What are the signs of guineapig stress?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Charl

Charl

Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Messages
916
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Hi. As you may know, I have 2 guineapigs, Pip & Rodney. Pip is 2, and Rodney is 5. Pip's behaviour towards Rodney is getting much better than it was. He used to always chatter angrily, mount Rod, and be obsessed over dominance. These problems are now starting to ease off.

It has been very tough for Rodney, as he is quite old and Pip is very strong and sometimes hard to get on with, and he is also very young. Rodney seems to be fine with this.

But what are the signs of stress? Because if I do see signs of stress in Rodney, I can seperate the guineas straight away :).

But he doesn't seem stressed at all.

Thanks

xx
 
I find it difficult to pinpoint signs of stress, simply because it's not something I have come across in my pigs - even with nightmare introductions, very hormonal groups, and with moving house many times! The best I can suggest is that a stressed guinea pig will appear a little agitated, less inclined to be friendly towards other guinea pigs, and perhaps have a slightly reduced appetite and slightly reduced activity.
 
Usually it's more like loss of appetite and weight, and being somewhere quietly in a corner.

Give your boys time - Rodney might actually enjoy the company once they have finished worked out their relationship properly. He's perfectly able to tell Pip off whenever he's fed up, so he won't get stressed out. It's only their third day! Guinea pigs have a better capacity for dealing with big emotions than us.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top