Baby Boys Fighting Over Food

Hannah Nicole

Hannah Nicole

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Dec 14, 2017
Messages
35
Reaction score
54
Points
200
Location
USA
When I feed my babies they always get in a fight over who gets what I normally have to take one out so they will stop fighting Gibbs has bitten Sammy foot and ear and made him bleed. I always give them some time apart and then put them together again because Sammy will start crying and having a panic attack without Gibbs by his side. Sammy also can't sleep without cuddling Gibbs
 
I decided to put 2 food bowls in there cage but they follow each other to either one
 
When my girls are having a hormonal moment, I tend to scatter feed them to remove any chance of bickering over resources.

But to be honest if they are biting each other until one of them bleeds, you also need to consider that this may not be just about food.

How big is their cage and how old are they?

To start with I would address their relationship, and take everything right back to basics.
Make sure their cage has 2 water bottles and only hides with two doors (you can cut up cardboard boxes for this). Tunnels are also good.
Make sure they have the maximum floor space possible, and scatter feed everything.
Make sure they have several hay areas (at least two) as hay munching is a great distraction, and should be a large part of their daily activity.
Start weighing both boys weekly to keep an eye on their weights.

I hope you manage to resolve it and your boys continue to be friends.
 
Hello again Hannah.
As @Swissgreys says how much room do the boys have?
If they feel cramped and too close at feeding time make or get a bigger cafe as this will only worsen as they get bigger!
Try putting a grid or partition up between them so that they can still be close and see each other but not get into a fight about food.
You said they weren't eating veg in another post so what exactly are they fighting over? Should always have unlimited hat and only small amount pellets so these could be in little bowls on each side of partition. If they are now eating their veg scatter this about in their own areas and remove any unbeaten food after about half an hour. Pop them back in together after they've eaten.
 
The cage is 30 in by 36 in. They have two hay spots on each side but they never fight over hay it's always over pellets I have 2 bowls of pellets but they still fight
My boys are 5 weeks old
If I take one out and hold him for a couple minutes while one get to eat sometimes they will be fine
 
When I give them hay they will popcorn and prr excitedly and cuddle as they eat the hay. They also will sometimes take a couple pieces of hay and bring it to the other one, so if Gibbs is sleeping Sammy will bring him hay and then either snuggle with him or go back to eating and leave the hay for Gibbs
 
Hannah Nicole said:
The cage is 30 in by 36 in. They have two hay spots on each side but they never fight over hay it's always over pellets I have 2 bowls of pellets but they still fight
My boys are 5 weeks old
If I take one out and hold him for a couple minutes while one get to eat sometimes they will be fine
Click to expand...

Sadly the cage you have them in is far too small.
Right now it is probably ok because they are babies, but you need to think about upgrading as soon as possible to ensure they make it through the tricky teenage phase together.
There is a good guide on cage sizes here:
Cage Size Guide

If you have not had the boys for long, and you bought the cage from a pet shop, you might be able to take it back and exchange it for a larger one.
You can explain you were mis-sold the cage, and it does not provide adequate apace for 2 boars. If you make it clear that you are prepared to make a fuss, many chain stores will offer you an exchange for a more appropriate cage.
 
Swissgreys said:
Sadly the cage you have them in is far too small.
Right now it is probably ok because they are babies, but you need to think about upgrading as soon as possible to ensure they make it through the tricky teenage phase together.
There is a good guide on cage sizes here:
Cage Size Guide

If you have not had the boys for long, and you bought the cage from a pet shop, you might be able to take it back and exchange it for a larger one.
You can explain you were mis-sold the cage, and it does not provide adequate apace for 2 boars. If you make it clear that you are prepared to make a fuss, many chain stores will offer you an exchange for a more appropriate cage.
Click to expand...
I have had this cage for a couple years and I know they will grow out of it soon and I have been saving up for a new and bigger one, I haven't gotten one because I have to pay for everything guinea pig related and I don't have a job cuz I'm still in school.
 
Try building your own! I know mutiple peope who have these wonderful looking wooden cages a few 6 by 10. A 4 by 10 (my bestfriend owns) only costed her around 100 bucks? C&C cages are also great.
 
Kiya-Piggy said:
Try building your own! I know mutiple peope who have these wonderful looking wooden cages a few 6 by 10. A 4 by 10 (my bestfriend owns) only costed her around 100 bucks? C&C cages are also great.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I've been looking into that a bit and I'll definitely consider it
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top