Reintroducing

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GPmummy

GPmummy

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So my boys have spent a week apart now. Our plan was to bath them, clean out hutch and try to reintroduce.
I got excited this morning because they where talking to each other from their separate spaces. I decided that evening after separate to see how they reacted to eat other. The more dominate one was in his cage and u let the other one go up the door but they started making that purr sound that they made when about to attack each other. As soon as I took him away they started squeaking again but when either side of cage purr sound again. Oh and the one was i holding i think was scenting as I could smell something not normal. I am guessing this is not good and fighting a loosing battle.
Any tips
 
The purring is rumblestrutting and mild dominance. You also had them in a territorial situation. When you introduce them, you'd best bathe them remove the stink of testosterone and only let them meet in a place that neither is at home with (i.e. removing the territorial element). Until you know what happens when they meet on an even keel, you can't tell.So far, you haven't reported any really alarming danger signs apart from the boys winding each other up somewhat - but that is frankly normal behaviour; even my neutered boars do that during roaming time!

http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/dominance-behaviours-in-guinea-pigs.28949/
 
Ok so they have been bathed and dried together and are currently running around a pen together. There has been some rumbling and one occasion of showing teeth by one (was very quick) but the are also huddling in corners together and chatting. I have a clean hutch waiting. Big question is do I put them in together or continue to banish one to the cat carrier at night?
 
Don't separate as you would have start back in square one again. So far, the behaviour has been very low level dominance.

Make sure that you can watch them in the hutch for a while to be sure that they are still OK with each other. If necessary, leave them together in the pen. The crucial time when bonding boars is often when they wake up after their first sleep together, but with yours the tricky bit would also be the transfer to their hutch, so you want to take time for that. So far, there is nothing really to worry about.
 
They are still in the pen together indoors and all was fine. If they look like they are going to fight we are clapping our hands. All was going well and then I put some carrot in! I put it in two corners but they began to fight so clearly food is a driving force. I do have two bowls and two water bottle and one prefers his run under hutch so he can have his down there. Should I or can I remove food at night? I tend to them up about 7pm and if I left it I. There would only be access to one bowl.
 
Massive thank you to Wiebke for all your help. They are tucked up in hutch together and both in sleeping area and all is quiet. Fingers crossed and praying we might have managed to reintroduce them. I'll keep you posted tomorrow
 
I am delighted report that they are spending there second night together. All there has been today is some very mild rumbling. We have been checking in them regularly and found them either sat together, sleeping together or on the odd occasion enjoying time on their own. They have a feeding bowl, veg bowl and water which I think has helped. Let's just hope it lasts now.
 
Well they did start fighting again but we did the same process as before with bath and cleaned hutch and so far they have been fine with each other for a week now. Hoping we have cracked it
 
Well on checking them this morning one has a bite wound. It is right where he had an old bite that had scabbed and the vet checked in yesterday and said it was healing nicely. I don't know whether the scab has been pulled off and opened the wound again or it is a fresh bite, needless to say they have been seperated again!
 
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