Two Piggies. one isnt getting use to me.

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AnnaB

AnnaB

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Hi guys . Sorry in advance this is like a mini essay. I just need help :(
I have two boys who i have had for almost 2 months now. They are about 20 weeks old.
Both from same litter :)
Louie is my brave litte star! When i come into the room (esp with food :P ) He goes crazy, squeeks like mad, runs around sooo fast! He also is cheeky, he lets me stroke him, when i got to pick him up he runs off, its like a game to him! but just so cute!x):<>
Marshall on other hand, is so SHY! and it worries me! its like he has no personality. He hides if i open up the cage to feed them or pick them up!

He is also way lighter in weight than Louie! and i am worried! he has access to plenty of food but why is eating like his brother?

When i pick them up, Louise is fascinated and curies about whats around him! Marshall spends 20 seconds and tries everything in his power to get away from me :'(

they also fight. no blood is shed. but constant chasing. Louie is obvious the dominant but Marshall always tries to mount Louie and always harassing Louie when he sleeps or eats.

Is Marshall unhappy? is this what it is? I am so worries he doesnt like it here :(

Any advise please?
 
We have 2 girls and its a similar situation to yours only they are 5mths old.
Lottie is incredibly cheeky and lively and always comes up to me, Bonnie is much more shy and doesnt really like to be picked up but we do anyway because after a while she seems to enjoy it. With Lottie being so 'in your face' she does make it look like Bonnie doesnt have as much personality but wouldnt it be boring if we were all the same!

Lottie is definately the boss and i sometimes worry that Bonnie isnt as happy as she should be but shes getting food and ive seen her spray Lottie to get her away.
Your 2 are still very young so there's time for them to settle. When mine were that young Lottie wasnt putting on as much weight as Bonnie so i gave her veg & fruit on my lap in case Bonnie was getting most of it and she was soon putting weight on.
 
Amysmom said:
We have 2 girls and its a similar situation to yours only they are 5mths old.
Lottie is incredibly cheeky and lively and always comes up to me, Bonnie is much more shy and doesnt really like to be picked up but we do anyway because after a while she seems to enjoy it. With Lottie being so 'in your face' she does make it look like Bonnie doesnt have as much personality but wouldnt it be boring if we were all the same!

Lottie is definately the boss and i sometimes worry that Bonnie isnt as happy as she should be but shes getting food and ive seen her spray Lottie to get her away.
Your 2 are still very young so there's time for them to settle. When mine were that young Lottie wasnt putting on as much weight as Bonnie so i gave her veg & fruit on my lap in case Bonnie was getting most of it and she was soon putting weight on.
Click to expand...

Its always reassuring to hear when people have similar stories, so i know i am not on my own. I just want them BOTH to be happy :)
Thank you for your reply.
 
If I were you, I would try to separate them for a day and see whether Marshall is much happier on his own - what you are describing sounds like a case of potential bullying to me, especially if it involves Marshall being kept from sleeping and eating on a regular basis.
http://www.susieandpigs.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/bullying.htm
 
i have two boys that I rehomed at about a year old...they are almost identical so I am guessing they are from the same litter.....one is very brave and one is very shy but they are well bonded and hate to be apart for any lenght of time and weeeeekkk pitifully at me if one is picked up and the other one is left behind! oddly its the shy quiet one who is dominant....or so it seems he is the one who rumble struts and mounts the other one to show whos boss! I dont have any experience in young piggies and so I hope your piggie issues are sorted out soon xx
 
Wiebke said:
If I were you, I would try to separate them for a day and see whether Marshall is much happier on his own - what you are describing sounds like a case of potential bullying to me, especially if it involves Marshall being kept from sleeping and eating on a regular basis.
http://www.susieandpigs.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/bullying.htm
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for the link. This is what I am very worried about. My piggies behaviour sounds similar to the bulling cases described just not to that extreme.

Is separation at this stage needed?
 
Should I try to separate them? and for how long?
Luckily i just bought a new cage and still have the other one, so at this point of time i am able to separate them.

Also if i did separate them, and then put them back together would this make things worse?
 
Separating for a day or two doesn't break the bond. But it can give you a valuable insight into what is really going on.

If both boys are just clamouring for getting back together, then you know that they work out as a pair. If one of them is suddenly a lot happier on his own and is stuffing himself, you know that bullying has been going on. That is the quickest and most effective way that I know to get to the bottom of whether it is a health or behavioural problem.

Best of luck! I know how gutting this is - we all want our piggies to be happy!
 
my piggies are quite similar they are not from the same litter but one is really friendly and always squeeks when I'm in the room but the other one hides if i put my hand in the cage and he just sits on my lap as if he was frozen the quiter one is definitely the boss hes always rumbling and pushing the other out of the way but what i found helped a lot is having two of everything i have two food bowls and i have them at opposite ends of the cage aswell as a hay rack and water bottle :)
 
Update

Little update! :)

I separated the boys for two days, they kept squeaking for each other, and looking for each other.

the scared shy one, didnt seem any happier.

after two days i decided they belonged together, during floor time i let them meet each other again while i cleaned the cage. They did their dominance thing for 10 mins and then were happy eating together and doing their own thing. :)

so pleased, I shall keep my eye out on them for now.

But i was thinking, maybe, my shy piggie is not the thin one, maybe he is normal and the other one just fat? :)):))

anyway, thank you all for great advise :D
 
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