Do I need to split them up?

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lulusmith1008

lulusmith1008

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My two girls are fighting, some days they don't fight at all, and other days, like today, it's been non stop. I got them 6 months ago when they were babies and they've lived together their entire lives. Is it do with them soon being adolescents or could it be something else?
 
try getting some olbas oil or similar. Put a drop on the bottom of their back on each of them. It works with mine, it masks any hormonal smells. Your white one looks like my Jeni, who is a right trouble maker. She just likes to cause a row. her cage mate Fiz is so docile...
 
Vicks also works the same as olbas, try bathing them together, works with boars as bonds them. How big is their cage? Is there anything that sets it off like food?
 
I would also use Vick Vapour Rub on their back.
 
Does one of them rumble around and try to mount the other, and then they fight for about 2-3 days every few weeks? OR have you checked they're both not boars?
If its the first then they're in season, and no amout of olbas oil or bathing is going to change their behaviour.
 
What do you mean by 'fighting'? Guinea pig dominance can look much worse than it actually is so I would only separate if they are or are in danger of injuring each other.

Take a look at our sow behaviour thread which has been written by a very experienced guinea pig owner http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?38561-Sow-behaviour
 
Please do NOT use olbas or vapour rub or any similar stuff. It does nothing whatsoever to solve any dominance issues between them - piggy either get on or they don't in the end!

Are your girls having real tussles or are you seeing lots of the classic signs of dominance behaviour like rumblestrutting (rumbling and bum wiggling), mounting, head butting, chinning, chasing off etc. Subadult sows can be quite hormonal, but unlike with boars it very rarely ends up in bloody fights that demand a separation.

What you can do if it is just dominance behaviour: make sure that each girl has a hidey and bowl well away from each other, so the top sow cannot become possessive about it. Preferably have hideys with two exits so the undersow cannot be trapped. Just a towel draped over a corner can consititute a hidey. Like with boys, give them space.

Claire has already given you the link to sow behaviour.
 
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my 2 sows have days where they mount each other and have tussles with rumble strutting... they have never drawn blood though , it's just a hormonal thing.. please do not put vicks or anything like that on them , it could burn their eyes and irritate their skin :(
 
Yeah it's just the bum wiggling, headbutting malarkey really. There's two bowls in the cage and they're fine with food, so I might try different hidey areas
 
No need to worry then! It is just mostly hormones then. You will find that one sow coming into season kicks it off, and it can last a few days to a few weeks at a time. Things will generally calm down a lot once the piggies reach adulthood at 12-15 months old.

You will be happy to know that your girls can be still the best friends through it all!
 
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