How to stop bullying

[Bubble&Squeak]

Hi there

I'm new to this forum but was hoping for some help in stopping one of my new guinea pigs bullying the other.

To give a bit of background I originally had two sows three years ago: Beano (albino, rosette fur) and Bernie (short hair). They lived together happily for three years, although when we looked back we realised that Bernie had really been bullying Beano. Beano started off happy and jolly and over time became a bit withdrawn, jumpy and shyed away from the affection she had loved as a baby and we think it was down to the way Bernie was with her.

It all came to a head with the pair after about three years when they argued and Bernie bit Beano out of the blue in a quite viscious attack. Despite suffering convulsions for a very worrying 5 mins and having a nasty gash on her face Beano made a complete recovery. We kept them in seperate cages after that to be on the safe side and just let them play together when they were supervised.

They seemed fine living seperately for six months but, unfortunately Bernie got sick about two months ago and, after doing everything we could for her, she died.

Although Beano coped on her own okay we wanted her to have company and decided to get a new companion. When we went to get a new guinea pig we actually came away with two new sows (Bubble and Squeak) as they were so cute. As we've only had the pups a couple of weeks we've kept them separate to Beano, planning to slowly introduce them.

Squeak is another rosette fur pig and Bubble is another short hair pig and infact they show such similar traits to our other two we have joked they could be their offspring. However, we are worried that Bubble is bullying Squeak in the same way that Bernie did with Beano.

Bubble had diarrhea and so we seperated the two for a while. Squeak, who had been really timid when we got her, seemd really happy on her own and really came out of her shell. Now we have put them back together Bubble has continuously chased Squeak around (and not in a playful way) and seems to be bullying her.

Is there anything I can do to stop her doing this? I know with animals there's always a dominant one but I don't like the way she picks on Squeak and I don't want Squeak to end up scared and withdrawn as a result of Bubble's actions.

I have a third cage and could have them all living separetley if necessary but I don't want to have to do this as I want at least the two pups to be able to live together.

Does anyone have any suggestions or know if this is normal behaviour?

Many Thanks in advance...

 

[emmadhesi]

I too am having trouble with one big bully pig and would welcome advise from anyone out there!

 

[PiggiePal]

Hi there, someone with advice should reply to your post soon. We are a rescue friendly forum, rescues generally help you pair up your guinea with a suitable friend as some pigs just don't get on with each other. Obviously this isn't very helpful to you now but just so you know in future please adopt from a rescue rather than getting pigs bred for a pet shop for profit!

 

[Lisajazz]

Hiya. Have you tried the trio all together yet? It may help change the dynamics and yes they need to establish a hiarchy but it may stamp out the long term bullying. You may find one is left out but then again you may not.

Also what size is your cage? To keep 3 together you need quite a big space for them to let them each have room and have room to run about, a small space may see them frustrated and bored. Use some hideys that have 2 entrances / exits so no one can be conrered in them. If you don't have any use boxes and cut 2 doors in them.

I hope you manage to find a way for them all to live together it's nice for girls to live in herds - I have 6 together who live happily. I also have a pair who wouldn't accept another girl so it may work as your pair are babies it may not (it's more likely to work).

Did you get to the bottom of the upset tummy? Was it too many veg being fed? You can simply cut out veg and give plenty of dry food and hay and it will hopefully rectify itself. diarrhea can be serious in guineas though.

Good luck with introducing them all - do it on the floor somewhere where they have a big space.

Hope that helps - it's early and I'm not sure my brain is engaged yet!

 

[Bubble&Squeak]

Thanks for the replies of advice.

In the end I decided to seperate them. I know there always has to be a dominant one and there will inevitably be scuffles over this but it had crossed the line to bullying. Squeak had been happy, had come out of her shell and was having fun on her own. When we put them back together she became really withdrawn and was terrified. Bubble's picking on her was relentless and it just seemed so unfair. So now we have three guinea pigs and three cages!

Our first guinea pigs were from a pet shop as we knew no better at the time. This time around we got them from a family ofanimal lovers who had acquired about 15 from an elderly breeder who could no longer cope. They were keen to rehome them quickly but, at the same time, wanted to ensure they went to good homes. Hence us ending up taking two (I would have had the lot if I had room to keep them!).

In terms of cage size, originally I'd bought the biggest cage I could find. It had two main floors and one split level floor. We'd trained them to use the ramps and they used them for a while but then they just gave up and stuck to one floor. In the end I got rid of the second floor and just made sure they came out for exercise lots. Now we have two big cages and one that is okay while Bubble's a baby but we'll have to replace it when she's a bit older.

We decided to intoroduce the pups to Beano tonight and it actually went really well!

Tonight we put the three of them on our bed to see how they got on. We had to keep making sure the little ones didn't run off the edge and have had to change the sheets due to a few little accidents but, despite that it was a success!

There were no arguements, the pups seemd really interested in Beano and she was really calm with them. After a while the pups seemed obsessed with being near Beano and were squabbling over who was closest to her. Bubble did seem to try to be dominant over her at first but then realised she was three times her size and it wasn't a good idea. Beano seemed to take to Squeak more (maybe 'cos they're the same breed and very similar in behaviour). The pups seemed to act like she was their mum and she seemed excited to be with them so hopefully they'll all get on when they come out. It's just a shame they can't live together.

Oh, and the tummy upsets have thankfully all cleared up. I'd read it could be serious and, even though they were eating and looked healthy I'd monitored them and now they're back to full health!

emmadhesi -

I too am having trouble with one big bully pig and would welcome advise from anyone out there!

How has your pig been bullying the others and does he/she do it in a sly way (i.e only does it when they think you're not watching and suddenly stop and look all innocent when they see you're watching)?

 

[flintstones]

Could you not make a c & c cage and have them all living together it is possible that Beono could help the dyamics and since no blood was drawn between the girls they can still stay together. I would adleast try them living together, I did have a male bullying another male and it isn't good, but I think Beono could very well be the mummy they need .

 

[Bubble&Squeak]

Thanks, I'll give it a try as I'd rather they were together. The whole point of the new ones was to give Beano so company after Bernie died. Beano is really docile. She bites me (it's her new way of telling me she wants to go back to the cage) but she never bit Bernie. I think she always wanted company, just not the kind of company she used to get from Bernie.

I was just worried she was too old to get new house mates but I think you're right, I think she might stop the bullying and look after them. Beano's been so happy since the pups arrived I'd love it if they could live happily with her!

 

[flintstones]

If I were you I would try adleast then you know you've did everything and even if they don't all get along maybe one can live with beano I do hope they can all be friends, I got my boar 2 sows after what happened with him and the other boar unfortunately the boar liked to nip him and was leaving wounds so they had to be separated but in the end they had a fight, I wouldn't give up hope on the girlies living together just yet! Do remember they have to assert dominance .

Do you weigh your piggies? If not I would suggest it as it can indicate illness and also if a piggie is stressed they lose weight.

 

[Bubble&Squeak]

I'll try weighing tehm when I put them together. At the moment I can tell how much they eat from their food bowls but when they're together I won't know who's eating what.

I think ever since Bernie bit Beano I've been really nervous about pigs fighting. It was a really vicious attack. Beano had a really big gash on her face and was convulsing for ages, am assuming in fright. I was just relieved I'd been made redundant from work and so was there at the time to calm Beano down and to seperate them. I just worry about what they'll do when I'm not there.

I loved Bernie to bits but she was a bully and was really sly. She was all innocent when she knew we were watching her but as soon as she thought our backs were turned she would be up to no good, picking on Beano. Bubble is very much like Bernie but that may mean that Beano, remembering what Bernie was like will stop it from happening.

How bad did it get with your boars before you seperated them?

 

[flintstones]

I noticed the younger one was always next to my other boar, I thought he was being nice, he was actually stopping him moving. He would sit on the bridge so my other boar couldn't get out, and my other boar was on nerve all the time. There was occasions were I would watch my older boar psychically leap out the way of the other boar, to avoid confrontation. He never did anything when I was there, their was no warnings and that made me believe everything was fine.

Then I noticed wounds appearing on my boar, on his rump, behind his ear, on his side. Still I hadn't witnessed anything. I thought they had mites and he was so itchy he was cutting himself. I treated them for mites, still the wounds were there.

One morning I was getting ready for work, and witnesed the boar turn round and bite my other boar no warning no nothing, didn't even hear a squeak from my boar. I took him out to check him, and my wee darling was squeaking away as if trying to tell me what happened. I checked him found the wound, and as for the fur my other boar ate it which is obviously why there was never any evidence.

I didn't know what to do he was inflicting wounds, but not severe wounds. I thought there could still be a change they could live happily. Everything started clicking all the things I thought was cute, was him intimadating the other boar, a constant reminder that he was there, and he was boss.

In the end I made the decision to keep them together since they hadn't fought properly. I had made my boar a vet appointment to get his wounds looked at and was taking both in a box to the vet. Afterall they would bond though fear rollseyes. I never even got the box closed they launched at one another, and they were entwined balls of fur, I had to throw my jacket over them and pull them apart. That was it.

Fred was the only one with wounds fortunately I was there otherwise I fear he could have been badly hurt. He had some wounds but nothing terrible but it was enough for me too know they were never getting put back together.

As for the weighing, it is quite important to weigh your pigs if something is wrong with them they generally lose weight first. Even if they are eating there can still be something wrong. I weigh my piggies weekly, just what I'm used to but most do it every fortnight.

You will be able to see if a pig becomes withdrawn, it is unusual for 2 sows to hurt each other like that obviously they can fight just like males but I wonder why the other guinea pig flipped they must have really not liked one another. I know it's hard but take these piggies on personality, try and not think what if they do that chances are they won't.

I have 2 sows and a boar together the girls are so close it is lovely to see. The boar is in his element. It's great seeing them all happily living together.

I wish you luck, but if they are fine during playtime it should be good, but obviously keep an eye out for bullying behaviour. No matter how sly they are it will always come to light.

 

[paulandailz]

Two boys

Hiya. Have you tried the trio all together yet? It may help change the dynamics and yes they need to establish a hiarchy but it may stamp out the long term bullying. You may find one is left out but then again you may not.

Also what size is your cage? To keep 3 together you need quite a big space for them to let them each have room and have room to run about, a small space may see them frustrated and bored. Use some hideys that have 2 entrances / exits so no one can be conrered in them. If you don't have any use boxes and cut 2 doors in them.

I hope you manage to find a way for them all to live together it's nice for girls to live in herds - I have 6 together who live happily. I also have a pair who wouldn't accept another girl so it may work as your pair are babies it may not (it's more likely to work).

Did you get to the bottom of the upset tummy? Was it too many veg being fed? You can simply cut out veg and give plenty of dry food and hay and it will hopefully rectify itself. diarrhea can be serious in guineas though.

Good luck with introducing them all - do it on the floor somewhere where they have a big space.

Hope that helps - it's early and I'm not sure my brain is engaged yet!

Hi I have two boars same age one tri colour short, one grey short hair, when I am cuddling the grey one (George ) I have noticed a few scabs plus I've noticed that the tri one (jimmy) is bullying George chasing him, even going for him quite angrily but George the victim is the bigger one, I have a c and c cage three x two with a one by two loft which we was told would be big enough they have lots of toys infact they are quite spoilt with good food lots of cuddles we even have a run for them next to our dining table so we have tea together.
All the family love the little piggies we just hope they will learn to get on with each other. Will they?

 

[ASTRID]

We had a guinea pig called harry which got so badly indjured by bubbles that on one side he had no fur and wounds every where he was given lots of idjections and made a recovery but just be aware as piggy's get older they get grumpier so keep an eye out x