Questioning his “aggressive” label.

[orion_the_piggie]

Hello! Brand new user here. Just got a new male piggie, he is around one year old, black and white. His name is Orion, and he’s from a petsmart near me (i know, horrible decision i just simply could not leave without him). He was 50% off sinice he had been there for 5 months. They tried bonding him with many other males but he would chase, pin, and bite at other piggies. Does anyone know anything about petsmart bonding? How should i go about finding out if he truly is aggressive or if it is because of situation, enclosure, gender, or adolescence? I would really like to do the best i can for him. once hes settled in he will be receiving constant affection while I'm home, but i know my affection can’t fulfill buddy needs. Honestly, any tips (preferrebly backed up by research) are welcome, i just wanna do best for my boy.

 

[Piggies&buns]

It’s so lovely that you aren’t taking the aggressive label as a given and are willing to look into options for him.

Fear can result in ‘aggressive’ behaviour, but incorrect bonding process, hormones/age, plain incompatibility are all factors as to why he hasn’t been successful in finding a friend so far.
The best way to find a new friend is via dating at a rescue centre and being tried with available single males until he finds the right one. However I’m aware that in the US that may not be always be an option. If you do have rescues near you who offer, then do look into it.

Do you happen to know how long he has been alone and his many other piggies he was tried with? Obviously the five months he was at the shop, but prior to that? (Presumably they were only trying him with other single piggies ie they weren’t trying to bond him as a trio for example because that just doesn’t work).

Some piggies though genuinely can’t cope to share their territory with another piggy but even those piggies benefit from interaction with another piggy as a neighbour.

Cross gender bondings tend to be more stable so you could look into neutering him, and after the necessary six week wait for him to become infertile, try him with a sow or two (cage size permitting).

If he really will not accept another piggy, then the best thing is to live next door to another piggy/piggies. Having another single piggy (ideally one who may also be not willing to accept live in company) as a neighbour is a win win situation. Both piggies get the companionship and interaction they need albeit through the cage bars.
Should you only be able to get another bonded pair, then that is also fine for Orion. The pair can live next door and he can interact through the bars (only) with them. A bonded pair of boars can live next door to a single boar without any issue.

He could also live next door to a sow pair if you cannot neuter him, but you must make sure his cage is very secure (ideally lidded) as boars are very determined in the presence of sows and capable of escaping to get in with them. (He is likely to be very excitable if he is suddenly in the presence of sows)

Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities
Moody Guinea Pigs: Depression, Bullying, Aggression, Stress, Fear and Antisocial Behaviour
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
A Closer Look At Pairs (Boars - Sows - Mixed)
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

 

[weepweeps]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Good luck finding Orion a friend.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Welcome to the forum
Your on you for talking in this lonesome piggie and giving him a lovely home. That’s great advice to consider above. Are you anywhere near a good rescue who may help bond him with another single male. There are often singles available, even to live side by side would be lovely for him

Good luck I’m sure you will have lots of joy from Onion

 

[Wiebke]

Welcome to the forum

It is great that you are giving this poor boy a loving home!
Aggression in guinea pigs is usually born out of fear; it is in most cases a defence reflex. Fights happen where the underboar cannot remove themselves from the premises as they would normally do.
Boars are often labelled as such when a shop bought pair of baby boys that are no personality matched hit the teenage hormones in a cage setting with too little space or that cannot be divided.
However, it can have many other reasons - from social deficits in single piggies kept alone since they were babies, to high levels of stress experienced in their mother's womb as their default setting to being traumatised.

Unfortunately, with neutering operations a lot more expensive and less access to piggy savvy vets, de-sexing and pairing up with a baby girl or a submissive adult sow is not necessarily a realistic option for you.
If bonding doesn't work out, then next door company with full social interaction through the bars is always an alternative, whether that is a sow or another boar. Since they cannot meet, it doesn't matter as long as your boy cannot jump, climb or wiggle across.
Please take the time to read our information links; you will find them very helpful as you will understand a lot more what is behind what we are saying and how to best go about things.

Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs

 

[Sweet Potato]

Well done for looking into the options and good luck finding him a buddy. I've not got much to add that hasn't already been said above but you've got some great advice there and a lot to think about.

We would love to see pigtures of your new friend once he's settled in and ready.