Help With Introducing

[Emma2468]

I have just got a one year neutered male guinea pig from a rescue to try and pair with my single female Sandy who is also one year. I have got them separate at the moment and have tried introducing but am inexperienced and unsure. When I have put them next to each other in the run with a divide. Popcorn (male) comes over to the bars and then runs away. He also sometimes chews the bars until I put his house in and then he goes and hides before eating grass. He seems uninterested. Sandy gets really frustrated chutting a lot and chews the bars as if trying to get his attention.

Today I tried them in the run with no divide in a neutral area. To start with they sat in the corner together and chattered teeth a little. Then Sandy went off and all seemed OK. Then Popcorn started constantly knawing the bars and was pulling them a bit at times. Sandy did some rumbling and he did but then he was uninterested. Sandy kept trying to sniff his bottom and then nipped him lightly once. He chattered his teeth and she went away. When she came back she tried to sniff him again. He didn't seem to care as he was too busy gnawing. I gave up when Sandy nipped him again lightly and they faced each other head on. I separated them then. Any tips on what to do? Anyone had this experience? I was scared to continue in case they had a proper fight. I do have a video if that would help.

 

[Wiebke]

I have just got a one year neutered male guinea pig from a rescue to try and pair with my single female Sandy who is also one year. I have got them separate at the moment and have tried introducing but am inexperienced and unsure. When I have put them next to each other in the run with a divide. Popcorn (male) comes over to the bars and then runs away. He also sometimes chews the bars until I put his house in and then he goes and hides before eating grass. He seems uninterested. Sandy gets really frustrated chutting a lot and chews the bars as if trying to get his attention.

Today I tried them in the run with no divide in a neutral area. To start with they sat in the corner together and chattered teeth a little. Then Sandy went off and all seemed OK. Then Popcorn started constantly knawing the bars and was pulling them a bit at times. Sandy did some rumbling and he did but then he was uninterested. Sandy kept trying to sniff his bottom and then nipped him lightly once. He chattered his teeth and she went away. When she came back she tried to sniff him again. He didn't seem to care as he was too busy gnawing. I gave up when Sandy nipped him again lightly and they faced each other head on. I separated them then. Any tips on what to do? Anyone had this experience? I was scared to continue in case they had a proper fight. I do have a video if that would help.

Hi! Please sit it out a bit longer. So far, nothing has been in the danger zone. Let them bond over a big pile of fresh grass or hay. Sandy is obviously interested, but Popcorn is not sure.
You may find this thread and its further links helpful to understand better what is going on: Illustrated Bonding Behaviours And Dynamics

 

[Tinka]

Hi! I was inexperienced when I introduced my two sows. From what I've heard and seen for myself, some chattering is fine and so is some "nipping." It might actually just be a "tweak", which could be a way of saying "give me some more space, this is a warning!" I find food is a great thing to bond over, if there's a lot of it.

My older girl Tuulikki followed Tove around, kind of chasing her, while Tove chattered. They weren't too happy, but since there was no all out fighting I let them sort things out. Sometimes they can get testy with each other because they have to establish who is going to be top pig. I'd say introduce them through bars again, then put them together and let them settle the tiff. If a real fight breaks out, then separate them. But I would get too ruffled about little "disagreements." My girls have been together for a year and they still have their moments.