Adding a guinea pig to the family

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Boomer&Olie

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Hello,

I'm new to the guinea pig world and just recently got a guinea pig. I knew these type of animals are social so I also just got another guinea pig as well. Both are babies one is maybe 5 months and the other is 3 months. I asked a lot of questions at the pet store about introducing both of my baby male guinea pigs and they told me to put peppermint extract of them and watch how they interact. So I did this suggestion and played them in a playpen together and I can't tell the difference between their purs and what they mean yet so I kept my hand in the pen in case I had to retrieve one of the guinea pigs. I think they did well, but I'm unsure both seemed a little timid at first but I place them both in the pen a couple of times and held them both at the same time so they saw each other. Now the 5-month guinea pig went under the 3-month guinea pig starting from its chin. Is that normal is that asserting his dominance and a sign telling me that they will not be the best cage mates? Also how long would you suggest that it would take for both my guinea pigs to be comfortable as cage mates if all this go well?

Side note if someone can suggest what guinea pigs different purs mean that would be a great help! Thank you!
 
Boomer&Olie said:
Hello,

I'm new to the guinea pig world and just recently got a guinea pig. I knew these type of animals are social so I also just got another guinea pig as well. Both are babies one is maybe 5 months and the other is 3 months. I asked a lot of questions at the pet store about introducing both of my baby male guinea pigs and they told me to put peppermint extract of them and watch how they interact. So I did this suggestion and played them in a playpen together and I can't tell the difference between their purs and what they mean yet so I kept my hand in the pen in case I had to retrieve one of the guinea pigs. I think they did well, but I'm unsure both seemed a little timid at first but I place them both in the pen a couple of times and held them both at the same time so they saw each other. Now the 5-month guinea pig went under the 3-month guinea pig starting from its chin. Is that normal is that asserting his dominance and a sign telling me that they will not be the best cage mates? Also how long would you suggest that it would take for both my guinea pigs to be comfortable as cage mates if all this go well?

Side note if someone can suggest what guinea pigs different purs mean that would be a great help! Thank you!
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome!

OUCH for the shop personnel telling you to put pettermint oil on guinea pigs! :yikes:

Please leave your boys together in the neutral bonding area and take the time to carefully read our bonding guide. It discusses all phases of the bonding process with the typical social behaviours and dynamics for each stage as well as the particulars for different bondings. Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics

Your 'purring' is likely what we call rumblestrutting and is mild dominance behaviour. It is typical boar behaviour.
Pushing up the chin is asserting dominance. Many more behaviours are in the guide.
 
Thank you so much for this information! I'm going to get rid of the peppermint immediately and place my two guinea pig together and see what happens
 
I have another question Wiebke, if one of the boars knock off the other while getting a drink do you suggest that I take the other boar out of the area or leave him and have both guinea pig figure it out?
 
The boar also sit in front of the other boar's hideaway, I clearly know who is trying to be the dominant boar, but I don't want to mess up the bonding process between boars, but also I want to think about both's safety. Any suggestions?
 
You need to leave them to it and let them figure it all out. Having two of everything... Hideys, water bottles and food bowls will help
 
Unfortunately you have to leave them to work it out themselves, unless blood is drawn. Every time you split and try to re-bond, they have to start all over again. Just keep an eye on them and they should hopefully be fine. There’ll be dominance behaviour but that’s normal.
 
Best advice you'll get is in the bonding guides, however there is one thing....you didn't say in your original post what sex they are, although you have referred to them as boars later. Given the peppermint advice from the pet shop, I would double check their sexes and make sure...if one turned out to be a girl you would find yourself with a lot more piggies very quickly. There's a sexing guide in the forum tabs, or you can post pictures and we can try to help. It would be great to see pics anyway......welcome to the forum x
 
Boomer&Olie said:
I have another question Wiebke, if one of the boars knock off the other while getting a drink do you suggest that I take the other boar out of the area or leave him and have both guinea pig figure it out?
Click to expand...

Hi! leave your boys together. Drinking is very variable in guinea pigs. They learn it from their elders. Not all piggies will ever drink. some are getting enough water from their fresh food. It has no detrimental long term impact on the kidneys.
We recommend however to have everything in twos in a boar cage - hideys with two exits (to prevent the underpiggy from being 'locked in'), bottles and bowls, each spaced well away from the other same item so the top piggy cannot control access - it is part of dominance behaviour now that acceptance has happened. Generally it is best to not have any hideys in the bonding area and the cage at all until the worst of dominance establishment is over in order to prevent what you are currently experiencing.
All About Drinking And Bottles
Boars: A guide to successful companionship.

PS: Please always double-check the gender of any new guinea pigs. Mis-sexing is surprisingly common!
Sexing Guide

You may also find our new owners guide collection helpful. It addresses all the areas that new owners have the most questions about and that they really need to know, from understanding behaviours, making friends with them in ways that they instinctively understand, learning what is normal and what not to spotting illness early to a good diet that is key to a healthy long life as well as saving up for medical care right from the start as well as sexing and regular boar care.
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides
 
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