Failed Bonding - Thoughts Please!

[XbeccaX]

Four weeks ago I lost my girl Crunchie and was heartbroken. Since then I've been looking to get a new friend for Elsa, and yesterday I took her to a reputable guinea pig rescue.

I left Elsa with the lady who told me she was going to try and bond her with a young piggy who lived by herself. After a few hours, she told me the bonding had been successful and I could come collect them both. I arrived back at the rescue and was given the new piggy to meet and cuddle. But when I put her back in with Elsa, Elsa bit the other piggy. The lady said they had been absolutely fine while I'd been gone, and showed me pictures of them cuddling during the bonding (which Elsa never did with Crunchie). The lady tried to catch Elsa to try and give them both cuddle time together, and Elsa bit her quite hard which she has never done! I gave Elsa a cuddle and we tried them again, but Elsa made it clear she didn't want this new piggy near her! The lady said she thinks Elsa may be possessive of me!

Obviously I only want what is best for Elsa, so won't force another piggy on her if thats not what she wants. The lady at the rescue said she seems like a happy enough piggy, and I myself haven't noticed any change in her behaviour since Crunchie died.

I know some piggies will never accept another one, but I do find it odd they were fine until I came back! I wondered if anyone else has had a similar experience? Might Elsa be likely to change her mind? If not, is there anything else I can do for her? Thoughts are much appreciated!

 

[Cavy Kung-Fu]

When she bit the other piggy did she draw blood? I think it's very unlikely she would never want another friend so don't panic

 

[Betsy]

I had the same with my Rainbow piggy Gizmo. When his lifelong best bud Lenny trotted off to the Rainbow Bridge Giz wouldn't accept another piggy and he lived the rest of his life alone.

 

[Pound Shilling & Pig]

Hi, it sounds as if the bonding got off to a good start as the two piggies initially accepted each other but bonding takes several days or even a few weeks not just a matter of hours. Your piggy may have bitten the other because she was finding the whole situation too stressful, including the journey to the rescue centre and was probably relieved when the other pig was taken out for a cuddle but when put back with her just decided that enough was enough.

I feel very hopeful that your piggy will accept a new friend, the bonding can just be a little tricky at times

 

[rome_italy]

let me understand a detail: did you cuddle the girls together? because if I only did a similar thing with my two (bonded) sows it would mean a run to... the cemetery! It happened a lot of times: when a sow is cuddled the other one must be far. And if they are on the coach (where I usually cuddle them), just relaxing, they must be separate. Otherwise one of them would be severely bitten. Only when they are on the coach!
Hence, I think that Elsa felt something wrong at the rescue when you were present.
My three piggies never cuddle each others and each of them is a sort of individualist; they can eat together but want to sleep in separate places; dominance among them is weird, there is some harmless bite and a lot of sudden "attack" and intimidation, but they live together...
with some caution when the two sows are on the coach:

I have recently adopted a male and he was accepted by one sow, but not by the other one who attacked him and there was blood between them. I was loosing my hope when suddendly they changed their mind... But also with them, keeping them together in my lap would be really dangerous...
If possible, tell the rescue if it is possible to take the sow at home for a certain period. Maybe the two sows only need time before accepting each others. I needed one month time...
(and there was some blood between my two stubborn piggies)

 

[Wiebke]

Four weeks ago I lost my girl Crunchie and was heartbroken. Since then I've been looking to get a new friend for Elsa, and yesterday I took her to a reputable guinea pig rescue.

I left Elsa with the lady who told me she was going to try and bond her with a young piggy who lived by herself. After a few hours, she told me the bonding had been successful and I could come collect them both. I arrived back at the rescue and was given the new piggy to meet and cuddle. But when I put her back in with Elsa, Elsa bit the other piggy. The lady said they had been absolutely fine while I'd been gone, and showed me pictures of them cuddling during the bonding (which Elsa never did with Crunchie). The lady tried to catch Elsa to try and give them both cuddle time together, and Elsa bit her quite hard which she has never done! I gave Elsa a cuddle and we tried them again, but Elsa made it clear she didn't want this new piggy near her! The lady said she thinks Elsa may be possessive of me!

Obviously I only want what is best for Elsa, so won't force another piggy on her if thats not what she wants. The lady at the rescue said she seems like a happy enough piggy, and I myself haven't noticed any change in her behaviour since Crunchie died.

I know some piggies will never accept another one, but I do find it odd they were fine until I came back! I wondered if anyone else has had a similar experience? Might Elsa be likely to change her mind? If not, is there anything else I can do for her? Thoughts are much appreciated!

My bereaved rebel/sneaky bully sow Tegan went off her rescue dated Gethin a few hours after we came home with them. Thankfully, her then 5 years old mum Tesni took one look at 5 months old Gethin and fell for him head over heels! Two years on, Tesni and Gethin are still most happily married and have been joined last summer by Tesni's widowed sister Ffwlbri (after two failed attempts of rebonding her).
Now 6 year old Tegan went back to live with the old group boar, but didn't bond with another piggy for a year until she consented to share her cage with nearl 9 year old but still feisty Calli who she has been living side by side with for 10 months. It's been a year of finding solutions for four dominant bereaved old single sows that would not go together (one of them sadly passed away after nearly getting there with a neutered boar specially adopted for her).

Don't give up trying, but take into account that guinea pigs that are seemingly complacent can be actually stiff with fear when they are out of their comfort zone and then overreact. You want to see either active friendly or positive dominance interaction between them before you take any piggy home.

Otherwise, you can consider what I did - keep two difficult to bond piggies side by side in adjoining cages, so they have each their own territory but can interact and stimulate each other through the bars.

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics

 

[XbeccaX]

Thanks for your advice everyone!
I think I'll keep her by herself for now but if she starts looking miserable and sad I'll take her back but next time leave her for a little bit longer!

 

[winniethepooh]

Four weeks ago I lost my girl Crunchie and was heartbroken. Since then I've been looking to get a new friend for Elsa, and yesterday I took her to a reputable guinea pig rescue.

I left Elsa with the lady who told me she was going to try and bond her with a young piggy who lived by herself. After a few hours, she told me the bonding had been successful and I could come collect them both. I arrived back at the rescue and was given the new piggy to meet and cuddle. But when I put her back in with Elsa, Elsa bit the other piggy. The lady said they had been absolutely fine while I'd been gone, and showed me pictures of them cuddling during the bonding (which Elsa never did with Crunchie). The lady tried to catch Elsa to try and give them both cuddle time together, and Elsa bit her quite hard which she has never done! I gave Elsa a cuddle and we tried them again, but Elsa made it clear she didn't want this new piggy near her! The lady said she thinks Elsa may be possessive of me!

Obviously I only want what is best for Elsa, so won't force another piggy on her if thats not what she wants. The lady at the rescue said she seems like a happy enough piggy, and I myself haven't noticed any change in her behaviour since Crunchie died.

I know some piggies will never accept another one, but I do find it odd they were fine until I came back! I wondered if anyone else has had a similar experience? Might Elsa be likely to change her mind? If not, is there anything else I can do for her? Thoughts are much appreciated!

My piggie had been alone for a long time and when we got another piggie, he would cuddle with the other one for a bit but then they started fighting as he got older, I soon seperated them because they drew blood and a few months later, I set up a safe and huge area with only food for them to maybe bond again. It worked and now they are in a cage together again! They tend to make teeth chattering noises sometimes but that is because we are making another cage since the cage is too small.
Did Elsa draw blood on the other piggy? If so, I would seperate them, put the cages near each other or divide the cage (if big enough) and after a few months, try again in a big, safe area with only food and maybe they can work it out? But then again, I have boars so it might be different for you since you have sows.
It might be the cage size. Guinea pigs tend to be territorial and if they don't have enough space, they fight for it. How big is the cage?