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Bonding Two Male Guinea Pigs

liyahjane

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hey so i’ve been trying to bond my two male guinea pigs and i was wondering if i shouldn’t continue doing the bonding in sessions i looked up on a website and they said if no blood is drawn that the guinea pigs can live together and i can remove the divider from the cage. however, i still don’t know if they have yet passed the dominance stage since there is still teeth chattering going on and rumbling and they chase each other at times.
 
Bonding of boars needs to be done in one go - introduce and see it through to conclusion. You can’t do it in sessions as each time you separate them, it interrupts the process and they start again all over again the next time you put them together. That is stressful for them.
If they are getting on well, then they need to remain together from now onwards. Chattering, chasing and rumbling are all entirely normal dominance behaviours and are not a reason to separate them.

Ensure two boars have plenty of space - cage of 180cm x 60cm is recommended.

Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
 
so i can remove the divider from in between them since they do seem to be getting along. should i separate them while feeding and when i go to sleep or i should just leave it alone
 
so i can remove the divider from in between them since they do seem to be getting along. should i separate them while feeding and when i go to sleep or i should just leave it alone

If they’ve got a divider between them, then they aren’t properly bonded. You need to put them into a neutral area and carry out the bonding. If they get on, then they can live in the same cage (after if has been thoroughly cleaned down so that if doesn’t smell of either pig). Living either side of a divider is no indication of the fact they can live together.
Once bonded, you don’t ever separate them again. They need to be fed together and remain together at all times. One goes to the vet, they both go etc
 
Bonding of boars needs to be done in one go - introduce and see it through to conclusion. You can’t do it in sessions as each time you separate them, it interrupts the process and they start again all over again the next time you put them together. That is stressful for them.
If they are getting on well, then they need to remain together from now onwards. Chattering, chasing and rumbling are all entirely normal dominance behaviours and are not a reason to separate them.

Ensure two boars have plenty of space - cage of 180cm x 60cm is recommended.

Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
also another website says i need to rearrange the cage once i take the divider out
 
also another website says i need to rearrange the cage once i take the divider out

See my previous response. If there is a divider, they aren’t bonded

Please read the guides I linked in on how to carry out a neutral territory introduction
 
If they’ve got a divider between them, then they aren’t properly bonded. You need to put them into a neutral area and carry out the bonding. If they get on, then they can live in the same cage (after if has been thoroughly cleaned down so that if doesn’t smell of either pig). Living either side of a divider is no indication of the fact they can live together.
Once bonded, you don’t ever separate them again. They need to be fed together and remain together at all times. One goes to the vet, they both go etc
what signs do i need to look for to know they’re properly bonded and do i not remove the divider today ?
 
I would put them in the run for a few hours (maybe all day/night). The behavior you described is completely normal as they are trying to decide who will be the dominant one. How old are they?

Correct me if I’m wrong haha.
 
Also, after leaving them in the run for a few hours, give the cage a deep clean so there are no smells.
Correct me if I’m wrong again.
 
what signs do i need to look for to know they’re properly bonded and do i not remove the divider today ?

They aren’t bonded through a divider. You need to put them both into a neutral territory pen and leave them there for several hours for them to establish their relationship. You will see rumbling, chasing, chattering when they are together. This is normal. You leave them for a few hours and if they are ok together then you clean down and move them to their permanent cage. If there is a full on fight then the relationship will not work and they will need to live separately. You must not just remove the divider and leave them in the same cage. Allowing a piggy to go into another piggy’s cage will be seen as a territory invasion.

Have you ever put them physically together in a neutral area play pen?

The guides explain how to carry out bonding. Please read them
 
I would put them in the run for a few hours (maybe all day/night). The behavior you described is completely normal as they are trying to decide who will be the dominant one. How old are they?

Correct me if I’m wrong haha.
Kade is 6-7 months and Kaiden is around 5-7 months
 
They aren’t bonded through a divider. You need to put them both into a neutral territory pen and leave them there for several hours for them to establish their relationship. You will see rumbling, chasing, chattering when they are together. This is normal. You leave them for a few hours and if they are ok together then you clean down and move them to their permanent cage. If there is a full on fight then the relationship will not work and they will need to live separately. You must not just remove the divider and leave them in the same cage. Allowing a piggy to go into another piggy’s cage will be seen as a territory invasion.

Have you ever put them physically together in a neutral area play pen?

The guides explain how to carry out bonding. Please read them
yes they’re currently in a neutral ground right now
 
Kade is 6-7 months and Kaiden is around 5-7 months
yes they’re currently in a neutral ground right now

Have you just put them in the pen? Without a divider? If so, then they will need to stay in there for several hours to establish their relationship. Then clean down the cage thoroughly. If they get on ok after several hours then you can move them together to the cage. If all is well, then don’t separate them unless a full on fight breaks out.

Unfortunately two boars during their teens is the hardest time to attempt to bond them - particularly at around 6 months when hormone output is at its highest. It comes entirely down to character compatibility though so all you can do is put them together in the bonding pen and see how it goes. Familiarise yourself with the process and the behaviours. Prepare to step in if there is a fight (don’t ever put your bare hands between two fighting piggies though)
 
Also, after leaving them in the run for a few hours, give the cage a deep clean so there are no smells.
Correct me if I’m wrong again.
so all i have to do is clean the cage really good and take the divider from between them, they’re in the same cage but just a divider separating them
 
Have you just put them in the pen? Without a divider? If so, then they will need to stay in there for several hours to establish their relationship. Then clean down the cage thoroughly. If they get on ok after several hours then you can move them together to the cage. If all is well, then don’t separate them unless a full on fight breaks out.

Unfortunately two boars during their teens is the hardest time to attempt to bond them - particularly at around 6 months when hormone output is at its highest. It comes entirely down to character compatibility though so all you can do is put them together in the bonding pen and see how it goes. Familiarise yourself with the process and the behaviours. Prepare to step in if there is a fight (don’t ever put your bare hands between two fighting piggies though)
yes i know, no fight has broken out yet but there’s currently no divider in between them
 
only for an hour

Ok, you’ve likely got a while longer to go yet then.
If things are ok up until this point, then clean down the cage thoroughly so it doesn’t smell of either piggy - you are aiming to make the cage neutral.
Leave them in the pen for a few more hours and see how things go (the bonding guide explains). Once you are happy they are ok, then you can move them to the cage. You need to be aware that they will continue to establish their relationship for another couple of weeks. Being teens you will also see this kind of behaviour for many months (they don’t reach adulthood until around 15 months of age).

Ensure their cage is big enough now as you don’t want to cause issues due to lack of space (two boars need 180cm x 60cm)
 
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