Big sow, strong season, tiny cage mate!

[Scooter Pie]

My two girls Buttercup and Kona have been living together for about 3 months now. Both lost cage mates in April and Kona came to us in May, and it luckily was a good match! Estimated ages are Buttercup nearly 4 and Kona maybe around 1

I call them the odd couple....Buttercup is quite large at 1275g, solid blonde with that classic “stuffed animal” cute round face. Kona is a teeny little thing, just under 800g, very pointy face, very “rodent” looks with a bright white blaze, then half jet black and half orange and black stripes (she is a chimera - split perfectly down the middle like two different pigs in one!)

Anyway, Buttercup is dominant. Usually she just lounges around and little Kona happily chatters and is more active. Buttercup will do a half hearted rumblestrut here and there and then just goes back to sleep.

Except when she is in season! It’s only been the 4th month, and it seems to last about a day and a half....but she wont leave poor Kona alone! Chasing, mounting, etc. Kona protests very loudly....lots of really annoyed squeaking and general complaining.

It worries me because of their size difference. I dont want my little one to get hurt!

As I type this, they had me up at 5am because all the noise gets me worried. I gave Kona some extra lap time, and will give Buttercup some extra floor time once Ive had enough ️

But is there any point in getting in their way? Buttercup seems to be settling down now. It seems to start over 24 hours, get more intense for 12 hours, and then just end.

 

[Siikibam]

All sounds normal to me. I wouldn’t intervene, and be careful about observing their hierarchy when you take them out for lap time.

Chanel is our dominant girl and the past 2-3 times she seems to have had a strong season! I’ll know because Coco is incessantly being chased and mounted. I leave them alone because I know it will stop eventually.

I don’t know if your girl was spayed but sometimes ‘aggressiveness’ and change in behaviour can be a sign of ovarian cysts. Have a read of the guide below. But I think she’s just being Buttercup.

PS she won’t hurt Kona despite the size difference.

Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)

 

[Scooter Pie]

Thank you! I'm mainly worried about injury. I am learning to let nature take it's course. Kona just is such a loud little squeaker! But if the pattern is like what Ive observed the past few cycles, it should settle down soon.

Buttercup isnt spayed. I have had her checked for cysts (through manual exam) and she is on watch for bladder stones (sludgy pee, on low calcium diet now) and next month is due for a urinalysis to check that the crystals are going away...maybe they can peek at her ovaries with ultrasound at that time too.

For now I'll just add her to the calendar...along with me and my teen daughter. Uh oh...I hope Buttercup and the human dont synch up! I couldnt take all that drama at once!

 

[Siikibam]

She won’t injure her. The squeaking sounds far worse than it actually is so relax.

They’re not likely to sync up because theirs is roughly every two weeks.

 

[Scooter Pie]

I feel much better now, thank you!

If there was such a thing as cursing in pig language, Kona's got some choice language for Buttercup!

 

[Bill & Ted]

My Ginger can be a bit of a madam when in season. This morning she was chasing Posh (the Boss) and Ted (the old man) around the cage trying to hump both of them. It lasted around half an hour and then she gave up and sulked in the corner.
It’s all settled down now I have noted it on the calendar so I know when to expect turmoil in their normally very calm relations. My OH decribed Ginger as a little wasps buzzing around an old married couple! Posh is only a year old but has a very experienced head on her and was a real piece maker when we bonded the three of them.