oxtinamona
Junior Guinea Pig
Hey all. I had my two sows for 5 months and there are both 6 months... They're were getting on OK, never cuddled or anything but were OK. Past month or so dominant piggie,Ginger has been quite mean to Biscuit but what happened on Wednesday forced me to intervene and separate as I've never seen that before and not to that extend. Ginger started chasing Bisucit away, in much more persistent and mean way than before... She kept chasing her even if she was upstairs and she was downstairs ! She'd go upstairs just to chase her off. On Wednesday she actually chased Biscuit from upstairs and when she calmed down downstairs she then chased her back upstairs all over again, this time with nips! Biscuit was squealing and so scared, curled in the corner, that we didn't know what to do and took ginger out to another cage.
Perhaps it wasn't the right decision, I know everyone says that you're supposed to leave them alone and sort their differences out but they are only 6 months old and they've been together since 6th week and they used to get along and play and popcorn together.
As this behaviours has been escalating for past 6 weeks or so and ginger became more and vicious we took her out as I said.
That was Wednesday. On Thursday , I cleaned their c&c cage (4x2 +2x2 loft) then bathed them together as read this may help rebonding. After I've dried them I put them in the play pen and after not even 10 mins she started chasing poor biscuit around the pen again. That happened few times and we decided not to intervene tho it was heart breaking. It was like she was jealous of every piece of blanket and every tiny piece of hay Biscuit ate and laid on! She was on it just to chase her of and spend two seconds on it, to then continue tormenting Biscuit. Later on it seemed to have calmed and I put them back in the cage as it was late. Few minutes later she was on it again. Chasing Biscut up and down the levels, nipping her back, teeth chattering ! She literally came over to Biscuit who wasn't even near her and froze staring at her for minute or more. We knew she's going to launch herself at biscuit and she did. And that kept going on and on... We took biscuit or to cuddle her for a minute or so and she actually cried just when I touched her to take her out. It was absolutely heart shattering as she's a darling pig with a lovely character! I Took Ginger out for cuddle time and she was very relaxed falling asleep on my chest. I hoped it'll relax her attitude too. We eventually went to slept after 1am and they did too. I think girls were shattered as well. I hardly slept hearing out for more tormenting but overnight it seemed to have been calm. Started again on Saturday in the morning just after they were fed.
She wouldn't let Biscuit lay on the fleece cushion or fleece blanketbed. She started effectively cornering her which I really strongly dislike and think it's a bad sign. I don't think its dominance anymore. I thought it's jealousy so we thought we give her even more attention. We feed them simultaneously and there's plenty of food - we make sure of it just in case it's food jealousy. Maybe we are too emotional and see it for worse than it is, but it's hard to see ginger treat B like this.
What freaked me out most was than on Saturday morning after another chase, Biscuit was crying as being nipped numerous times, she then moved away from the toilet Ginger cornered her to and went on a blanket. She love s burrowing and sadly she got trapped in there,
she dag herself deep to get some rest as she was so stressed and what Ginger did shocked me. She got up on the top of blanket - so With Biscuit who was underneath - it and lied down on it. For a moment I thought it was a good sign, but what she did next froze blood in my Veins. Top of Biscuits head was sticking out and she literally pecked it aggressively , like a bird! Biscuit didn't even make a sound! Every time after the attack Ginger seems really triumphant and walks away proudly on her bed, chills and yawns and drifts away for a nap! And that's a huge change in her I've noticed. As she appears to us malicious on her actions. Thought its so had to judge as humans, Not sure why she has to prove her dominance in this new awful way as good old rumble strutting and mounting worked fine and Biscuit was always submissive.
There's no blood drawn but Bisucit is become sadder and sadder and I don't want her personality to suffer as she is, or was so trusting and happy chirpy , popcorning little thing. She's now siting sad in the corner and I can't stay up another night as I'll cry my eyes out again watching biscuit suffer and ginger being , well what appears to be just big bully. I darent think what's happening and what could happen now when we go back to work after Easter?
We go through stages of accepting this as dominant behaviour, then we see biscuit being so sad and emotions kick in. They have two of everything, bowls, 3 hay feeders, toys and chewing things. We removed all hideys for now, anything Biscuit can get trapped it. They not only have big cage, but also play pen time 3x a week or more.
Today it continues but Ginger doesn't chatter her teeth at biscuit anymore. Is that a good sign?
I just wish I knew how long do we allow this behaviour before it affects Biscuit ?
Thank you in advance
Perhaps it wasn't the right decision, I know everyone says that you're supposed to leave them alone and sort their differences out but they are only 6 months old and they've been together since 6th week and they used to get along and play and popcorn together.
As this behaviours has been escalating for past 6 weeks or so and ginger became more and vicious we took her out as I said.
That was Wednesday. On Thursday , I cleaned their c&c cage (4x2 +2x2 loft) then bathed them together as read this may help rebonding. After I've dried them I put them in the play pen and after not even 10 mins she started chasing poor biscuit around the pen again. That happened few times and we decided not to intervene tho it was heart breaking. It was like she was jealous of every piece of blanket and every tiny piece of hay Biscuit ate and laid on! She was on it just to chase her of and spend two seconds on it, to then continue tormenting Biscuit. Later on it seemed to have calmed and I put them back in the cage as it was late. Few minutes later she was on it again. Chasing Biscut up and down the levels, nipping her back, teeth chattering ! She literally came over to Biscuit who wasn't even near her and froze staring at her for minute or more. We knew she's going to launch herself at biscuit and she did. And that kept going on and on... We took biscuit or to cuddle her for a minute or so and she actually cried just when I touched her to take her out. It was absolutely heart shattering as she's a darling pig with a lovely character! I Took Ginger out for cuddle time and she was very relaxed falling asleep on my chest. I hoped it'll relax her attitude too. We eventually went to slept after 1am and they did too. I think girls were shattered as well. I hardly slept hearing out for more tormenting but overnight it seemed to have been calm. Started again on Saturday in the morning just after they were fed.
She wouldn't let Biscuit lay on the fleece cushion or fleece blanketbed. She started effectively cornering her which I really strongly dislike and think it's a bad sign. I don't think its dominance anymore. I thought it's jealousy so we thought we give her even more attention. We feed them simultaneously and there's plenty of food - we make sure of it just in case it's food jealousy. Maybe we are too emotional and see it for worse than it is, but it's hard to see ginger treat B like this.
What freaked me out most was than on Saturday morning after another chase, Biscuit was crying as being nipped numerous times, she then moved away from the toilet Ginger cornered her to and went on a blanket. She love s burrowing and sadly she got trapped in there,
she dag herself deep to get some rest as she was so stressed and what Ginger did shocked me. She got up on the top of blanket - so With Biscuit who was underneath - it and lied down on it. For a moment I thought it was a good sign, but what she did next froze blood in my Veins. Top of Biscuits head was sticking out and she literally pecked it aggressively , like a bird! Biscuit didn't even make a sound! Every time after the attack Ginger seems really triumphant and walks away proudly on her bed, chills and yawns and drifts away for a nap! And that's a huge change in her I've noticed. As she appears to us malicious on her actions. Thought its so had to judge as humans, Not sure why she has to prove her dominance in this new awful way as good old rumble strutting and mounting worked fine and Biscuit was always submissive.
There's no blood drawn but Bisucit is become sadder and sadder and I don't want her personality to suffer as she is, or was so trusting and happy chirpy , popcorning little thing. She's now siting sad in the corner and I can't stay up another night as I'll cry my eyes out again watching biscuit suffer and ginger being , well what appears to be just big bully. I darent think what's happening and what could happen now when we go back to work after Easter?
We go through stages of accepting this as dominant behaviour, then we see biscuit being so sad and emotions kick in. They have two of everything, bowls, 3 hay feeders, toys and chewing things. We removed all hideys for now, anything Biscuit can get trapped it. They not only have big cage, but also play pen time 3x a week or more.
Today it continues but Ginger doesn't chatter her teeth at biscuit anymore. Is that a good sign?
I just wish I knew how long do we allow this behaviour before it affects Biscuit ?
Thank you in advance
they'll get spoilt - within reason. I'm hoping it'll work out. 