New Gp

Status
Not open for further replies.
W

Wookey78

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jan 7, 2017
Messages
130
Reaction score
41
Points
220
Location
Devon
Hi I just got peaches today she is 8 weeks and we already had Pumpkin who is 5 months ( her sister passed awayed in January ) I put them in a partition run and Pumpkin was really doing that growling sound. Plus it wasn't looking safe i.e. A little gap. I then put a totally seperate run right next to it. But the baby just seems petrified. Although Pumpkin was then doing a happy sound ? I think. Sticking her nose to the bars.

I have put Peaches back in her cage and will leave her till tomorrow I think. Just let her settle in? Why are you thoughts. Thanks.
 
You might want to give little Peaches a week or so to settle in before you have her bond with Pumpkin. (Cute names by the way! :))) She is really scared because she in a new place, and meeting a new piggy will just creep her out more. Also some time should be taken giving her a quarantine, making sure she doesn't have any symptoms of some kind of sickness or parasites. Of course if you got her from someone you trust, who is an experienced piggy owner, this won't be necessary, if they have already done this and know she is perfectly healthy. Hope everything goes well! :)
 
Thank you. We put them in a split run today but they mainly nibbled on the grass. Had a few moments of nose to nose through the bars. We got her from pah because our local rescue didn't have any neither did the breeder. We only have this week off work so wanted to get them bonded when we had much more time. We are going to do another session tomorrow and maybe Tuesday then put them together on wed/thur in the run.

I am just nervous about any fighting. Like how much growling:angry noises are acceptable. Thanks
 
Wookey78 said:
Thank you. We put them in a split run today but they mainly nibbled on the grass. Had a few moments of nose to nose through the bars. We got her from pah because our local rescue didn't have any neither did the breeder. We only have this week off work so wanted to get them bonded when we had much more time. We are going to do another session tomorrow and maybe Tuesday then put them together on wed/thur in the run.

I am just nervous about any fighting. Like how much growling:angry noises are acceptable. Thanks
Click to expand...

Some angry noises are fine they need to establish a hierarchy and one of the girls will be dominant, so there might be a little bit of a scuffle, maybe with a few nips. But if they start fighting more, and look like they are actually going to harm the other, such as blood is being drawn, they should be separated right away. Make sure to use a wet towel or oven mit, not your hand, as you don't want to get bitten or scratched.

Skinnypigs1 from YouTube has a great video on this that I learned a lot from, if you are interested.


My apologies if I am repeating information that you already know, just trying to help. :)
 
Bonding is very stressful for humans! Just know that it is way worse in your head :))

After the quarantine period and you introduce them make sure there are lots of distractions (food/toys/hay etc) but no hides until they seem good together for a few hours. After that cardboard boxes with 3 exits I find the best :)

I recently bonded 2 girls with 2 other girls and oh lordy lordy I was stressed. The key is to be calm or they can sense your stress, it gets better after you calm down :))

They now all live together almost happily (almost because they will always want one particular piece of lettuce!).

Sorry if you already know all of this, hope it helps to know that you're not the only one to stress! Just make sure to have a tea towel ready if you do have to separate, but they will give many clear signs such as yawning at each other, standing up and shaking etc and facing off. It shouldn't come down to injury at all so don't worry :)

Good luck to all 3 of you! Hope your new baby settles in soon!
 
Thank you very much both for your tips. I am probably way overthinking it. I put them in a split cage today for 30 mins and also left them all day so their cages were next to each other so they could see each other. We were out and videod them on the iPad mainly Pumpkin squeaking away and running around her cage looking excited and Peaches just exploring the cage.
 
So we have put them in a split cage for another 40 mins. We have now just lifted the partition and they just chased about bum sniffing and then doing there own thing two little nudges from Pumpkin and that's it. Shall I just leave them for like an hour then seperate again or let them go like this?
Thanks
 
I would leave them for the day, see how it goes for 4-6 hours and if it's still going well then they can go into a clean cage together :)

After 2 hours I would put in the cardboard hideys with 2-3 exits to see if they fight over sleeping space etc.

It's a judgment call from you really but just make sure the cage is scent free and clean before you put them in. Good luck! :)
 
Thank you. In that few minutes I put the partition back! But mainly because we have to get ready to go out so I didn't want them left unsupervised. When we come back we will be here for the rest of the day so will leave them longer.

Sorry for all the questions but can I just use soap and water to clean the cage? Or should I use say a kitchen cleaner then soap and water?
 
Thanks. It is a bit stressful. When we lifted the partition earlier I had to go inside I couldn't watch. Left it to my husband and daughter. He was laughing at me saying I doubt there is going to be a big savage attack here lol but I was nervous.
 
They seemed fine. But we put them back in their cages and have taken the kids out. I will upload a video when I get back home. There was a few nudges from Pumpkin but nothing major they just seemed to be following each other and bum sniffing by the looks of it.
 
Okay it sounds good! Next bonding season please be in it for the long haul, bonding and then separating actually takes a toll on piggies and their relationship in fact.

Take a whole day, start off in the morning and work your way through the stages (put in run with lots of distractions and monitor with towel, clean out cage, give them houses with lots of exits in their run, leave for 3-6 hours maybe and if still okay put in cage and then monitor) and you will hopefully have a bonded pair on your hands!

Only separate if there's a fight, but it doesn't sound like you have to worry too much about that by their previous meetings :)
 

In the last part of this one. Is this normal behaviour the nudging and head butting?

Tomorrow we are home from midday so it's hutch cleaning etc.
 
How's it going? Looks okay to me, how did it go at the end of the last video? I would put in a lot more distractions to keep them busy :)
 
They look like they're doing okay... those are normal dominance behaviors, your older pig wants to be sure the younger pig knows that she is lower on the hierarchy. If you want them to eventually share a pen/cage, I would give them time to work through their dominance issues in a neutral setting, then scrub down the cage/pen you will be using (to remove any scent marks from the pig already living there) and move them in together. Putting them together and taking them apart can be more stressful for them (and you), as they have to resort the dominance issues all over every single time they meet. Guinea pigs don't really understand the concepts of 'dates' to get to know each other... to them, you meet a new pig, you are assessing them for inclusion or exclusion in the group every time.
 
Thanks Freela cavy kung po said the same thing. Today we are having them in the pen most of the day then trying them together in the hutch. Once I have scrubbed it.

The nudging bit at the end just had one of them running off a bit I think. Maybe I stood up and they parted but nothing big.

I put a box in with three exits. There has been a bit of scuffling on occasions inside but nothing major. Then later on I put a green igloo thing with one big exit but I think it caused trouble as there was a bit of squeaking inside so I got scared and took it out lol. I have a new cardboard tube so will put that in today and maybe a stick tunnel? I need to go and get pet friendly cleaner so can pick some toys up.

The other thing to throw in the mix is that Pumpkin has been inside in the hutch since her sister died ( 2.5 months ) but we are moving it back outside just near the back door. So I guess I'm paranoid if anything happens I won't see, like fighting. But fingers crossed it won't! And we handle them every day so can check them over etc.
 
Cavy Kung Poo should have been my username! :))

You could keep the hutch inside for the first week or two of them being in there together, that's what I would do with freshly bonded piggies, just to make sure and for peace of mind. Then move it out after that :)

Cardboard tube would be fine, two exits there so shouldn't be a problem! Stick tunnels are good too!

Check them over for any nips that may have occurred just incase, sounds like it's going well though! :D
 
Sorry lol. Thank you just scrubbed it white white vinegar and the spray. I think I can smell faint wee but hoping it's just the vinegar. They have been fine in the run.

Yes going to keep them inside was thinking just for a day or two though not weeks my husband would go nuts haha.
 
Should I put hideys in the hutch? Or leave empty at first? Thanks
 
Sorry I got an early night aha.

How are they?

Doesn't look too too crowded, if you've noticed any bickering you can take out the hides :)
 
Hi no worries. They seemed ok. I fee nudges and stuff for the first two hours all from Pumpkin. But when I went to bed she was lying down snoozing so hope they had an ok noght. Just going to get my daughter to take tech one out now and check over.

We are at a wedding today from 12 all day. I will put them in the run then get her and my step dad to move into hutch about tea time. Would that be ok? I think better in run than stuck in hutch all day.
 
With bonding I always think the more space the better so it's a good idea if you can to put them in the run again as you suggest during the day and then back in the hutch at night. All sounds to be going well.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top