevents the risk of food hogging but also provides plenty of opportunity to forage and encourage mental stimulation
It takes two weeks to settle a hierarchy so during that time you will see a lot of dominance.
Do not separate them unless a fight breaks out.
For boars it is all or nothing - they need to remain together unless there is a fight.
Bullying is a sustained set of behaviours which is much more than dominance. Bullying will result in one pig being chased away from hay constantly so the bullied pig loses weight. Humping and chasing is relentless (beyond normal dominance) so one pig is never allowed to rest. Ultimately the bullied pig can become withdrawn and depressed.
- What are the measurements of their cage?
- Do you have two hides in their cage?
- Do all the hides have two exits? No single exit hides should be in the cage as they risk one pig bsind trapped and that runs the risk of causing defensive injuries and fights
- make sure you have two loose hay piles at opposite ends of the cage so they can eat apart from each other. (Best not to use any hay racks)
- don’t use food bowls and instead scatter feed veg and pellets into loose piles of hay. This prevents the risk of food hogging but also provides plenty of opportunity to forage and encourage mental stimulation
They have space of just over 2m/2m inside and then added garden space surrounding that for them to free roam, they have two separate hides big enough to sleep etc in, few exits and food and water in all areas of the inside run (I say run, it’s a very large chicken coup area that I can walk around in). Thank you for the advice, I just wanted to make sure I’m doing the right thing, I will try the food out of food bowls also.
Are they outside or indoors?
Just needed to check all the common flashpoints of tensions were eliminated ie single exit hides; and that they had enough space (boars being more territorial)