Is This Normal?

[jrogers]

Hi all, just some advice needed on the behaviour of my sow.

I bought some a new sow on Friday, she's in a different cage and in her quarrentine period before i attempt at bonding her with my original sow Peggy.

Her cage is next to Peggy's so they can hear/smell each other , however since bringing her home Peggy seems much different to her usual behaviour, she is very jumpy now and just doesn't seem herself

Is this normal in the early days, I'm getting very worried and would like some advice

Thankyou x

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

A quarantine is there to keep any new guinea pig safely AWAY from your own guinea pigs so they don't pick up any illnesses (including airborne ones) from any new piggies that have not undergone a mandatory quarantine at a rescue. What you are doing is not a quarantine, but basically a pre-introduction with contact through the bars. Please be aware that if there is any problem surfacing in the next couple of weeks, you will need to have both girls treated.

As to what you are doing: give both sows more time to get used to each other and get their bearings before you consider introductions.

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/importance-of-quarantine.108034/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/introducing-and-re-introducing-guinea-pigs.38562/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/illustrated-bonding-behaviours-and-dynamics.128361/

 

[jrogers]

Hi wiebke,

Thanks for your quick response, thought i might add i probably got my wording wrong on the term of quarrentine, she has already gone throughout the "3 week" type solitude quarrentine before i had rescued her from her previous home and previous to that a rescue and i made sure of that.

I mean as in she has been kept in her own, left to get used to her surroundings, sorry for the miswording.

thanks for the links, ill make sure i have a good read through them, it's greatly appreciated.

 

[Wiebke]

Take your time with the pre-intro, so the girls can get acquainted with each other. The more you can relax them, the better.