re-bonding...

Victoria Jones

Victoria Jones

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I have two male guinea pigs a american shorthair who's 4 months and an Abyssinian who is 6 months old. They were fighting (did not draw blood) but i felt it was safest to seperate them. now they are side by side and sometimes when they see eachother my 6month old starts cage biting and shaking the cage like he is wanting to be with my 4 month old. do you think it is possiable to re-bond this pair?
right now they are each in a 47Lx28Wx14H cage.
 

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When they've been separated you can't really put them back together

What units are those cage measurements in?
 
If it was just normal mild dominance and not a full fight, then you can attempt a reintroduction on completely neutral territory. If it is successful, then you need to clean down the cage you intend them to live in so it doesn’t smell of either piggy.

However, If it was a full on fight, then the chances of them wanting to be together anymore are low. You can try a reintroduction on neutral territory to see what happens, but if they aren’t compatible then it won’t work, And they need to separately permanently.

Your boys are both teenagers and if they can’t agree who is going to be dominant and the other back down to be submissive, then things won’t work out.

I’ve converted your cage measurements from inches to centimetres and can say that Your cage is also slightly too small for two boys to live in together, particularly those in their teens. Those measurements make it 120cm x 60cm. While that is the minimum welfare standards for two piggies, two boys need a lot more space than that to stop territorial fall outs. You ideally need a cage at least 150cm x 60cm for two boys. Ultimately though, space will only take them so far as character compatibility comes entirely first.

To live separately they will need a 120cm x 60cm cage each.

You also need to consider that the aggressor will always want to get back to the other piggy and be upset by a separation but it doesn’t necessarily mean the aggressor wants to get back because he wants to be friends and if is never the aggressors reaction you gauge it by. You always go by the one being bullied. If the one who was being bullied is happier to be away from the aggressor then their bond is broken and they are better off apart.

Do read the guides I have linked in below. They will give you plenty of information on whether it is worth even attempting to reintroduce them given their situation, how to do it an just general information about boar behaviour.

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Bonds In Trouble
 
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I’ve just realised I misread the line about the cage measurements. I see that they are each living in a 120cm cage now. That size cage each is fine for them to live separately. What size is the cage that you had them living in together?

As I say though, it’s character compatibility that counts most and if they no longer like each other, then a reintroduction won’t work even if their cage is big enough
 
Piggies&buns said:
I’ve just realised I misread the line about the cage measurements. I see that they are each living in a 120cm cage now. That size cage each is fine for them to live separately. What size is the cage that you had them living in together?

As I say though, it’s character compatibility that counts most and if they no longer like each other, then a reintroduction won’t work even if their cage is big enough
Click to expand...
The cage I had them in was 47in wide 28in long 14 in high. But if I could rebond them I could put both cagea togeather.
 
Victoria Jones said:
The cage I had them in was 47in wide 28in long 14 in high. But if I could rebond them I could put both cagea togeather.
Click to expand...

If you had them both in a cage of that size, then as it is a bit too small for two Male piggies, then lack of space is likely to have contributed to their tensions. But as I say, if they have had a fight, then the chances of successful reintroduction are low. No amount of space will help if they no longer like each other
 
Are they EACH in a cage of that size, or is the cage they were in together that size? If the former then yes you can join them together and make a big one.

If the latter then it’s nowhere near big enough - it doesn’t meet the recommended RSPCA minimum for two piggies.

I would just be aware that teenage months and the raging hormones can make bonding very difficult. The four month is just starting it, and the 6 month old is a short while away from a hormone spike.

See what others would suggest.
 
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