Questions About Getting A Companion For My Guinea Pig

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If you can, keep them next to each other for a day or two, so the new lady can get her bearings first. That takes a lot of the additional stress out of the introductions. Please stage the first meeting on neutral ground so no piggy has got home advantage or feels intruded. What your couple will have to sort out between them is the dominance aspect - which of them comes top. That can take several days or even weeks. If the sow is older and bigger than Rufio, it will be likely her who will call the shots. Most "husboars" spend the majority of their life having their advances rejected, but they are still VERY happy boys!
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/faq-introducing-and-reintroducing-guinea-pigs.38562/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/dominance-behaviours-in-guinea-pigs.28949/

With a cross gender couple, once the initial acceptance at the beginning of the introduction has happened, fall-outs are virtually unknown.

It is normal for a sow that is not anywhere near her season (which a spayed sow will never be) to not allow any male advances, but if they like each other, this will happen in a fairly friendly, non-aggressive way. I happen to have three spayed sows, and they all get on with boars, as different as they are in personality.
 
How long should I leave them together on the neutral ground before putting them in the cage? I read both threads and didn't really see anything about that.
 
How soon they can move in together very much depends on how they get on. That can be anything from half an hour to two days... You just have to take your cues from how relaxed they are with each other; if there is no aggression whatsoever, you can move over quicker than if things are tense. I would nevertheless recommend not to put in any hideys with only one exit for the first day or two as that is the place where most problems flare up.
 
Okay sounds good.

I asked a bit earlier but a lot has been going on with this thread :) Rufio was teeth chattering at me this morning. Is it possibly because yesterday was a little stressful with the meet and greets? So he's just a little sensitive today?
 
He eventually stopped chattering and wanted me to pet him. When I started to walk away to leave for work he was calling me back for pets. So I gave him more pets. This whole thing happened several times and it was very difficult for me to go to work without him. XD I really wanted to sneak him into work snuggled down in my sweatshirt. :luv:
 
This silly guinea pig is confusing the heck out of me. I had him out running around in my living room. He was happy and talking to himself. Soon as I walk out of the room to grab something he talks louder and starts doing the whistling thing. So I come back and he runs over to me. I did this a couple times to see if he would do it each time. He did. He doesn't really come when he's called but if I sit on the floor he runs over and wants in my lap. So things are great, right? And yet there are times I pet him or hold him and he sounds like he's chewing hay but he isn't. Then he'll still be doing that with his mouth and start to talk. I made his cage bigger and he loves it. He's running around and jumping. So I don't know why he'd be unhappy if that's what the teeth grinding is. Things seem great until he does that. And then I'm worried and nervous I did something wrong and he's mad. I think I worry too much.
 
Ha Ha Ha... you have become a true piggie slave... He's got you exactly where he wants you.. :own:at his beck & call... It happens to all of us... :D

He truly feels comfortable with you and shows this by running up to your lap when you sit on the floor..Just wait until his lady friend arrives and he teaches her all the tricks, never a dull moment will be had.. x

:wel:to the piggie slave club..
 
Rufio is acting normal and happy but he has a weepy eye. What's coming out of his eye is kinda cloudy. Should I worried about it yet? It just started today. And like I said he's acting just fine.
 
I wouldn't put too much into his teeth grinding, mine do it sometimes, mostly it's when they think they're getting food soon. They have never been aggressive with me and they seem quite happy when they're doing it, I don't think it's the same as teeth chattering which seems louder.
 
I FINALLY got the sow today from the shelter. They were on the floor in the kitchen for about 2 hours getting to know each other. Little rough start with a lot of rumble strutting from Rufio. When he'd try to mount her she showed him who's boss. After a while things calmed down and they were eating hay together. Every now and again he'd start strutting and nibble on her ear and she would not have any of that. She'd make a noise at him and push him with her nose. She kicked him a few times when he didn't get the hint. I put them in their cage but used a few squares to separate them for a little bit. That lasted all of 30 seconds before Rufio found a way to get to her side. So I put him back and a few minutes later she was on his side. Clearly there was no point to the barrier. So I took it out. For the past hour or so they've been eating and munching on hay together. Every so often they get in a little scuffle but then separate. A few minutes ago they were sleeping next to each other.....sort of. She was in a house and he was outside it up against it. So far things seem great! Very exciting times! I think this will work out well.
 
It does sound like things are going very well indeed. Lucky Rufio. Lucky you to have found a rescue spayed sow. We will need pictures once they've settled!
 
Rufio is determined. She'll be in a tunnel and he'll sneak up behind her, which is usually far from sneaking since he usually bumps into the tunnel or moves it. She scolds him and he walks away. Or she'll be out in the open and he'll try to sneak up on her by going through a tunnel and he'll move the tunnel and she'll just look at him and he'll wander away. After a while he gives up and lays down to sleep. The funniest is when she's in her house and he walks past or stands in front of it, she pops out and yells at him or nudges him and he goes running away. If she's out and sees him go in her house she gets VERY upset with him. Sometimes she'll let him lick or gently nibble on her ear.

It has become obvious who is the boss in this relationship lol I think he just feels fortunate to have a girl and does whatever she says. :D
 
In most of the mixed piggy groups I know it's usually one of the girls in charge. Pretty much like in the human world. lol

I'm glad they're settling well together.
 
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The one of both of them is from yesterday's meet and greet. The one of just Duela is from this morning. She seems pretty happy.
 
She seems to be tolerating him more. The only time there is a problem is when she's in a hide out. There are 3 and she has pretty much claimed them all. If he goes anywhere near the one she is in, all hell breaks loose. Do you think that will stop eventually?
 
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