Young Male piggy harassing older Male

[Hocktastic]

Hello there,

I’m looking for some advice on my two intact Male guinea pigs aged 1.5 years and 4.5 years.

I got the younger piggy from a rescue about 7 months ago for my older piggy after his friend died. The bonding was quite tumultuous as the younger piggy was desperate for a friend but was very dominant and over bearing and basically wouldn’t stop mounting and humping the older piggy even though he was submitting.

Eventually I managed to get them to a point where they were getting on well enough to be caged together.

However, over the past month or so the younger guinea pig has started constantly harassing the older one again - mounting him and chasing him. The old ones does get issues with impaction and his grease gland getting overly oily so I thought this could be causing it as the younger one might think he’s trying to make a play for dominance with his strong scent? I’m trying to keep on top of this though with regular cleaning and the behaviour is still continuing.

Does anyone have any suggestions, I feel so sorry for the older piggy who is being constantly harassed. After the COVID-19 quarantine would it be worth getting the young boy neutered?

thanks

 

[Wiebke]

Hello there,

I’m looking for some advice on my two intact Male guinea pigs aged 1.5 years and 4.5 years.

I got the younger piggy from a rescue about 7 months ago for my older piggy after his friend died. The bonding was quite tumultuous as the younger piggy was desperate for a friend but was very dominant and over bearing and basically wouldn’t stop mounting and humping the older piggy even though he was submitting.

Eventually I managed to get them to a point where they were getting on well enough to be caged together.

However, over the past month or so the younger guinea pig has started constantly harassing the older one again - mounting him and chasing him. The old ones does get issues with impaction and his grease gland getting overly oily so I thought this could be causing it as the younger one might think he’s trying to make a play for dominance with his strong scent? I’m trying to keep on top of this though with regular cleaning and the behaviour is still continuing.

Does anyone have any suggestions, I feel so sorry for the older piggy who is being constantly harassed. After the COVID-19 quarantine would it be worth getting the young boy neutered?

thanks

Hi!

Your younger boy is now coming to the end of teenage but is still suffering from hormone spikes. Especially younger boars have higher hormone levels in spring, which was the time when in their wild ancestors the breeding season would start. Even though our guinea pigs have been bred out thousands of years ago and no long have a breeding season, some natural urges seem to have persisted.

In addition to that I suppose that there is a dominance issue - your boar feels strong enough as a young adult to contest the leadership as your older boar is coming up to older age.

Neutering won't change anything and is only advised if a boar is to live with sows.

Here is more information:
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths, Facts and Post-op Care

 

[Hocktastic]

Hi there,

Thanks so much for your response. It is possible the younger boar will calm down in a few more months then? And at what sort of age should his testosterone fulled behaviour have calmed down if it was going to?

I was also wondering if there is anything I can try aside from separating them as I think that seems a bit drastic. However I do think having read the info you provided my older boar is depressed with the situation.

Thanks so much

 

[Wiebke]

Hi there,

Thanks so much for your response. It is possible the younger boar will calm down in a few more months then? And at what sort of age should his testosterone fulled behaviour have calmed down if it was going to?

I was also wondering if there is anything I can try aside from separating them as I think that seems a bit drastic. However I do think having read the info you provided my older boar is depressed with the situation.

Thanks so much

A temporary separation may seem drastic but it is a) the best way to weather a short term hormone flare which can persist into adulthood and b) is the only way we can judge a piggy's honest opinion as we cannot ask them directly. The way they react to the separation; especially if they perk up a lot when away from their companion and how they react during a re-introduction gives you the necessary answers to work out whether a bond is still viable or not.
If the bond is still strong, your boys should go back as if nothing much had happened with just minimal humping whereas in a failed relationship tensions will be high very quickly or the underpiggy will be very stressed and subdued again.