Carrie Jackson
Junior Guinea Pig
Hi I have 7 guinea pigs one of my guinea pigs can’t be near a guinea pig as he just attacks them does anyone know of a animal behaviourist that does guinea pigs
New Guinea pig not nice to others
- Thread starter Carrie Jackson
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How many males are you attempting to keep together?
What is your set up like?
Boys can only live in pairs. Any more than two males together and they fight
Equally, are you attempting to keep more than one Male with any number of females?
Other than that, a successful relationship comes entirely down to character compatibility - the piggies have to like each other. If they are incorrectly matched then a bonding won’t work and another piggy will need to be tried. A behaviourist cannot do anything about that - it is simply how piggies are wired
What is your set up like?
Boys can only live in pairs. Any more than two males together and they fight
Equally, are you attempting to keep more than one Male with any number of females?
Other than that, a successful relationship comes entirely down to character compatibility - the piggies have to like each other. If they are incorrectly matched then a bonding won’t work and another piggy will need to be tried. A behaviourist cannot do anything about that - it is simply how piggies are wired
Carrie Jackson
Junior Guinea Pig
@Piggies&buns I have 6 boys that have free rain of my house they are all happy with each other, he has bitten two out of six and I tried him with just him and one of them and he went to bite again
It’s a miracle you’re managing to have that many boys together in itself! If they are entirely free ranging then it must the large amount of space which is helping to prevent issues!
If he isn’t compatible with the others, fighting with them or has fear aggression issues, then he won’t be able to have access to the others and will need to be kept caged. ideally in the same room so he still has interaction, but he can’t have physical contact with them because of the risk of injuries and stress amongst them all. There is nothing you can do to change piggy behaviour though, if he doesn’t like the others then you can’t do anything about that
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Moody guinea pigs: Depression, Bullying, Aggression, Stress, Fear and Antisocial Behaviour
If he isn’t compatible with the others, fighting with them or has fear aggression issues, then he won’t be able to have access to the others and will need to be kept caged. ideally in the same room so he still has interaction, but he can’t have physical contact with them because of the risk of injuries and stress amongst them all. There is nothing you can do to change piggy behaviour though, if he doesn’t like the others then you can’t do anything about that
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Moody guinea pigs: Depression, Bullying, Aggression, Stress, Fear and Antisocial Behaviour
Carrie Jackson
Junior Guinea Pig
@Piggies&buns oh ok that wasn’t what I wanted to hear and we have in a type of C&C cage and when ever a guinea pig goes past him he churrs and then tries to destroy the cage where the other piggie is
As I say, it is difficult to keep multiples of boys together but large bachelor groups are possible in certain circumstances but it is entirely dependent on finding the right character piggies, having enough piggies in the group and having at least one square metre of space per piggy. It may simply be true to boar ‘type’ as it were and just doesn’t want to be around other boars.
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Carrie Jackson
Junior Guinea Pig
@Piggies&buns do you think it will be worth trying him with a girl?
First he would need to be neutered and then have his six weeks wait to become infertile.
If he was bonded with a girl, they would need to be kept in a totally separate room and never have contact with any of your other boars. Just the smell of a female could cause all of your boys to fight.
(Again though, while female/male bonding tend to be easier and more stable, it still comes down to character compatibility as to whether a bonding will be successful)
If you couldn’t guarantee complete and utterly secure separation between this boar and any potential female friend from all of your other boars, then don’t have a female anywhere in your house.
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Hi and welcome!
Sadly there is in many cases no magic wand solution to make a piggy fit in. the more you get to know them and the complex social interaction, the more they complex personalities in their own right they become; personally I think they are right up there with humans!
Please accept that some boar are much more territorial than others; it also depends on the age and the background of your boy.
When you have a bachelor group, space is a real issue.
Fear is very often at the root of any aggression; either because your boy has been single and missed out on important socialisation during the formative weeks or has traumatic experiences from their previous home.
But like with any larger groups in whatever constellation, not every piggy will ever fit and is able to live with a group.
Yes, you can have your boy neutered and he can live with a sow after a suitable 6 weeks post-op safety wait - but it would have to be well away from your boy group in another part of the house or your whole boar group will start to fight because of the presence of female pheromones.
Many of my neutered 'husboars' are boars are fallen out or failed boar-boar bonders. But even then mutual liking and character compatibility are vital. Not every sow will accept every boar (I have a very large cupboard filled with t-shirt on that score).
The following links will hopefully help you to understand what is going and think your options through before you make any knee-jerk decisions further than separating your boy to have his own territory next to the others for ongoing stimulation.
Please also be aware that elective neutering operations are not performed under current lockdown conditions and may only be considered if there is no other companionship solution for you.
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars (includes a chapter on companionship options and how to best go about them)
Moody guinea pigs: Depression, Bullying, Aggression, Stress, Fear and Antisocial Behaviour
Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths, Facts and Post-op Care
I am sorry that we don't have any easier advice for you!
Carrie Jackson
Junior Guinea Pig
@Wiebke so what do you suggest I do as I don’t know his background as bought at rescue part of pets at home and they said he had issues with his brother but we believe they could have lied seeming the way he is with others, I want him to have someone with him as I was hoping he would join the group as cause of him fighting with his brother he spent a long time by himself before I got him, I don’t know if he will be any different with girls and I’m worried he’s getting lonely could I try a behaviourist?
You simply cannot change their behaviour with a behaviourist. This just isn’t going to be possible.
Some boys who cannot live with other boys are absolutely fine with girls. A Male/female pairing is usually most stable.
Your options:
Try bonding him with one other piggy from your group. If the bonding is successful then he and one other piggy can live totally separately from the rest of your herd. So no free roaming for him and one friend from your herd. They live completely independently.
Take him boar dating at a rescue centre. He then chooses a new friend with whom he is compatible and likes (this ensures a good bond). Again though, they will need to live totally separately (separately caged, no free roaming) from the rest of your herd.
Neuter him, bond him with a compatible female. Again, living totally separately from the rest of your herd. In a completely separate part of your house so absolutely no smells of females can get anywhere near the rest of your boys (they will fight).
Keep him caged separately by himself but in the same room as your herd, so they can interact through bars to prevent loneliness.
Those really are your only option. He simply cannot live as part of your herd.
Some boys who cannot live with other boys are absolutely fine with girls. A Male/female pairing is usually most stable.
Your options:
Try bonding him with one other piggy from your group. If the bonding is successful then he and one other piggy can live totally separately from the rest of your herd. So no free roaming for him and one friend from your herd. They live completely independently.
Take him boar dating at a rescue centre. He then chooses a new friend with whom he is compatible and likes (this ensures a good bond). Again though, they will need to live totally separately (separately caged, no free roaming) from the rest of your herd.
Neuter him, bond him with a compatible female. Again, living totally separately from the rest of your herd. In a completely separate part of your house so absolutely no smells of females can get anywhere near the rest of your boys (they will fight).
Keep him caged separately by himself but in the same room as your herd, so they can interact through bars to prevent loneliness.
Those really are your only option. He simply cannot live as part of your herd.
Carrie Jackson
Junior Guinea Pig
@Piggies&buns I think I might be able to I have a hitch outside where I could keep them both but I just don’t know if he will do the same to her as the boys
Our previous two posts may have crossed, but as per my previous post, boys who cannot get on with other boys, can often quite happily live with sows. Boars are territorial which is why you can only have two living together without causing fights.
Again though, it comes down to character compatibility. If you call a local rescue centre, then they can offer up any single sows for dating. If him and one sow accept each other then you can bring home that sow for him to live with.
Where the risk will be is if you just go out and buy a sow from a pet shop, you have no idea if they will be compatible and therefore there is a chance of problems and then you’ve got two single piggies. If you have done introductions at a rescue centre then there is no risk as you only bring home another piggy when the bonding has proved successful.
But you absolutely must have him neutered and have the six week wait afterwards to become infertile before he meets any sow. If he isn’t already neutered, then he will be spending at least the rest of the next couple of months by himself anyway as he can’t be bonded with your boys and he can’t be bonded with sows until he is infertile
Carrie Jackson
Junior Guinea Pig
@Piggies&buns ok I know about the whole neutering this I understand all of that and I just don’t want him to be lonely as I can see he wants to be with them but he just goes aggressive immediately , but my main question is, is there an animal behaviourist that does piggies? I just want to see if they can or not?
This is something which we have answered - piggy behaviour and instincts cannot be changed; this just isn’t going to be possible with or without a behaviourist. You cannot make him want to be with others
Carrie Jackson
Junior Guinea Pig
@Piggies&buns Ok I apologise for making you repeat yourself, do you think he would be ok as he is?
If he can see the others then that enables through-the-bar interaction, this will stave off any loneliness, but he will need to be kept caged so he cannot physically be with the others. It’s not ideal but it’s the best you can do without bonding him with another piggy
Carrie Jackson
Junior Guinea Pig
@Piggies&buns ok thank you for your help
Hi!
Please click on the green guide links in my first post and take the time to read them. Follow the advice of @Piggies&buns , which is entirely the same that I can give.
Do your your research first and explore any possible options:
- Living alongside the other boars on his own in a separate enclosure so he still has interaction and stimulation through the bars.
- Has he been friendlier with one of your other boys and is tolerating him in his space or is he tolerating no other boar near him?
In the first case, you can try and see whether the two boys will bond as a pair to live in a separate enclosure.
In the second case I would not even try!
Here is our detailed bonding guide: Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
- Neutering to live with a sow. If this is a question of this being the only way for companionship for your boar, then you may find a vet who may be willing to operate once strict lockdown conditions may be lifted.
Several of my own neutered boars (who all live with a sow or more) have started out as single or fallen-out and no longer wanted boars; they have a very happy life indeed! We call neutered boars living with female company 'husboars'.
Your boy is sounding rather traumatised, to be honest.
- Contact a good welfare standard rescue within your reach to see whether he can be dated under social distancing measures with a suitable single guinea pig of theirs.
List of recommended and vetted good standard of welface rescues where you any piggies are in safe and experienced hands:
Rescue Locator
- If you feel too overwhelmed by the problem, you can also contact the RSPCA or another rescue so they can take on the boy and make sure that he gets the happy life he deserves. Knowing your limits and when you have reached them is part of good ownership. Your particular set-up is not necessarily ideal for all possible options; neither is mine with strictly neutered boars and sows living in pairs or groups according to their social needs and limitations (I have adopted a number of the socially more tricky to bond or socialise piggies).
Not every adoptee on spec will necessarily fit into your particular situation. It may look good on paper; in pigson it can be an entire different story!
Group dynamics can turn sour over time or never get off the ground in the first place. You have to take these things on the chin, forget about your pride and work out the best solution for the piggy in question. I have done this once or twice myself, and I am still proud that these piggies did have a very happy end to their lives that suited their specific needs - but not in my own home.
Sometimes it is enough to help a piggy with special needs (and that can include social issues) on their way to find happiness somewhere else. You have got him out of a bad place in the first place and are instrumental in finding him lasting fulfillment.
Take your time to think things through and don't make any knee jerk decisions. It is always a very gutting experience when bonding or group life goes haywire. Wait until you can see past your upset. the current situation is unfortunately not making things easier for you.
