Need help

[Wigglefingers]

So recently my two guinea pigs have been far too much too handle for me, I don't know what to do. They really don't get along alot of the time and I've tried everything to help them be friends but it isn't working. I'm scared that one isn't eating enough because the other is scaring him away from the hay. I have the biggest possible cage I can have for them (3x5 c&c cage) and they are allowed out of the cage every day and yet one them is constantly bitting the bars of the cage. They also have been chewing at the furniture to the point where I'm scared the dresser might collapse because of the dangerously thin legs. I've tried to cover it so they can't get to the furniture but they always find a way past. They've been smelling out my entire room too (despite regular cage cleaning) and the carpet is constantly getting stained or covered in hay and mess. I'm also very allergic to them and have constant nose bleeds and sore eyes when ever I sit in my own room. i have to wear a mask when I clean their cage. I'm scared that I'll have to give them away, which I'm trying to avoid because I love them so much but I want to make sure they have the best possible life and I'm not sure I can provide it any longer. If anyone has any advice, please help

 

[Guineapiggos]

If you do have to give them away, don't feel guilty. Think about what is best for your pigs. Try to find out what part of them you are allergic to. Is it the bedding or the pigs themselves? Also, my boys fought a lot when they fist got home. I didn't know what to do, and eventually one settled as the dominant pig. If your pigs aren't really hurting each other (just threatening or mounting), I wouldn't try to interfere too much. If the fight turns serious or if you see blood, it would be best to separate them. If you can, keep them separate and gradually re-introduce them. If they are biting furniture, maybe invest in a playpen to keep them confined. Playpens typically cost $20-50. If that is out of your budget, you can just buy a $10 plastic kiddie pool. It works well for me. All you need to do is clean it, line the floor with towels if the floor is rough, and let them roam around. That way, they can exercise without the danger of eating something harmful or chewing on your furniture. To solve the biting on the cage, try giving the pig in question more attention and/or add some toys to the cage. Experiment with different kinds of toys to see what they like. If you are worried about one of them not getting enough, separate them for feeding. You might also want to move them out of your room if the allergies are that severe, if you have another place for them.

What kind of bedding do you use? I had a terrible time with odor and mess until I switched to aspen shavings. Litterbox training, if you can get them to cooperate, can also cut back on the smell.
Do you have hiding boxes? Getting each of them a box might reduce stress.
In other words:
Try toys, a playpen/kiddie pool, and temporary separation. Here's a guide on how to (re)introduce two pigs properly in a way that won't stress them out. Introducing Guinea Pigs | Blue Cross
I hope this helps! If you need to and can, please see a doctor and get to the bottom of those allergies.

 

[Marlee and Fluffy]

Maybe you should put the guinea pigs in separate cages or separate floors of the same cage, it’s so sad that they’re not getting along

 

[Siikibam]

What do you mean exactly when you say they’re not getting along? Can you be more specific about how they’re behaving to make you think that? Has there been chasing or anything like that? Any blood drawn? How old are they both, and are they sows or boars? Remember that what you think are signs they don’t get on won’t necessary work in the piggy world. If no blood drawn then don’t separate for now.

With regards the furniture they’re chewing, do they do it during floor time? It would be a good idea to use a pen of some sort to block their access to what they’re chewing. You should also use something on tour carpet to stop the stains etc. You could lay down a plastic table cloth or shower curtain then use (washable or disposable) puppy pads with fleece on top to cover it.

Check to see whether you’re allergic to the hay. Which type do you give them? And is there a possibility to move them out of your room?

Make sure there are two of everything in the cage. Bowls (for veg and pellets time), bottles, hides and hay areas. Are you weighing them weekly to keep track of their health etc?

@Guineapiggos you can’t slowly (re)introduce piggies. It’s either all or nothing. And swapping soiled bedding isn’t a good idea. There are plenty of threads on here that discuss bonding so you can link to them. Secondly, guinea pigs can’t be litter trained. They will go wherever and whenever. They do go a lot where they eat/drink or sleep but litter training is nigh on impossible.

 

[Lady Kelly]

If you do have to give them away, don't feel guilty. Think about what is best for your pigs. Try to find out what part of them you are allergic to. Is it the bedding or the pigs themselves? Also, my boys fought a lot when they fist got home. I didn't know what to do, and eventually one settled as the dominant pig. If your pigs aren't really hurting each other (just threatening or mounting), I wouldn't try to interfere too much. If the fight turns serious or if you see blood, it would be best to separate them. If you can, keep them separate and gradually re-introduce them. If they are biting furniture, maybe invest in a playpen to keep them confined. Playpens typically cost $20-50. If that is out of your budget, you can just buy a $10 plastic kiddie pool. It works well for me. All you need to do is clean it, line the floor with towels if the floor is rough, and let them roam around. That way, they can exercise without the danger of eating something harmful or chewing on your furniture. To solve the biting on the cage, try giving the pig in question more attention and/or add some toys to the cage. Experiment with different kinds of toys to see what they like. If you are worried about one of them not getting enough, separate them for feeding. You might also want to move them out of your room if the allergies are that severe, if you have another place for them.

What kind of bedding do you use? I had a terrible time with odor and mess until I switched to aspen shavings. Litterbox training, if you can get them to cooperate, can also cut back on the smell.
Do you have hiding boxes? Getting each of them a box might reduce stress.
In other words:
Try toys, a playpen/kiddie pool, and temporary separation. Here's a guide on how to (re)introduce two pigs properly in a way that won't stress them out. Introducing Guinea Pigs | Blue Cross
I hope this helps! If you need to and can, please see a doctor and get to the bottom of those allergies.

We actually have our own comprehensive bonding guide on the forum Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

 

[Piggylover08]

hi
I had the same problem with my piggy’s. They kept biting each other and fighting. what I did was if one of them was scaring the other away from the food I would feed them separately, maybe put a barrier between them when it’s feeding time.

For hay you could take a bowl or something else and put a bit of hay in there so they can each have there own hay spot.

If you only have one hiddy of no hiddy’s then you should get two, one for each Piggy So they can be by themselves if they want. Just imagine having to live and sleep and eat with another person all the time. You’d probably get annoyed and just want a break!

Another thing you could try is giving them lots of enrichments, for example I tie a piece of lettuce to a string and hang It from the cage. You could craft different toys from cardboard or the Inside of a toilet paper roll. You can YouTube lots of different crafts for piggy’s. Once I took a paper bag and cut different little shapes into it, then I filled it with a mixture of fresh grass and hay and they loved it.

When you let them out onto your floor what I would do is my a puppy pen, you can probably find a second hand puppy pen. You can use it as a cage to keep them from going into places you don’t want them to go. Put newspapers on the bottom of the carpet where the puppy pen is sitting and for added comfort put old blankets, Rag, or old towls. You can put down different hiddy’s and even some fresh veggies on the newspaper or old blankets so when your done you can just throw out the newspapers and put the blankets in the wash. fold the puppy pen and then hopefully there pee doesn’t go threw all of that.

For your bedding I would either recommend aspen because in does not have as strong a smell and very absorbent. Or you could use fleece bedding, this is what I use. Fleece made especially for guinea pigs can get pretty expensive so I would recommend going to a dollar store or near you and buying the bath mats and towels or just using old blankets and rags. What I usually do is put newspaper on the bottom of the cage and then putting the fleece or blankets on top. When cleaning the cage I have a special bag for dirty towels, it keeps stuff organized when you just throw dirty blankets into the bag and pull out some new ones. I usually put all blankets into the wash after two cage cleans.

To keep odour down I have a special spray that I spray the bottom of the cage with to make the smell go down. There are also different types of products that you put into your guinea pigs water to make the there poop and pee not smell as bad. I have never tried these on my pigs but you can try it for your self if you want.

This is all the advice I can think of right now.
i hope you can find away to keep them around and keep them happy and healthy.

sincerely Talia

 

[Piggylover08]

hi
I had the same problem with my piggy’s. They kept biting each other and fighting. what I did was if one of them was scaring the other away from the food I would feed them separately, maybe put a barrier between them when it’s feeding time.

For hay you could take a bowl or something else and put a bit of hay in there so they can each have there own hay spot.

If you only have one hiddy of no hiddy’s then you should get two, one for each Piggy So they can be by themselves if they want. Just imagine having to live and sleep and eat with another person all the time. You’d probably get annoyed and just want a break!

Another thing you could try is giving them lots of enrichments, for example I tie a piece of lettuce to a string and hang It from the cage. You could craft different toys from cardboard or the Inside of a toilet paper roll. You can YouTube lots of different crafts for piggy’s. Once I took a paper bag and cut different little shapes into it, then I filled it with a mixture of fresh grass and hay and they loved it.

When you let them out onto your floor what I would do is my a puppy pen, you can probably find a second hand puppy pen. You can use it as a cage to keep them from going into places you don’t want them to go. Put newspapers on the bottom of the carpet where the puppy pen is sitting and for added comfort put old blankets, Rag, or old towls. You can put down different hiddy’s and even some fresh veggies on the newspaper or old blankets so when your done you can just throw out the newspapers and put the blankets in the wash. fold the puppy pen and then hopefully there pee doesn’t go threw all of that.

For your bedding I would either recommend aspen because in does not have as strong a smell and very absorbent. Or you could use fleece bedding, this is what I use. Fleece made especially for guinea pigs can get pretty expensive so I would recommend going to a dollar store or near you and buying the bath mats and towels or just using old blankets and rags. What I usually do is put newspaper on the bottom of the cage and then putting the fleece or blankets on top. When cleaning the cage I have a special bag for dirty towels, it keeps stuff organized when you just throw dirty blankets into the bag and pull out some new ones. I usually put all blankets into the wash after two cage cleans.

To keep odour down I have a special spray that I spray the bottom of the cage with to make the smell go down. There are also different types of products that you put into your guinea pigs water to make the there poop and pee not smell as bad. I have never tried these on my pigs but you can try it for your self if you want.

This is all the advice I can think of right now.
i hope you can find away to keep them around and keep them happy and healthy.

sincerely Talia

Sorry there’s a few smelling mistakes I hope it’s still okay to read for you.

 

[Siikibam]

hi
I had the same problem with my piggy’s. They kept biting each other and fighting. what I did was if one of them was scaring the other away from the food I would feed them separately, maybe put a barrier between them when it’s feeding time.

For hay you could take a bowl or something else and put a bit of hay in there so they can each have there own hay spot.

If you only have one hiddy of no hiddy’s then you should get two, one for each Piggy So they can be by themselves if they want. Just imagine having to live and sleep and eat with another person all the time. You’d probably get annoyed and just want a break!

Another thing you could try is giving them lots of enrichments, for example I tie a piece of lettuce to a string and hang It from the cage. You could craft different toys from cardboard or the Inside of a toilet paper roll. You can YouTube lots of different crafts for piggy’s. Once I took a paper bag and cut different little shapes into it, then I filled it with a mixture of fresh grass and hay and they loved it.

When you let them out onto your floor what I would do is my a puppy pen, you can probably find a second hand puppy pen. You can use it as a cage to keep them from going into places you don’t want them to go. Put newspapers on the bottom of the carpet where the puppy pen is sitting and for added comfort put old blankets, Rag, or old towls. You can put down different hiddy’s and even some fresh veggies on the newspaper or old blankets so when your done you can just throw out the newspapers and put the blankets in the wash. fold the puppy pen and then hopefully there pee doesn’t go threw all of that.

For your bedding I would either recommend aspen because in does not have as strong a smell and very absorbent. Or you could use fleece bedding, this is what I use. Fleece made especially for guinea pigs can get pretty expensive so I would recommend going to a dollar store or near you and buying the bath mats and towels or just using old blankets and rags. What I usually do is put newspaper on the bottom of the cage and then putting the fleece or blankets on top. When cleaning the cage I have a special bag for dirty towels, it keeps stuff organized when you just throw dirty blankets into the bag and pull out some new ones. I usually put all blankets into the wash after two cage cleans.

To keep odour down I have a special spray that I spray the bottom of the cage with to make the smell go down. There are also different types of products that you put into your guinea pigs water to make the there poop and pee not smell as bad. I have never tried these on my pigs but you can try it for your self if you want.

This is all the advice I can think of right now.
i hope you can find away to keep them around and keep them happy and healthy.

sincerely Talia

Please don’t add anything to the guinea pigs’ water, it’s not advised. And I doubt they drink enough to make whatever it is worthwhile. You also shouldn’t separate when feeding. Scatter feeding can help eliminate the food stealing. Biting each other isn’t a good sign either. And hay should be a pile not a bowl full, thats not enough.

 

[Guineapiggos]

I know of a few people who did manage litter training, but because pigs go when they please, it doesn't always work. However, it does decrease the stench in the cage. If you have time and patience, you might be able to (if they stay in your room, it might be easier to keep an eye on it).
I agree, don't add anything to the water/food. The additives sound pretty suspicious to me.
Aspen is probably the best bedding option if you can't spot clean every day. I tried fleece bedding once, and all my pigs did was burrow under it and chew on it.
Oh crud, I just realized I linked the wrong article. It wasn't the one I thought it was.

 

[Wigglefingers]

What do you mean exactly when you say they’re not getting along? Can you be more specific about how they’re behaving to make you think that? Has there been chasing or anything like that? Any blood drawn? How old are they both, and are they sows or boars? Remember that what you think are signs they don’t get on won’t necessary work in the piggy world. If no blood drawn then don’t separate for now.

With regards the furniture they’re chewing, do they do it during floor time? It would be a good idea to use a pen of some sort to block their access to what they’re chewing. You should also use something on tour carpet to stop the stains etc. You could lay down a plastic table cloth or shower curtain then use (washable or disposable) puppy pads with fleece on top to cover it.

Check to see whether you’re allergic to the hay. Which type do you give them? And is there a possibility to move them out of your room?

Make sure there are two of everything in the cage. Bowls (for veg and pellets time), bottles, hides and hay areas. Are you weighing them weekly to keep track of their health etc?

@Guineapiggos you can’t slowly (re)introduce piggies. It’s either all or nothing. And swapping soiled bedding isn’t a good idea. There are plenty of threads on here that discuss bonding so you can link to them. Secondly, guinea pigs can’t be litter trained. They will go wherever and whenever. They do go a lot where they eat/drink or sleep but litter training is nigh on impossible.

They're both Boars and they turn 1 in August so about 10 months old? They've been chasing each other out of hides and away from food, water, toys etc. There's been alot of teeth chattering and loud squeaking at each other. They've been, what looks like, showing their teeth to each other, in not sure if that's exactly what they are doing. To describe it, they tilt their heads back and open their mouths at each other, sometimes they make sort of sniffing noises at each other.

I'm pretty sure it's the hay I'm allergic to, but I can't move them out of my room because I don't have space for them anywhere else, I've tried a bunch of different hay types but they've haven't really been any better

I always have already two hideys per guinea pig and multiples of bowls and bottles but they still fight over anything. For example one could be eating from the hay rack at the other side of the cage then the other will come over once it sees that his brother is eating and chase him away. I have been weighing them but I'm scared that if the smaller pig keeps getting chase away her might start to lose weight

 

[Piggies&buns]

.

They're both Boars and they turn 1 in August so about 10 months old? They've been chasing each other out of hides and away from food, water, toys etc. There's been alot of teeth chattering and loud squeaking at each other. They've been, what looks like, showing their teeth to each other, in not sure if that's exactly what they are doing. To describe it, they tilt their heads back and open their mouths at each other, sometimes they make sort of sniffing noises at each other.

I'm pretty sure it's the hay I'm allergic to, but I can't move them out of my room because I don't have space for them anywhere else, I've tried a bunch of different hay types but they've haven't really been any better

I always have already two hideys per guinea pig and multiples of bowls and bottles but they still fight over anything. For example one could be eating from the hay rack at the other side of the cage then the other will come over once it sees that his brother is eating and chase him away. I have been weighing them but I'm scared that if the smaller pig keeps getting chase away her might start to lose weight

Sadly, not all are compatible and make it together for the long term. Things do sound rather tense between your boys.
The guide I’ve linked in below (bonds in trouble) details what to do in this situation. Give the guide a read and take it from there. It may be that your boys need to be permanently separated but the guide will tell you how to decipher whether this is the case. I have also added some other guides in to help you further

Bonds In Trouble

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

 

[Siikibam]

For it to work one has to be submissive. If both are teeth chattering and chasing it may be their need to be top pig may be equal. It does sound tense though. Have a read of the threads linked above then you can decide what to do. You’re the one who can observe their behaviour so can better decide how to proceed. Teenage months can be a testing time for even the best of bonds.