Lonely Sleepers! Is This Normal?

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Chocolatepig14

Chocolatepig14

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Puzzled by my guniea pigs! But of a long one but my perception of happy guinea pigs are pigs that sleep snuggled up together. Over 10 years ago I had 2 guinea pigs that I believed were sisters that would happily snooze together or share a house or bedding box. When one died age 5 I bought a 6 week old guinea pig to be a companion to her. They got off to a rocky first 48 hours and I remember being delighted when I woke up to find them snuggled up together. Sadly two weeks later the other sister was put to sleep and I rehomed another baby sow.

From the start Lola's (new girl) behaviour was unusual and very panicky. Even when settled with humans she didn't like Maddy to share 'her' space and wouldn't share any enclosed or sleeping areas. When Lola died prematurely I awaited Phoebe (one of my current guinea pigs) to live with Maddy. They behaviour pattern continued. I had been assured Phoebe was friendly and I wandered if Maddy had learned this behaviour from Lola.

Maddy has now gone to the rainbow bridge so determined to break the pattern I collected two bonded baby sows to keep Phoebe company. Phoebe had been very withdrawn without Maddy. The babies were quarantined for a month and happily shared a log house. I moved them in with Phoebe yesterday in a spacious C&C cage with 2 log houses. Now I always have 1 guinea without a home!

Any suggestions. I'm not shocked that Phoebe is still alonely sleeper but surprised the babies want there own space also when they had happily shared previously!
 
Please make sure that you have always at least the same number of houses as you have piggies! Not all piggies are snuggle-uppers, but that doesn't mean that they aren't happily bonded. Even snuggly piggies often spend part of the night apart.
having one house per piggy is especially important during the dominance phase of the bonding process, during which the hierarchy is established. First choice of hidey and access to bowl is a medium through which dominance is expressed. bottom pig has to take what is left over. With thre piggies you are between a pair and a mini-group, so you are seeing slightly different dynamics at work.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/sow-behaviour.38561/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/biological-facts-and-guinea-pig-society.109062/
 
Always learning with my guinea pigs! Will acquire another house then. I have a third but it has only one entrance so I didn't want anybody being trapped if any scuffles broke out.

I was also conscious I wanted them to have room to run about but will try house number three. They seem to be getting on ok. It just puzzled me that the bonded pair immediately separated. I rehomed a pair as I seem to have had a series of sows that kind of get on but nowhere near as well as my two original sows.

Would be interested to find out if though an unsuitable pairing guinea pigs can forget how to be social
 
Sorry I can't help you but I have two boars who prefer to sleep at either end of their cage. In fact they pretty much do everything apart. I get the feeling that they just put up with each other to be honest.
 
Chocolatepig14 said:
Always learning with my guinea pigs! Will acquire another house then. I have a third but it has only one entrance so I didn't want anybody being trapped if any scuffles broke out.

I was also conscious I wanted them to have room to run about but will try house number three. They seem to be getting on ok. It just puzzled me that the bonded pair immediately separated. I rehomed a pair as I seem to have had a series of sows that kind of get on but nowhere near as well as my two original sows.

Would be interested to find out if though an unsuitable pairing guinea pigs can forget how to be social
Click to expand...

It is difficult to judge; some of my worst squabblers have been pairs of litter sisters... It is mostly down to how the personalities mesh. It can well be that some of your girls will snuggle up once they have sorted out how they stand with each other. But they can still get on with each other perfectly fine if not. I have groups that like to sleep close to each other and piggies that prefer a snug place of their own and can become quite possessive about it.
 
Some will snuggle, but others really don't. I don't think not sleeping together means that a pairing isn't close or that the pigs don't get along. Some pigs don't like company when they sleep. I notice that my two current pigs, Sundae and Hadley cuddle together at night far more than Sundae and Linney did before Linney passed away. Linney was just a really bossy dominant sow and she didn't like Sundae cuddling up to her. Hadley is still dominant over Sundae, but is a lot less domineering about it and doesn't seem to mind Sundae sharing the pigloo with her. But I don't think that Sundae and Hadley are necessarily closer than Sundae and Linney were. Hadley's just a bit more of a laid back leader than Linney was.
 
Glad to know it's not just my pigs then. They currently have 2 log shelters and the tiniest of the new girls is sleeping in the tube. I've just got back from purchasing two smaller shelters so I can put enough for one each while still leaving enough space for them to play.

Noticed Phoebe my most dominant sow likes to sleep behind her log house but doesn't want anybody else inside it! They all seem happy tho and shared a big pile of hay without squabbles this morning : )
 
Mine up until recently are usually alone sleepers. The only exception is in winter if its a little colder (although how they know when they have a very warm heated shed I will never know!). I have one pair now who are definite snugglers but both are old and one is half blind so they support each other and are inseparable. The other is a lone girl, she hates other piggies (despite me trying sow dating) she is far happier on her own but in sight of the others. She sleeps very happily on her own and always has done, all curled up like a cat.

BTW I also always used to have an extra house for them, even if they have one each there is ALWAYS one which wants one of the others and having the extra gives them more scope to get out of each others way. Its the same with horses, you never give two horses 2 piles of hay in a field as they will squabble…but three is just fine ! Animals hey?!
 
They can be possessive of favorite houses/spots! Sundae likes her pigloo and will attempt to take it with her, she pushes it with her nose as she walks so she appears like a turtle in its shell. She knows if she vacates it, Hadley will get inside instead. She also tends to pull a food dish inside the pigloo with her which makes it hard for the other pig to get to, hence we always have two food bowls to counteract Sundae's hoarding tendencies!
 
This makes me feels so much better! I thought mine were just odd!

I'm sure Phoebe will love the idea of taking her food with her!
 
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