How Do They React?

[lailajayne3]

So I've been thinking lately.. whenever I'm in my room and watch a guinea pig video on youtube and my girls hear other piggies wheeking, they run round their cage sometimes wheeking back. I always turn it down as I never know whether it freaks them out or whether they are looking for the pigs?

I was hoping to have a herd of piggies and we went to a rescue near by to see if my two would be bonded with two other girls. One of my girls was a bit too lively and dominant and the rescue and I decided there and then that she hasn't got the right personality to live in a herd and is too set in her ways... that's fine though we still love her

But ive seen that many people on here have multiple set ups with different pairs/herds of pigs. Is it recommended for all the pigs to see each other even though they are not living together? Or does it not matter, so they could have completely no idea they are living in a room with other guinea pigs? and do they freak out if they hear other pigs but cant get to them?

Hope this makes sense and is probably a daft question... but I'm just curious to know x

 

[Wiebke]

So I've been thinking lately.. whenever I'm in my room and watch a guinea pig video on youtube and my girls hear other piggies wheeking, they run round their cage sometimes wheeking back. I always turn it down as I never know whether it freaks them out or whether they are looking for the pigs?

I was hoping to have a herd of piggies and we went to a rescue near by to see if my two would be bonded with two other girls. One of my girls was a bit too lively and dominant and the rescue and I decided there and then that she hasn't got the right personality to live in a herd and is too set in her ways... that's fine though we still love her

But ive seen that many people on here have multiple set ups with different pairs/herds of pigs. Is it recommended for all the pigs to see each other even though they are not living together? Or does it not matter, so they could have completely no idea they are living in a room with other guinea pigs? and do they freak out if they hear other pigs but cant get to them?

Hope this makes sense and is probably a daft question... but I'm just curious to know x

I have several groups of sows (mostly with a neutered "husboar" each) that live side by side with interaction through the bars. This dies down after initial excitement. When sows are in season, things will get a few more spectators. They have all their own territory and usually not pleased when they have an unplanned intruder into their space.
You usually get more reaction from the boars, as they establish a hierarchy between each other by doing a series of "boar hakas" through the bars.

I've now had more than group living side by side for over 5 years.

 

[piggieminder]

Not a daft question at all. I have two pairs of boars living in the same room. They can hear and smell each other. The older pair (age 2) completely ignore the newbies. The newbies (4-5 months) went mad trying to find the others every time they heard them for the first week, then settled down. The older pair live in a cage on a table above the young ones who are in a c & c on the floor. When the older ones have floor time I block the other cage grids off with spare corex as otherwise the babies go mad biting the wire trying to get to the others who completely ignore all this noise as if nothing is going on. Spike (b&w in avatar) sometimes stands and stares at the babies cage with a look of utter contempt.

 

[flowerfairy]

Good question. My dogs reacted like crazy to guinea pig noises on youtube but, having had the real thing for a while now and been encouraged to come to me with a toy instead of barking when they hear wheeking they ignore them completely now.

I have two syrian male hamsters living in the same room (my bedroom) and they will often make little sneezy squeaking noises to each other accompanied by WHIZZING round their cages or play boxes. It is so cute to watch esp as they are so pretty and fluffy!

Are you considering more piggie wiggies?

 

[lailajayne3]

Really interesting, thanks for your replies.

Wiebke, that picture is amazing, piggy heaven I guess its an option to have an area where they could see each other through wire/grids and if it really stressed them out then I could cover it up.

Piggie minder, so yours are unable to see each other? See I have my cage on the floor but it has high wooden walls (hard to explain, its basically like a big pen) and it would be possible to have it so my girls could see other piggies or I could just cover it up, I guess it would depend on how the piggies react if I ever adopted some more. My girls are 3, so maybe its the younger ones that are more curious? Your little babies sound very cute aww.

Flower fairy, that's funny about your hamsters as it reminds me of two robos I used to have. They lived together but had to be separated after a while but I always had their cages next to each other as I was convinced they still liked to see each other. It was very cute

I'm definitely considering having more piggies. Possibly in the near future as id have to be certain that I have the right set up for more etc . I must admit I have fallen in love with Pippin and Emily the peruvians up for adoption on here though and Wheek and Squeak rescue (must be local to you?) have some lovely pigs in as well. Ahh why are pigs so cute? xx

 

[Wiebke]

Really interesting, thanks for your replies.

Wiebke, that picture is amazing, piggy heaven I guess its an option to have an area where they could see each other through wire/grids and if it really stressed them out then I could cover it up.

Piggie minder, so yours are unable to see each other? See I have my cage on the floor but it has high wooden walls (hard to explain, its basically like a big pen) and it would be possible to have it so my girls could see other piggies or I could just cover it up, I guess it would depend on how the piggies react if I ever adopted some more. My girls are 3, so maybe its the younger ones that are more curious? Your little babies sound very cute aww.

Flower fairy, that's funny about your hamsters as it reminds me of two robos I used to have. They lived together but had to be separated after a while but I always had their cages next to each other as I was convinced they still liked to see each other. It was very cute

I'm definitely considering having more piggies. Possibly in the near future as id have to be certain that I have the right set up for more etc . I must admit I have fallen in love with Pippin and Emily the peruvians up for adoption on here though and Wheek and Squeak rescue (must be local to you?) have some lovely pigs in as well. Ahh why are pigs so cute? xx

I don't keep bonded boars within line of sight of my sows; but I have found that same gender only next door set-ups provide no problems. For sows that includes a "husboar" as this follows the way their instincts run. If they have the opportunity, sows will associate with a boar of their choice to form a little group that hangs out together. You basically mimic this with a set-up like mine. All ground floor pens have direct access to a time-shared roaming area for zooming around and for saying hello to the neighbours.

There is just the initial excitement, which usually doesn't go further than some teeth chattering at first. The Tribe will react to piggy videos, too. If there is a food wheek, they will start one up too; if the piggy in the video sounds distressed, they pick up on that. And if one of them starts a stampede into hiding, everpig else will join in.

 

[Swissgreys]

I think it really depends on the personalities of the pigs in question.
I had a group of four (1 boar, 3 sows), and after almost a year together the bond broke down completely.
I tried rebonding on several occasions but Ruby had made up her mind, so they were split into two pairs.
They live in a C&C, so I felt it would be nice that they could still see each other through a 2 grid section of shared wall.
Total disaster.
Ruby became very aggressive at the shared wall whenever she saw Oreo or Eddi, Oreo and Eddi were terrified, and Ruby would then often turn and 'shout' at Lucy.
So I covered the shared wall, and over the past 4 months have tried to uncover small sections (or occasionally the pigs will pull a piece of cardboard down or chew a 'window') and the same thing happens - absolute mayhem.
It is very sad, as it is clear to me that Lucy misses Eddi and I occasionally catch them sitting nose to nose in a tiny gap in the cardboard, and I think they would love contact through the bars, but Ruby is having none of it.
The problem is that I feel Ruby and Lucy have a bit of tenuous bond, and I don't want to do anything to upset that as i seriously do not think that Ruby would accept another guinea pig.

 

[flowerfairy]

Laila Wheek and Squeak are fairly close to me. I really like that rescue. Cant see Pippin and Emily on their website. They have a group of five on there which are GORGEOUS. Also a glorious pair of himmies ... dangerous to look on rescue sites.

I have decided that if (if) I do ever get more piggies I would get smooth haired ones.

 

[Wiebke]

I think it really depends on the personalities of the pigs in question.
I had a group of four (1 boar, 3 sows), and after almost a year together the bond broke down completely.
I tried rebonding on several occasions but Ruby had made up her mind, so they were split into two pairs.
They live in a C&C, so I felt it would be nice that they could still see each other through a 2 grid section of shared wall.
Total disaster.
Ruby became very aggressive at the shared wall whenever she saw Oreo or Eddi, Oreo and Eddi were terrified, and Ruby would then often turn and 'shout' at Lucy.
So I covered the shared wall, and over the past 4 months have tried to uncover small sections (or occasionally the pigs will pull a piece of cardboard down or chew a 'window') and the same thing happens - absolute mayhem.
It is very sad, as it is clear to me that Lucy misses Eddi and I occasionally catch them sitting nose to nose in a tiny gap in the cardboard, and I think they would love contact through the bars, but Ruby is having none of it.
The problem is that I feel Ruby and Lucy have a bit of tenuous bond, and I don't want to do anything to upset that as i seriously do not think that Ruby would accept another guinea pig.

It is a different matter after a fall-out. If I have to split a group because of a fall-out or a case of bad bullying and there is a lot of bad blood through the divider that doesn't die down, then I try to move an uninvolved group between them. Thankfully, extremes like Ruby are not all that common.

I know that people complain about their teenage boys, but unsociable older sows are worse in my opinion. I've got currently four single older sows keeping each other stimulated by being best foes through the bars, who have all lost the last companion they got on with... I call them my Black Widows. But while they most definitely do want to go together (not with any other piggy), they are not as bad as Ruby and doing quite fine as they are.

 

[Swissgreys]

It is a different matter after a fall-out. If I have to split a group because of a fall-out or a case of bad bullying and there is a lot of bad blood through the divider that doesn't die down, then I try to move an uninvolved group between them. Thankfully, extremes like Ruby are not all that common.

I know that people complain about their teenage boys, but unsociable older sows are worse in my opinion. I've got currently four single older sows keeping each other stimulated by being best foes through the bars, who have all lost the last companion they got on with... I call them my Black Widows. But while they most definitely do want to go together (not with any other piggy), they are not as bad as Ruby and doing quite fine as they are.

@Wiebke I love the sound of your Black Widows group
That is brilliant.
May I please put Ruby on the waiting list for a place in your special club, because I am sure that in the coming years she will end up on her own. She is a wonderful guinea pig - she just isn't keen on other guinea pigs.....

 

[Wiebke]

@Wiebke I love the sound of your Black Widows group
That is brilliant.
May I please put Ruby on the waiting list for a place in your special club, because I am sure that in the coming years she will end up on her own. She is a wonderful guinea pig - she just isn't keen on other guinea pigs.....

There are those, so don't feel bad if you re-introduce Lucy to her old mates. Guinea pigs are a lot like humans. They are wired to be social and needing company of their own kind, but then you get those that are very happy to have their own space and not bothered by others. As long as you know that they actually have what they are happiest with and they are in no way depressed, there is no issue with that. Just keep her at a little distance (about a foot), so she can still hear the others, is not in direct contact and is not feeling threatened.

 

[lailajayne3]

There are those, so don't feel bad if you re-introduce Lucy to her old mates. Guinea pigs are a lot like humans. They are wired to be social and needing company of their own kind, but then you get those that are very happy to have their own space and not bothered by others. As long as you know that they actually have what they are happiest with and they are in no way depressed, there is no issue with that. Just keep her at a little distance (about a foot), so she can still hear the others, is not in direct contact and is not feeling threatened.

I definitely can see this as when I went to the rescue (when my girls went for their failed bonding session), there was a lovely lilac sheltie who was 5 years old. The rescue said she is happy to live next to any pig but the minute she has to share a space with one she hates it and cant deal with it. She had been tried with multiple other sows, a neutered boar and she just wouldn't settle. Before she came to the rescue her companion had died and she just wasn't willing to accept another. She was sooo lovely though.

Thanks for your replies, I just find it so interesting how the dynamics work and that you can get some piggies who love each other and others who cant stand one another! I guess it really does depend on the pigs in question xx

 

[lailajayne3]

Laila Wheek and Squeak are fairly close to me. I really like that rescue. Cant see Pippin and Emily on their website. They have a group of five on there which are GORGEOUS. Also a glorious pair of himmies ... dangerous to look on rescue sites.

I have decided that if (if) I do ever get more piggies I would get smooth haired ones.

Oh sorry Pippin and Emily are on the rehoming part of this forum. They are from BARC (about 4 hours away though).

Wheek and Squeak does look like a lovely rescue

 

[flowerfairy]

Oh sorry Pippin and Emily are on the rehoming part of this forum. They are from BARC (about 4 hours away though).

Wheek and Squeak does look like a lovely rescue

4 hours away is nothing by piggie train ... they have been waiting a while too.

 

[Wiebke]

I definitely can see this as when I went to the rescue (when my girls went for their failed bonding session), there was a lovely lilac sheltie who was 5 years old. The rescue said she is happy to live next to any pig but the minute she has to share a space with one she hates it and cant deal with it. She had been tried with multiple other sows, a neutered boar and she just wouldn't settle. Before she came to the rescue her companion had died and she just wasn't willing to accept another. She was sooo lovely though.

Thanks for your replies, I just find it so interesting how the dynamics work and that you can get some piggies who love each other and others who cant stand one another! I guess it really does depend on the pigs in question xx

Piggies are totally character driven; that is why you can never make any predictions. Unfortunately, you can never get piggies to love each other - they either love, like or tolerate each other; they hate each other on first sniff or fall out over who comes top. Some are very apprehensive when meeting new piggies and feel that offence is better than defence; I call that fear-aggression. Some just won't tolerate another piggy in their sphere, not even a very submissive one.
You can find a few observations on interactive behaviour in this guide here: Illustrated Bonding / Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics

 

[piggieminder]

Mine can only see each other when the upstairs neighbours have floor time. I am covering the grids at the moment because the babies go really frantic trying to get to the others and I am afraid for their teeth as they go mad biting the grids. I also don't think it's far to wind them up as they get into such a frenzy. The dominant baby rumble struts and the older pair ignore him! I also don't want to upset either bonding as both pairs are lovely together and I wonder if all the excitement could cause upset. We are now moving into warmer weather and garden run time (hopefully), so floor time won't be such an issue for a while. I may try letting them see each other again next winter when they are more settled, it would be lovely if they could greet the neighbours through the bars.