First disagreement:(

[Piggiemum2]

Had my two (boar) piggies less than a week now, both about 10 weeks old, after some in depth research I realised the cage I had them in just wasn’t big enough and they were getting on top of eachother, so Ive bought and set up a two tier cage (from the little pet warehouse which is now plenty big enough and they each have their own space).

I transferred some old bedding so they were maybe more comfortable in the new home and they both quickly picked their own beds on different levels.
They’ve been in it about 4 hours and after the more confident pig (Sage) ventured up to the top to the other pig (Basil), they had their first confrontation to which Sage had his heckles up, along with the pair of them squeaking incredibly loudly and also started chattering their teeth.
Sage then slid down the ramp and hasn’t been back up since.
I’m a bit worried as they’ve now separated again and seem both too scared to use the ramp and I don’t want them falling out for good.
Is this normal? Any tips or advice would really go a long way

 

[Wiebke]

Had my two (boar) piggies less than a week now, both about 10 weeks old, after some in depth research I realised the cage I had them in just wasn’t big enough and they were getting on top of eachother, so Ive bought and set up a two tier cage (from the little pet warehouse which is now plenty big enough and they each have their own space).

I transferred some old bedding so they were maybe more comfortable in the new home and they both quickly picked their own beds on different levels.
They’ve been in it about 4 hours and after the more confident pig (Sage) ventured up to the top to the other pig (Basil), they had their first confrontation to which Sage had his heckles up, along with the pair of them squeaking incredibly loudly and also started chattering their teeth.
Sage then slid down the ramp and hasn’t been back up since.
I’m a bit worried as they’ve now separated again and seem both too scared to use the ramp and I don’t want them falling out for good.
Is this normal? Any tips or advice would really go a long way

Hi and welcome!

Take a deep breath; this is new territory and the boys should hopefully settle down again well.

Rub the ramp with with some soiled bedding every day so it starts smelling used. Makse sure that they have a good grip and can't fall off. It can take some time before piggies start using a ramp, so don't worry about that.

 

[Piggiemum2]

Hi and welcome!

Take a deep breath; this is new territory and the boys should hopefully settle down again well.

Rub the ramp with with some soiled bedding every day so it starts smelling used. Makse sure that they have a good grip and can't fall off. It can take some time before piggies start using a ramp, so don't worry about that.

Thankyou so much that’s really helpful, I’ll definitely do that so they’re used to it. Would you say they’d be okay on separate levels? and not being together? Or am I maybe worrying too much now and they’re going to be completely fine…
Thankyou ever so much for your response

 

[Piggies&buns]

They will probably venture around and find each other again but as it is a new cage, they still need to find their way around. They will have a period of sorting themselves out again now they are in a new cage.

Do be aware that upper levels of the cage don’t count and cannot be added towards the total of the cage size so you need to make sure the bottom level of the cage is the space that meets size requirements. The upper level is just a bonus space. The bottom level needs to measure 180x60cm (150x60cm as a minimum) for a boar pair to have enough room .

 

[Swissgreys]

I would also say that if both levels are large (dimensions listed by Piggies&Buns above) then you may be ok.
But if there are going to be issues these can be made worse by potential cage areas where a guinea pig may feel trapped and vulnerable, and therefore more likely to lash out rather than run away.
The top of a ramp can be one such place, particularly if the ramp is steep or slippery.
Guinea pigs are not natural climbers and many cages with ramps which are sold as suitable for guinea pigs, are not, as the floors are too small and the ramp is too steep.
How big is the cage and do you have a photo of it?