Getting started with bonding

RosiePog

RosiePog

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi - I have read all the extremely helpful bonding guides on this site but I’d just like to get an idea of the practical/timing side of things to know I’m doing it right.
I have a (neutered) boy and a girl. Boy is new and has been here for 3 days in an adjoining cage. He is still skittish if there is loud noise or sudden movement but seems settled in that he will come out for his food and will come out when we are there. He has also let me handle him yesterday and accepted a fuss and took food from me. They have shown very positive interest in each other, chuckling at each other and trying to gnaw through the bars.

So is it the right time to start an introduction or should I leave it until the new piggy is more settled? Or will it help him settle to just get bonded?

When I start am I right in thinking I need to set up a neutral run space and that they have to stay in it for a few hours together with me around to monitor them? Then do they go in their cleaned rearranged cage the same day if all well? Will I need to time it so I can also monitor them in the cage for a time before leaving them alone?

I read some info on the blue cross site which confused me, not sure if you are meant to do several short introductions over a few days or all in one wallop. Is it best to strike while the irons hot and they are showing interest?

Thanks if anyone can clarify. It’s all I’ve been reading/thinking about and my head’s spinning with it!
 
The best option is to start as soon as possible. Guinea pigs are herd animals and being together makes them more confident.
Neutrale areas aren’t that important with male and female bonding as they are with same sex bondings but it could be helpful. I don’t think that it will take long time. After one or two hours they should be fine with going into the (cleaned) cage. After watching them half an hour or a bit more they will be fine unsupervised.
I would do just one introduction as it would be stressful to separate them again.
There will be a lot of humping squeaking during the first days as males usually get enormously excited to be with a girl. But that’s nothing to worry about. (Girls can scream extremely loud when they get humped)
Normally mixed sex bondings are very easy so just relax and don’t worry to much.
 
Boy and girl can have babies.
Are you introducing them to have babies?
 
No - he is a neutered boar as it says in the post :)
 
Hetja said:
The best option is to start as soon as possible. Guinea pigs are herd animals and being together makes them more confident.
Neutrale areas aren’t that important with male and female bonding as they are with same sex bondings but it could be helpful. I don’t think that it will take long time. After one or two hours they should be fine with going into the (cleaned) cage. After watching them half an hour or a bit more they will be fine unsupervised.
I would do just one introduction as it would be stressful to separate them again.
There will be a lot of humping squeaking during the first days as males usually get enormously excited to be with a girl. But that’s nothing to worry about. (Girls can scream extremely loud when they get humped)
Normally mixed sex bondings are very easy so just relax and don’t worry to much.
Click to expand...

Thanks - I’m probably overthinking it
 
RosiePog said:
Hi - I have read all the extremely helpful bonding guides on this site but I’d just like to get an idea of the practical/timing side of things to know I’m doing it right.
I have a (neutered) boy and a girl. Boy is new and has been here for 3 days in an adjoining cage. He is still skittish if there is loud noise or sudden movement but seems settled in that he will come out for his food and will come out when we are there. He has also let me handle him yesterday and accepted a fuss and took food from me. They have shown very positive interest in each other, chuckling at each other and trying to gnaw through the bars.

So is it the right time to start an introduction or should I leave it until the new piggy is more settled? Or will it help him settle to just get bonded?

When I start am I right in thinking I need to set up a neutral run space and that they have to stay in it for a few hours together with me around to monitor them? Then do they go in their cleaned rearranged cage the same day if all well? Will I need to time it so I can also monitor them in the cage for a time before leaving them alone?

I read some info on the blue cross site which confused me, not sure if you are meant to do several short introductions over a few days or all in one wallop. Is it best to strike while the irons hot and they are showing interest?

Thanks if anyone can clarify. It’s all I’ve been reading/thinking about and my head’s spinning with it!
Click to expand...

Hi!

Please firstly make sure that that your boy 6 weeks past his neutering operation and 100%. This follows good standard recsue practice. The little baby in my avatar is the unplanned daughter of a supposedly safe over 5 weeks post-op boar (not one of mine), just to prove that particular point.

For guinea pigs every meeting is basically a bonding meeting. Short meetings (need to be split before the whole bonding caboodle starts, otherwise it counts as an interrupted meeting) is of use only in very limited circumstances and can easily create and reinforce negative opinions in my own experience.
It is much better to do what you do: leave the piggies to get to know each other through the grids in their own time. That takes extra stress out of the equation much better. If there is positive interaction and friendly interaction, you can bond anytime. For a skittish new piggy it is generally much easier if they have a companion and take cues from them; that generally speeds up the settling in.

Bonding is not a matter of leaving piggies in the neutral bonding pen for a few hours. It is about watching whether acceptance has happened; if that is the case, it usually segues quickly into a hierarchy sort-out. Only if the top spot has been established and the piggies are OK with each other after a nap can you move to a cage as they are now functioning as a group. It roughly takes another 2 weeks to work out the details of their relationship (dominance phase).

In cross gender bondings the crucial point is whether a boar is accepted by the sows. A submissive sow will let him mount her initially even if she is not in season. A dominant sow will keep her distance and not allow him to mount her. If he persists despite clear warnings, then a bonding can fail when they get into a major tussle.
In some cases, a young and freshly neutered boar (generally a teenager or young adult) can have his gonads take over and go into a humping frenzy. Separate if necessary when the sow is showing clear signs of distress after a while and is not taking charge of the situation herself by establishing her leadership. Keep them next to each other in the bonding pen or adjoining cages to calm down a bit and then give them another go on the following day.
Only move them to the final cage once things have calmed down enough and make sure that there are no hideys with just one exit until they have been through their first season together (i.e. about 2 weeks).
Younger sows don't often reject boars, but older sows past ideal child bearing age can be much trickier to bond.

Expect fireworks the first time a newly bonded sow is coming into season; she can do so spontaneously in the presence of boar pheromones if she is close enough in her estrus cycle. The shared excess of strong pheromones and emotion is going to tie them much more closely together.
Sow Behaviour
When Sows Experience A Strong Season (videos)

I hope that that helps you? We can't be more precise because there is not one right way that fits everything and that guarantees success as long as you follow a recipe to the letter. It all depends on the individual personalities, how they interact, how they interpret the often rather subtle signals that are exchanged and that determine the bonding dynamics. Every bonding is unique.
Experience and practice teaches you to pick up more on these subtle interactive signs and the ensuing dynamics. It gives you more of a range of tools for deciding how to best tackle things in particular situations/specific hang-ups, but it doesn't mean that you will get a bonding success every time. You just develop a better feel for whether things are heading in the right direction or not and can be either more patient or call things off earlier if issues are not getting resolved as much as they should for a long term stable bond.

Good luck and try to interfere as little as you can - that is the hardest bit.
 
Wiebke said:
Hi!

Please firstly make sure that that your boy 6 weeks past his neutering operation and 100%. This follows good standard recsue practice. The little baby in my avatar is the unplanned daughter of a supposedly safe over 5 weeks post-op boar (not one of mine), just to prove that particular point.

For guinea pigs every meeting is basically a bonding meeting. Short meetings (need to be split before the whole bonding caboodle starts, otherwise it counts as an interrupted meeting) is of use only in very limited circumstances and can easily create and reinforce negative opinions in my own experience.
It is much better to do what you do: leave the piggies to get to know each other through the grids in their own time. That takes extra stress out of the equation much better. If there is positive interaction and friendly interaction, you can bond anytime. For a skittish new piggy it is generally much easier if they have a companion and take cues from them; that generally speeds up the settling in.

Bonding is not a matter of leaving piggies in the neutral bonding pen for a few hours. It is about watching whether acceptance has happened; if that is the case, it usually segues quickly into a hierarchy sort-out. Only if the top spot has been established and the piggies are OK with each other after a nap can you move to a cage as they are now functioning as a group. It roughly takes another 2 weeks to work out the details of their relationship (dominance phase).

In cross gender bondings the crucial point is whether a boar is accepted by the sows. A submissive sow will let him mount her initially even if she is not in season. A dominant sow will keep her distance and not allow him to mount her. If he persists despite clear warnings, then a bonding can fail when they get into a major tussle.
In some cases, a young and freshly neutered boar (generally a teenager or young adult) can have his gonads take over and go into a humping frenzy. Separate if necessary when the sow is showing clear signs of distress after a while and is not taking charge of the situation herself by establishing her leadership. Keep them next to each other in the bonding pen or adjoining cages to calm down a bit and then give them another go on the following day.
Only move them to the final cage once things have calmed down enough and make sure that there are no hideys with just one exit until they have been through their first season together (i.e. about 2 weeks).
Younger sows don't often reject boars, but older sows past ideal child bearing age can be much trickier to bond.

Expect fireworks the first time a newly bonded sow is coming into season; she can do so spontaneously in the presence of boar pheromones if she is close enough in her estrus cycle. The shared excess of strong pheromones and emotion is going to tie them much more closely together.
Sow Behaviour
When Sows Experience A Strong Season (videos)

I hope that that helps you? We can't be more precise because there is not one right way that fits everything and that guarantees success as long as you follow a recipe to the letter. It all depends on the individual personalities, how they interact, how they interpret the often rather subtle signals that are exchanged and that determine the bonding dynamics. Every bonding is unique.
Experience and practice teaches you to pick up more on these subtle interactive signs and the ensuing dynamics. It gives you more of a range of tools for deciding how to best tackle things in particular situations/specific hang-ups, but it doesn't mean that you will get a bonding success every time. You just develop a better feel for whether things are heading in the right direction or not and can be either more patient or call things off earlier if issues are not getting resolved as much as they should for a long term stable bond.

Good luck and try to interfere as little as you can - that is the hardest bit.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much that is very helpful. I think I will proceed today and see how they get on as they seem very positive towards each other through the bars, and I have the time today to monitor them closely which I might not have again for a few days.

Extremely useful to know I shouldn’t interfere and just let them sort themselves out and that it’s a long process. Is acceptance only there if the sow allows a mount, or is it also marked by other things like eating and snuggling in together?

I’ve only ever had sow pairs in the past that have worked out so second guessing myself.

He is from a reputable rescue and was 6 weeks when he was offered for adoption which is getting on for 2 weeks ago so hope all well on that front.
 
They are both young - under a year - but my sow was the more dominant in her previous pairing
 
RosiePog said:
Thank you so much that is very helpful. I think I will proceed today and see how they get on as they seem very positive towards each other through the bars, and I have the time today to monitor them closely which I might not have again for a few days.

Extremely useful to know I shouldn’t interfere and just let them sort themselves out and that it’s a long process. Is acceptance only there if the sow allows a mount, or is it also marked by other things like eating and snuggling in together?

I’ve only ever had sow pairs in the past that have worked out so second guessing myself.

He is from a reputable rescue and was 6 weeks when he was offered for adoption which is getting on for 2 weeks ago so hope all well on that front.
Click to expand...

No, acceptance can also happen with dominant sows. They will just display the usual dominance behaviours like rumblestrutting and giving a boy a STARE if he gets ideas etc. ;)
 
Update - had a successful day - my girl did turn out to be dominant as I suspected and saw off humping attempts with a glare as you said. However, he seemed to take it quite well and she sought out his company whenever he walked off, and after a lot of rumbling around with hackles raised they shared some lettuce and had a snuggle together. There was more rumbling when they were put in the clean cage, but they soon settled and seem quite easy with each other now, grooming next to each other and munching hay together so fingers crossed.

I have to say it was really fascinating watching them interact and I felt like I really got to know them and their personalities. I think I would have been a bit unnerved at all the dominance displays had I not been prepped for what to expect, as it was it was actually quite entertaining (in a nervous way!) since I knew what was going on, so thanks again.
 
RosiePog said:
Update - had a successful day - my girl did turn out to be dominant as I suspected and saw off humping attempts with a glare as you said. However, he seemed to take it quite well and she sought out his company whenever he walked off, and after a lot of rumbling around with hackles raised they shared some lettuce and had a snuggle together. There was more rumbling when they were put in the clean cage, but they soon settled and seem quite easy with each other now, grooming next to each other and munching hay together so fingers crossed.

I have to say it was really fascinating watching them interact and I felt like I really got to know them and their personalities. I think I would have been a bit unnerved at all the dominance displays had I not been prepped for what to expect, as it was it was actually quite entertaining (in a nervous way!) since I knew what was going on, so thanks again.
Click to expand...

Glad we could help you! Piggy interaction is fascinating to watch - this species is soooo much more than just a living cuddly toy!
 
Absolutely - it has been so interesting watching them. They still seem to be working out who gets what first (girl winning so far) but very good naturedly and of course when the big bad comes threatening them with the lettuce they asked for they are huddling together :)) What is amusing is how she chases him away from the best hidey etc then when he wanders off somewhere else she goes straight after him and snuggles up. It’s a real dance. He hasn’t got the courage to use the bridge over into the second area of the cage yet and it’s really funny as she leaps over no problem but is obviously trying to communicate to him how to do it, and when he doesn’t get it she comes back over to sit with him like “Ok we’ll stay here then”!
 
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