Trouble?

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Sarahsazzle

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Hi so we have been through a bit of an ordeal, had 2 pigs for about 3 years and one has died before Xmas, vet trips etc but unfortunately not sure why lost weight and despite hand feeding died. After a month or so got a second piggy bonding was great really but second piggy turned out to have been very poorly and deteriorated when I got her home and also died from possible uri after antibiotic hand feeding etc. very worried about my original piggy, who also got I'll then but did not loose weight and has seemed to be fine after antibiotics. I know now not to trust the rescue I visited but that's a different story. So I have now after several months come to conclusion my piggy was lonely and reluctant I was to go and get a friend but we went to a different rescue who where fabulous compared to the first one, so helpful and when ginger biscuit went in a neutral cage to see if she would get on with a new piggy she seemed so happy, I knew it was loneliness! So to get to the point adopted a very healthy looking piggy who seems to get on, I have been following advice on guinea lynx and cavy spirit and introduced on neutral ground but the new piggy bit ginger biscuit almost straight away, so separated, keep reintroducing but keeping them in separate cages and not as extreme as that but new piggy (think we will call her dusty) is lunging at ginger biscuit and frightening her, from reading the advice I am breaking it up too soonas no furs flying and she doesn't seem to be biting her. But it is interesting that when I have them on the sofa they are ok next to each other but on the floor or run outside there is is lunging and chasing again! It seems to be improving but I'm really hoping this pairing works out his time! We can't cope with more problems and I was so reluctant to get another piggy as a friend, because of what we have been through. I have bought some shampoo to try if this does not get any better, but any advice would be appreciated!
 
I would let them stay together under supervision as long as nobody is getting seriously hurt! They may be just trying to determine who is boss. It can take a while, but usually once it is established, things can calm down. Just make sure they are supervised whilst this behaviour takes place at the begining as much as possible.
 
Thanks for your advice I have just put them I the same cage together with things in it and they had a cuddle in the igloo for about 10 minutes before it turned to chasing now they seen to be avoiding each other no biting! I have read that each ape ration means reintroducing so reluctant to seperate now but don't want to sit and watch them all night! Lol
 
Thanks for your advice I have just put them I the same cage together with things in it and they had a cuddle in the igloo for about 10 minutes before it turned to chasing now they seen to be avoiding each other no biting! I have read that each ape ration means reintroducing so reluctant to seperate now but don't want to sit and watch them all night! Lol

No problem! I totally understand, I think they will soon sort things out. As long as blood isn't drawn and it isn't too aggressive. How old are both pigs?
 
Personally, if sows are lunging and biting straight away, I would call it off and contact the rescue that they are not character compatible. Sometimes it just doesn't work, even if you try it in on neutral ground at the rescue and then at home. The new girl may have just freaked out initially feeling our of her depth, but they have obviously not got over it afterwards. Bathing won't get you past that issue either (it works to remove the testosterone stink from hormonal boars that are on the brink of falling out, but otherwise it won't do anything). By now, both girls have very likely made up their minds anway. I am very sorry!

I have been where you have been myself with adopted sows that were not exactly what I expected. All I can say is that I am sorry for the gutting experience! :(

PS: Here are our tips on how to stage introductions and our dominance behaviours list. Once you are in the highly aggressive sector, a bonding is rarely going to work as a happy partnership in my experriene and I prefer to call it shots. Guinea pigs can be very quick in making up their mind whether they want somepig to be "us" or "not us" and they will stick to it.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/dominance-behaviours-in-guinea-pigs.28949/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/faq-introducing-and-reintroducing-guinea-pigs.38562/

What you could consider as it wasn't your girl that was the problem whether a neutered boar may be the answer? Honeybunnies just off Junction M1/M69 has got a boar neutering policy. After initial acceptance has happened, cross gender bondings are the most stable and often very loving. Fights and fall-outs are virtually unknown. Honeybunnies are also very experienced.
http://honeybunniesleicesterrabbitandguineapigrescue.webs.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/HONEYBUNNIES-RABBIT-GUINEA-PIG-RESCUE/167230579241
 
Thanks for the advice. The rescue are more than happy for me to go back and encouraged it if there was a problem. I tried my piggy with a couple of others and she did say a particular one was being very friendly and would probably make a good match but me of course being me took a shine to this one instead! I definitely think the piggy may have been frightened with all new stuff and she was in close proximity with my piggy which didn't help when she bit her. I will persevere with slowly introducing but can always go back to the rescue. I think if I had space for 3 piggys everyone would get on better but unfortunately we don't have the space! It's only been two days so maybe I'm hoping for too much too soon?
 
You can give them a couple of days off next to each other and see whether things are better once the newbie has got her bearings, but it can go either way. All you can do is find out whether they will get on better when they are both more relaxed about each other's company and surroundings or whether it is better to draw a line and look for another friend. To be honest, the longer I have piggies and the more introductions I do (and I have done a fair number), the less I dare to predict how things will go!

PS: Trios are the most difficult constellation to get right without ending up with an outsider problem of some sort!
 
Hi, so they have been separated overnight but floor time and lap time together. There has been mostly following around and ginger biscuit sometimes runs away from the new piggy. No biting occasional nips now my girl not the new one, much less clicking (what I call it), bum sniffing, nose offs and a one off wee almost in the face. Is this good signs? They have had time in the same cage as well but mostly go and settle in opposite hidey areas. New piggy was popcorning when having floor time which was nice to see!
 
My brothers fell out and I had to seperate at 5 months after a very out of the blue bloody fight I still have floor time and laptime together. They still occasionally rumble and Poe shows his dominance over Edgar but they have settled...although as soon as I have tried to pair them up again Poe starts lunging etc. Only time will tell... hang in there x
 
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