First Introduction Gone Wrong

[Shikha]

I recently lost one of my girls who were of the same litter and together since three years. After i lost bonky after nearly three months of illness, i knew i had to get her a new companion. When dolma's diet decreased i got her a rescue male as a friend rwo months her senior.
Here i made the big mistake, the moment he was home dolma met him on my bed and instantly started kissing him licking him and seemed so happy. Thinking that they have instantly clicked i placed the two in her cage and they were fine for the first half hour and them a lot of jumping started so I separated them and then after a few hours i got them together and dolma ended with a split lip.
Again separated but kept side side in separate cages. Somehow dolma managed to get in his cage and started a fight and had two big gashes on her lip and cheek. By the time I intervened she had already left his cage.
There was not much blood only a few drops so I cleaned her.
After that fight it has been nearly 10 hours and dolma has showed no interest in his cage wat so ever.
When i took dolma out to check on her later she smelled him on me and started saying something ( no idea wat).
Now mayo sometimes call to her but she is ignoring him.
I plan the next introduction next week after they get their baths.
Any idea or pointers.
Dolma has always been the dominant one and i know nothing about mayos nature.
How long canthe bonding process take.
And why when they were getting along fine did the suddenly got into the fight.
Did mayo cut inside dolmas mouth or she got hurt trying to bite him. He had no blood or injury watsover.

 

[Cavy Kung-Fu]

Please read the introducing guides, they should have plenty of time in a neutral area to get to know each other before you put them in a cage. Make a big run somewhere they've not been before and let them go in there to see how they react. Make sure there's plenty of hay, food and water so they can't fight over it.

Then clean out the cages so if all goes well for a few hours and they sort out the hierarchy they can go back to a neutral, clean and scent free cage

 

[Wiebke]

I recently lost one of my girls who were of the same litter and together since three years. After i lost bonky after nearly three months of illness, i knew i had to get her a new companion. When dolma's diet decreased i got her a rescue male as a friend rwo months her senior.
Here i made the big mistake, the moment he was home dolma met him on my bed and instantly started kissing him licking him and seemed so happy. Thinking that they have instantly clicked i placed the two in her cage and they were fine for the first half hour and them a lot of jumping started so I separated them and then after a few hours i got them together and dolma ended with a split lip.
Again separated but kept side side in separate cages. Somehow dolma managed to get in his cage and started a fight and had two big gashes on her lip and cheek. By the time I intervened she had already left his cage.
There was not much blood only a few drops so I cleaned her.
After that fight it has been nearly 10 hours and dolma has showed no interest in his cage wat so ever.
When i took dolma out to check on her later she smelled him on me and started saying something ( no idea wat).
Now mayo sometimes call to her but she is ignoring him.
I plan the next introduction next week after they get their baths.
Any idea or pointers.
Dolma has always been the dominant one and i know nothing about mayos nature.
How long canthe bonding process take.
And why when they were getting along fine did the suddenly got into the fight.
Did mayo cut inside dolmas mouth or she got hurt trying to bite him. He had no blood or injury watsover.

Hi and welcome!

Is Mayo neutered or not? If not, please DO NOT put them together, or you will be swamped with babies with Dolma pregnant nonstop an eventually dying from overbreeding. About every fifth birth goes wrong and ends in the death of mum and/or pups. That is a very high price to pay.

Please take the time to read these detailed guides if Mayo has been neutered for at least 6 weeks previous to you getting him. They will tell you all about bonding and bonding dynamics. Sows when not in season will rather ignore boars. Upon initial acceptance always follows a dominance phase in which the leader of the group is determined. If there is no agreement on who comes top, then a bonding has failed and nothing you can do will change that.
A bath is only necessary when you are re-introducing with testosterone soaked boars after a cooling down overnight separation that have nearly fallen out. In all other cases, it is simply an unnecessary stress factor and NOT the all-heal as that it is currently touted around widely online. You should know fairly quickly when they meet again whether they want to be together or whether Dolma has staken strongly against Mayo. In this case, they can still live as next door companions with interaction through the bars for mutual stimulation unless your friend wants to take Mayo back and you can look for a little or submissive sow.
Illustrated Bonding / Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/pregnancy-guide.109375/

 

[Shikha]

Hi and welcome!

Is Mayo neutered or not? If not, please DO NOT put them together, or you will be swamped with babies with Dolma pregnant nonstop an eventually dying from overbreeding. About every fifth birth goes wrong and ends in the death of mum and/or pups. That is a very high price to pay.

Please take the time to read these detailed guides if Mayo has been neutered for at least 6 weeks previous to you getting him. They will tell you all about bonding and bonding dynamics. Sows when not in season will rather ignore boars. Upon initial acceptance always follows a dominance phase in which the leader of the group is determined. If there is no agreement on who comes top, then a bonding has failed and nothing you can do will change that.
A bath is only necessary when you are re-introducing with testosterone soaked boars after a cooling down overnight separation that have nearly fallen out. In all other cases, it is simply an unnecessary stress factor and NOT the all-heal as that it is currently touted around widely online. You should know fairly quickly when they meet again whether they want to be together or whether Dolma has staken strongly against Mayo. In this case, they can still live as next door companions with interaction through the bars for mutual stimulation unless your friend wants to take Mayo back and you can look for a little or submissive sow.
Illustrated Bonding / Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/pregnancy-guide.109375/

Yes mayo is neutered so thats not a problem. I would never mate dolma ever so don't worry.
I was thinking about bath as mayo has a very strong smell.
How long should I wait before the next introduction. I'm thinking to keep them side by side for a week and then try again.

 

[Shikha]

Just an update - dolma seems to be scared of mayo now and doesn't eat as much or go near his house and stays hidden so I changed rooms as dolma poop started getting weird. Is she stressed.
Any help or advice is welcomed as I am pretty clueless

 

[Cavy Kung-Fu]

Has anything happened between them? How are they during run time and/or cuddle time? Are they happy to be together in these situations?

Sometimes piggies don't spend time with each other, my girls don't cuddle up together or anything like some piggies do. They are stil happy to live together but they would never share a hidey

 

[Shikha]

Has anything happened between them? How are they during run time and/or cuddle time? Are they happy to be together in these situations?

Sometimes piggies don't spend time with each other, my girls don't cuddle up together or anything like some piggies do. They are stil happy to live together but they would never share a hidey

They had a fight the first time they met. After that I separated them. They haven't met again after that. Dolma started getting very stressed after the first meeting that she started eating less and her poops were all small and clumpy, the vet says medically she seems fine but may be as she got hurt during the fight she ate less and gotthe problem. So till she get back to normal she is in a separate room.
I just want them to get along enough so that they can share the cage .

 

[Cavy Kung-Fu]

Sorry I've been away for a time, how is it going?

Sometimes some piggies just aren't meant to be, in that case they won't be able to live together but perhaps side by side. Hope this isn't the case for your guys though!