My guinea pigs keep fighting!

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XxCavyLover123xX

XxCavyLover123xX

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Please help! I got 2 guinea pigs for my birthday which was over a month ago and they were both fine with each other. They are both boys but not brothers. We got them from a breeder as this is always recommended. But recently (about 2 days ago) they have started fighting very bad. In the first few weeks of having fine they used to square up to each other but now its full on fighting. I'm really scared for my piggies health and don't know what to do. Please help!:p
 
Hello and welcome to the forum. Firstly, it is not recommended to get guinea pigs from a breeder but a rescue. Rescues have already bonded their guinea pigs and you can be sure of a clean bill of health.

How big is your set up? With boys the bigger the set up the less chance they will squabble. As long as they are not drawing blood then the fighting is normal. With guinea pigs there is always a dominant one and they are trying to establish who this is. You can help them by having a large home and two of everything so they do not have to share.
 
Thanks for putting my mind at rest!

The guinea pigs have quite a large store bought cage, I know people say to get a C and C cage but we don't have the room they get to come out every night for a run and a popcorn in the hall. Thanks its a relief knowing this is normal behaviour I was getting worried now I have peace at mind. Thanks again!
 
I am sorry for your problems! The best place to get healthy and well bonded guinea pigs from is actually a reputable rescue. The key to a successful boar bond is ultimately character compatibility.

How big is your cage/hutch? And how old are your boys?

Boars go through a stroppy time when the big hormones hit between 4-14 months old. They need as much space as possible, ideally more than the RSPCA minimum recommendation of 2x4 ft. Make sure that they have everything in two - hidey, bowl, water bottle, ideally one at each end with some hay in the middle, so they can get away from each other and have their own territory.

If there have been bloody fights with bites, you may have to separate permanently.

You may find out boar guide helpful: http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=76162
 
You are very welcome. I just wonder what you mean by large cage. It needs to be at least 120 cm although that is really too small in my opinion. It is good they have floor time each day. That is very important.
 
I would say it is at least 2x4 ft and they have 2 food bowls,huts ect. They are 4 months old but no blood has been drawn (thankfully). Thank you for the replies they are really helpful and reassuring.:)
 
My two were scrapping most of last week, but this week they seem fine, just keep an eye on them making sure they don't draw blood x
 
Hormones hit in spikes, so you will have episodes every now and then. The trickiest months are often at around 8-10 months old. Many boar pairs actually make it through together, but it depends ultimately on whether they mesh or clash as teenagers/adults.
 
That's what I thought because for 1 hour they were fighting then snuggling up together the fighting and know there sleeping together. :P
 
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