New Guinea Pig

[LilyThePiggy]

I've had my guinea pig, Lily, for a while and she has lived alone because when I got her I was young and didn't know any better but recently decided that I would get a second so I've had to wait for a while for a single female to turn up but one did and I got her yesterday.

So I've had the cages next to each other so they can sniff each other. Meg, my new guinea pig, barely came out her hut for the first 24 hours and when she did she was very jumpy which I expect since she new but now just a few hours later she seems a lot better and quite curious. She seems to know Lily is close and keep standing up against the bars to try to see her but every time Lily comes up to see her she chews the bars constantly. It's happened a few times in the hour I've been sitting in the same room as them and now Lily has gone to sleep and Meg has disappeared back into her hut and has come out a couple of times but only come out for about a minute at a time.

I was wondering if this is normal behaviour because I've have never had guinea pigs before Lily.

Lily is 4 or 5 and Meg is about 3 months.

 

[Wiebke]

I've had my guinea pig, Lily, for a while and she has lived alone because when I got her I was young and didn't know any better but recently decided that I would get a second so I've had to wait for a while for a single female to turn up but one did and I got her yesterday.

So I've had the cages next to each other so they can sniff each other. Meg, my new guinea pig, barely came out her hut for the first 24 hours and when she did she was very jumpy which I expect since she new but now just a few hours later she seems a lot better and quite curious. She seems to know Lily is close and keep standing up against the bars to try to see her but every time Lily comes up to see her she chews the bars constantly. It's happened a few times in the hour I've been sitting in the same room as them and now Lily has gone to sleep and Meg has disappeared back into her hut and has come out a couple of times but only come out for about a minute at a time.

I was wondering if this is normal behaviour because I've have never had guinea pigs before Lily.

Lily is 4 or 5 and Meg is about 3 months.

Hi! Yes, that is normal behaviour. Lily obviously wants to meet her.

You may find these link here helpful in settling in new guinea pigs. They have lots of tips:
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language

These are our bonding tips. Once guinea pigs meet, you will see lots of dominance behaviours as they establish a hierarchy and a working group. Unless your girls get into a real fight, which is highly unlikely as your girls are still at an age when they want to be part of a group and are rather desperate for company (hence the bar biting), you will have to sit through it and let them get on with it. Make sure that you only have hideys with two exits during the first few days until things calm down, but have at least two hideys.
Introducing And Re-introducing Guinea Pigs
Illustrated Bonding Behaviours And Dynamics
Sow Behaviour


Introducing And Re-introducing Guinea Pigs

 

[sport_billy]

As @Wiebke says above. All perfectly normal and will probably increase as time goes on as they can smell each other

Good luck with the bonding and Welcome to the forum, I noticed this is your first post since joining. Anything we can help with just ask

Lee

 

[LilyThePiggy]

Thanks for the help I was really worried they hated each other

 

[Freela]

They're good... they're just interested in each other! I'm sure for a lone guinea pig, suddenly seeing one of their own species is exciting and they are very curious about who this newcomer is!