How to introduce two male guinea pigs?

[Sarahbear7467]

I want to get a 2nd Guinea pig to keep my current one company. How to I introduce two young male Guinea pigs to each other? By the time I get my 2nd one mine will be about 7-8 months old and I have no clue how old the one I plan to get is but I think he is older but not yet full grown.

 

[Patch89]

Hello,

You will need a big secure space that is neutral, lots of hay and things for them to do. There may be some rumbling and humping, this is normal.

There is a great bonding guide on here that you may find helpful hopefully someone else can link you to it as my it skills are shocking.

 

[Allie0078]

It might be worth contacting a local rescue? I believe some will bond your guinea pig with one of their solitary piggies. I always thought this sounded like a good low-risk option (ie if it doesn’t work out you aren’t left with 2 piggies needed separate cages). Just something I will consider in the future if and when I only have one

 

[5Cs_Piggies]

I recommend putting the pair in a large, neutral space with a few two-way houses. It’s important for the hides to have two exits in case one pig decides to corner the other, which can result in fights. Chasing and humping is normal, as it’s a sign of dominance. There’ll probably be lots of chittering, which is their way of communicating. Having a pair of leather gloves on hand might be helpful too, just to separate any serious tustles. Otherwise, let them figure it out and only remove the pigs if fighting becomes dangerous.

 

[Janey]

Hello,

You will need a big secure space that is neutral, lots of hay and things for them to do. There may be some rumbling and humping, this is normal.

There is a great bonding guide on here that you may find helpful hopefully someone else can link you to it as my it skills are shocking.

Here is the link that will help you understand what to look out for when introducing a pair of boars: Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

This link explains about the various different sorts of dominance behaviours: Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

This link explains about boar behaviour, so is also worth reading too! Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

There is lots more information that you might find useful in the Guinea Pig Guides at the top of this page.