What To Do?

[TerriSomers]

I have two piggies, one(Bugsy) I have had since he was 8 weeks old and he will be two in July and the other(Chipper) who I rescued back in August 2015 and was told he was 2 years old then. I have been trying to bond them since I brought Chipper home but have had no luck. I followed all of the suggestions when it came to bonding 2 male piggies but it just doesn't seem to be working. I have built them a large cage with a divider and they seemed ok with that, but in the last couple of weeks Bugsy has been acting very aggressive. He has been chewing the divider panel like crazy and has been dragging his cave around the cage and tipping it over etc. Just wondering if I should put them in separate cages away from each other? Not sure what I should do! HELP!

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! Not all boars get on; a boar will need between 1-3 candidates to find "Mr Right" when bonding at a good rescue.

It is rather unusual that Bugsy's behaviour has really changed. Maybe there is a medical reason for that? You could try for the short term whether an opaque divider makes a change in his behaviour.

@MerryPip

 

[MerryPip]

Hi,
Like @Wiebke says not all boars will get on regardless of age, breed etc. The most successful boar bonds (just like human ones!) are based on two compatible personalities.

Your boys are at just getting past the age where they are most hormonal and usually start to settle down which makes me a little concerned as Bugsy is evidently quite upset. A sudden change in personality needs investigated as it can be the sign of a medical issue but otherwise it sounds rather like your two boys might be better off living side by side rather than together and at the moment not being able to see each other is probably better....

Try a solid barrier between them for a few days to let everything calm down and then you can think about trying your usual divider and see if things stay calm... If they get aggressive again then a solid divider might need to be a permanent solution.

Remember that when bonding piggies it isn't advisable to do short sessions or 'play date' style things as this just makes life really confusing for both boars as each time they meet they need to start all over again re-establishing dominance. if you want to bond then you kind of need to commit and go for it, watching carefully and only separating if things become dangerous as this gives them the best chance to work things out for themselves. It can be a bit nerve racking which is why unless you know what you are doing we often advise people to seek the support of a good rescue if they can so someone with lots of experience can advise and support..

Check out these threads for some more information but I think given your current situations that trying to bond these two is not likely to be successful so it may be worth considering other options for companionship for them or carry on living side by side....
Introducing And Re-introducing Guinea Pigs
Illustrated Bonding Behaviours And Dynamics
Boars: Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Boars: A guide to successful companionship.

 

[TerriSomers]

Thank you for your advise I have decide to put them in separate cages for a while to see if it helps. as soon as I put Bugsy in his old cage he started making his happy chirps which I realized I haven’t heard in a while. I just hope that both of them can be happy living away from each other. Chipper has always been more social than Bugsy so I hope that this doesn’t upset him. Taking on more piggies is not an option for me so I will take all of the advise I can get.