Thinking about Rehome 😭

[Oranges_29]

Hi everyone!
I desperately need some advice…
I adopted two baby brothers last year whom I love dearly. They’re not very cuddly with me, they never have been, but they’re bonded to each other. Or at least used to be.

I bought them a huge cage so they have plenty of room to run and hide and they get lots of food/hay, and fruits and veggies. They’ve been so happy.

Lately, they’ve been stressed out- screaming (doing the bird call thing if you’ve ever heard it) to the point that the rest of us cannot sleep. They’ve been fighting, and overall extremely unhappy. I feel like I must be doing something wrong and I cannot help but think that maybe they’d be happier somewhere else.

I have bad mental health issues which I’m sure is not helping all this, but I also live in an apartment complex and we’ve been warned that we may have to give them up if it is a problem with quiet time and everything.

Any advice on rehoming? I never ever ever wanted to consider this, but I just hate to see them so unhappy. thank you in advance.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m so sorry to hear this

In terms of the chirping (the bird call), I’m afraid very little is known about why they do it - it’s not going to be something you can stop. It is very rare though - most people will never hear their piggies do it - so they may not continue permanently.

In terms of the fighting - if they are actually furball fighting (likely causing injuries), then they would need to be permanently separated straight away for their own safety.
If it is just normal teenage hormonal dominance (without actual fights and injuries), then it is a normal part of piggy society and something they will always do.
Either way, you certainly have not done anything wrong. A bond between two piggies either works or it doesn’t.

If you do need to rehome them, then the best thing is to contact a local rescue shelter and surrender the boys to them. They will ensure they go to a new home (and if their bond is broken, will hopefully bond them each with another piggy before doing so so they don’t get left single).

 

[Oranges_29]

I’m so sorry to hear this

In terms of the chirping (the bird call), I’m afraid very little is known about why they do it - it’s not going to be something you can stop. It is very rare though - most people will never hear their piggies do it - so they may not continue permanently.

In terms of the fighting - if they are actually furball fighting (linens causing injuries), then they would need to be permanently separated straight away for their own safety.
If it is just normal teenage hormonal dominance (without actual fights and injuries), then it is a normal part of piggy society and something they will always do.
Either way, you certainly have not done anything wrong. A bond between two piggies either works or it doesn’t.

If you do need to rehome them, then the best thing is to contact a local rescue shelter and surrender the boys to them. They will ensure they go to a new home (and if their bond is broken, will hopefully bond them each with another piggy before doing so so they don’t get left single).

Thank you for your reply

I tried to separate them last night and they were freaking out until they were back together and then they calmed down for a while until the “screaming” came back. I thought some time a part would help but it seemed to make it worse. :/

 

[Piggies&buns]

Separating is only something you can do if their bond is actually in trouble and failing.

If you could tell us more about the behaviours you are seeing then we can help further.

How old are they?

How big is their cage?
Boys need 180x60cm (24x 70 inches).
It won’t change the chirping, but if there are any tensions in their bond then space can be a factor (although character clashes are the main cause).
They also need multiple of every resource and all hides must have two exits (single exit hides can mean one pig gets trapped inside by the other and risk fights occurring).

 

[Oranges_29]

Their cage is 30x74 (inches) and they have multiple hide outs with exits.

They are 2 years old probably maaaaybe 3 (rough estimate based on when I got them)

The behaviors themselves is that one of them chases the other around, lots of the “purring” and chattering sound. No bite marks/physical marks that I can find. Sometimes they do head to head and it’s like they stare at each other screaming while also throwing their heads back. They’re also slightly jumping at each other.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Ok so they aren’t teenagers then, they are adult.
When you said you got two baby brothers last year I assumed they would be teenagers now!

Purring is called rumblestrutting which is a totally normal dominance behaviour. Not fighting.
Chattering is also a normal dominance behaviour but it can vary in severity.

Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs