Piggylove82
Adult Guinea Pig
Thank you! Nothing beats a recommendation from someone with personal experience.
Bonding advice in a hutch!
- Thread starter Piggylove82
- Start date
Piggylove82
Adult Guinea Pig
I adopted two girls today from Reta at Coseley Guinea Pig Rescue. They are settling in right now. Here is a sneak preview...
Millie is white and Bramble is brown.
I did put the two of them with Molly and for the first 8 mins or so, Millie shared the log tunnel with Molly. I used a run in the garage with a piece of carpet on the floor, so completely neutral ground for all three. Molly has never been in the garage before or on carpet! But after then there was some non agreement between Millie and Molly. I think Millie instigated it. All 3 would teeth chatter but then Millie would walk towards Molly then sideways walk up close with her bum raised. At times she would then run away but other times there was full body contact, a mini scrap kind of thing, not a lot of squealing and no biting, no injuries. Maybe they were just arguing about who wanted to be in charge, but these new girls are a year old and my Molly is upwards of 4 years old, and I thought you know what, I don't want her having to go through this at her age. So the new girls have a full floor to themselves and I will look to find a neutered boar for Molly to date with. I'd kind of imagined this scenario anyway, but thought I'd give them the chance of being a trio.
Millie is white and Bramble is brown.
I did put the two of them with Molly and for the first 8 mins or so, Millie shared the log tunnel with Molly. I used a run in the garage with a piece of carpet on the floor, so completely neutral ground for all three. Molly has never been in the garage before or on carpet! But after then there was some non agreement between Millie and Molly. I think Millie instigated it. All 3 would teeth chatter but then Millie would walk towards Molly then sideways walk up close with her bum raised. At times she would then run away but other times there was full body contact, a mini scrap kind of thing, not a lot of squealing and no biting, no injuries. Maybe they were just arguing about who wanted to be in charge, but these new girls are a year old and my Molly is upwards of 4 years old, and I thought you know what, I don't want her having to go through this at her age. So the new girls have a full floor to themselves and I will look to find a neutered boar for Molly to date with. I'd kind of imagined this scenario anyway, but thought I'd give them the chance of being a trio.
Pebbles
New Born Pup
Hi, would love an update on how things worked out. I’m in an identical situation, although my sole piggie is an elderly neutered boar. I’ve adopted 2 younger females, and worry they’re too much for him. Same hutch setup, so currently restricted to separate floors, although they did have a long session in the bonding pen yesterday and he eventually snuggled up with each in turn, so things looking more positive!
@Pebbles - please make your own thread. This thread is an old one and you aren’t necessarily going to get a response from the OP
I am afraid this is not the way to do a bonding. Once they have been put together for the initial introduction, if it is successful then you must not separate them again. Now you have separated them after the bonding introduction, when you next put them together they will have to start their processes all over again. If you then separate again, you interrupt it and they never complete their establishing of a hierarchy and relationship. This causes stress to the piggies. Please put them together in a neutral area for several hours, if it is successful, then please move them to the same throughly cleaned out hutch and leave them together from then on.
Pebbles
New Born Pup
thanks, yes I’m aware of that, I kept them altogether in the hutch last night, following the successful bonding session.