Hi. I posted a thread on here just over a week ago asking for advice about my Guinea pigs fighting. Well long story short I have had to split their cage so they aren’t together anymore, but they are still happy to snuggle together on my lap and play outside the cage together. Now, the other night one of my piggies, Nutella, started chewing on his bars. I thought it was because I had ran out of the good hay and had to give him some cheap stuff until the good hay arrived and he wasn’t happy about it, but they hay arrived yesterday and he’s had a full hay rack but he’s still chewing bars, so then I checked his teeth to see if there was anything wrong there but from what I can see his teeth are perfectly healthy, unless it’s the ones at the very back that I can’t quite see. He also always has things to chew on so I’m not sure it’s that. So now I’m wondering if he’s missing his piggy brother Cashew? Any advice?
Bar chewing
- Thread starter Lila
- Start date
Tnoz
Teenage Guinea Pig
Could be stress or anxiety my girl chewed on bars when I put a separated section in cage,
That’s what I’m wondering. Thing is I don’t want to risk putting them back together if that’s the problem because there was a bite involved, but maybe he needs a new friend?
Siikibam
Senior Guinea Pig
It may be he is wanting to get in with his neighbour. If he’s the dominant one then you have to go by the other piggy’s behaviour.
The other thing is if you have separated them permanently then they can’t be together for lap time or roaming/run time. They’re either together or they’re not.
The other thing is if you have separated them permanently then they can’t be together for lap time or roaming/run time. They’re either together or they’re not.
It’s tricky because they are ok we each other outside the cage. I honestly don’t know who’s the dominant one anymore, it seemed like they kept on swapping or they just never figured it out in the first place. I could try some re bonding exercises as I don’t think their bond is completely broken, but they are both boys so they both want to be dominant
Siikibam
Senior Guinea Pig
Being both boys doesn’t mean they both want to be dominant. What lead to your separating them? I saw above that there was a bite. In which case I would suggest you don’t try bonding them again. They may be okay outside the cage but if you’ve decided to separate them permanently then you need to keep that up - no meeting at all outside cages, even if they’re okay. They either have to be together or they don’t. There’s no ‘in between’. Essentially they’re having play dates but piggies don’t do that.
Sorry it’s not what you want to hear though. It’s tough when they have to live as neighbours. Perhaps you could cover the grid separating them until he’s stopped. Then you can try removing it to see how he is
Sorry it’s not what you want to hear though. It’s tough when they have to live as neighbours. Perhaps you could cover the grid separating them until he’s stopped. Then you can try removing it to see how he is
They both just started acting aggressively towards each other, hence the bite. Just out of curiosity why can’t there be an in between? If it works then why isn’t it ok? I’ll try covering the grid thank you
Siikibam
Senior Guinea Pig
There is no in between because with them they’re either together or they’re not. Putting them together and separating is similar to play dates, which they don’t do. It can also be stressful for them.They both just started acting aggressively towards each other, hence the bite. Just out of curiosity why can’t there be an in between? If it works then why isn’t it ok? I’ll try covering the grid thank you
Ah ok ty
If they have caused bites to each other that means separating is the right thing but it also means that you should not allow them to have time together elsewhere.
There are no bonding exercises - piggies are either character compatible or they aren’t and there is nothing anybody can do to change incompatibilities. As Siikibam has said both being boys does not automatically mean they both want to be dominant, it’s just that in this case you have two dominant characters which will mean the bond won’t work.
Bar chewing is common, it can be for a variety of reasons and you may never know exactly what it is. Bar chewing or laying against the bars with the neighbour is not necessarily a positive sign that they want to be together - it can be for the simple fact that he wants to fight his neighbour and is territory marking.
Covering the bars so allow him to calm down might help. You can then slowly remove the covers and allow him to adjust to life with a neighbour
There are no bonding exercises - piggies are either character compatible or they aren’t and there is nothing anybody can do to change incompatibilities. As Siikibam has said both being boys does not automatically mean they both want to be dominant, it’s just that in this case you have two dominant characters which will mean the bond won’t work.
Bar chewing is common, it can be for a variety of reasons and you may never know exactly what it is. Bar chewing or laying against the bars with the neighbour is not necessarily a positive sign that they want to be together - it can be for the simple fact that he wants to fight his neighbour and is territory marking.
Covering the bars so allow him to calm down might help. You can then slowly remove the covers and allow him to adjust to life with a neighbour
Ok thank you
Cavycavmomma
New Born Pup
Could a factor of whether they are neutered or not play into this? Could they possibly get along after neutering? Asking because I have 6 boys (2 are a father/son) I currently have caged separately and would like to put together if neutering would make that possible.
No neutering does not make any difference. All neutering does is prevent pregnancy, it doesn’t change behaviour and won’t make piggies like each other.
Boars need to be kept in character compatible pairs only to be successful for the long term. Three or more together usually ends in fights and separated piggies. Each pair require a 180x60cm cage to have enough space. Lack of space can cause problems.
Any more than two boars together is incredibly difficult to get to work, plus the space requirements are so much larger - you need a cage covering at least one square metre per piggy, so in this case a cage at least 6 square metres, plus separation plan.
A large boar group can work but really like with more boars than you have - about 10 would be the number to go to - of course that means an even larger space, a 10 square metre enclosure - but it also doesn’t mean it would work
You can try to make three separate pairs by carrying out a neutral territory bonding and seeing if you can find two who like each other.
Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
I thought I’d read somewhere that neutering piggy boys doesn’t make a difference
but I could be wrong 
I thought I’d read somewhere that neutering piggy boys doesn’t make a difference
As per my reply above, you are right - neutering does not make any difference to character and does not allow multiple boars to live in one cage