New guinea pig

mls18

mls18

Teenage Guinea Pig
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Hi, ive just got my adoption application accepted for a guinea pig! Hes a male and is 5 months old and is a bit skitish. The adoption place said that they dont allow me to bring my guinea pig in to meet him becouse its to stressfull for the piggies. How should i introduce them? Should i just put them together in his cage?
 
That’s lovely news!

Its a shame they don’t offer dating but not all centres do. It just means you need a back up plan in case the bonding fails - either of returning the new piggy to the centre, or having two cages so they can live separately but as neighbours.

You need to carry out a bonding in neutral territory bonding pen. Please DO NOT put the new piggy directly into the cage of your existing piggy. This will be seen as a territory invasion and could cause a fight.

Ensure the cage they are to live in once bonded is big enough - that is 180x60cm for a boar pair. The bonding pen will also need to be this size or bigger.
You need to put them somewhere your current piggy does not see as his own space to bond them. You then leave them in this space for as several hours to see if they get on. Do not put any hides in the bonding pen, just a pile of hay and some water. If they do get on after several hours, then you need to thoroughly clean out the cage they are to live in so the original piggy does not see it as his own space. You can then move them both to the cage to continue their relationship. During this time you will see a lot of dominance.
It takes around two weeks for the full process to complete. Do not separate them at all unless there are clear signs of failure or fights. If you separate them, then you interrupt the process and when you try to reintroduce them they will need to start back at the beginning.
If they fight, then the bonding has failed and they will need to be immediately separated (safely - use gloves, dnot put your hands in otherwise you cpipd get hurt) and will then need to live apart.

You will need to ensure the hides you have in the cage have two exits (so no piggy can get trapped in a space with no way out as this is how defensive injuries and fights can occur). You also need to ensure you have two of every item so that they do not have to share - two bottles etc. It can be advisable to not use bowls for teenage boars - simply scatter feed veg and pellets by throwing it loose in the cage. This serves two purposes - the dominant piggy will not be able to hog food and prevent the other from getting any, but it is also a great form of enrichment and enables them to forage about and keep occupied. If you do use food bowls, ensure they are put at least a body length apart.

As you don’t know whether the two piggies will be compatible, you will need a plan b for living arrangements in the case the bonding fails. Unfortunately there is a risk with any on spec bonding that it may not work out. As the new piggy is a teenager, then hormones are in play which can make bonding more tricky. It’s always best to prepare for failure but hope for the best.

Please read the guides below before you start bonding. The first guide explains the process. The second guide explains dominance behaviours. These two are important so that you know how to do a bonding but also so that you don’t inadvertently intervene unnecessarily and interrrupt a bonding

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
 
Last edited:
Piggies&buns said:
That’s lovely news!

Its a shame they don’t offer dating but not all centres do. It just means you need a back up plan in case the bonding fails - either of returning the new piggy to the centre, or having two cages so they can live separately but as neighbours.
Bonding can be a stressful experience wherever you do it, but a being able to try two piggies together before committing has less risk - you know you are bringing home a compatible piggy.

You need to carry out a bonding in neutral territory bonding pen. DO NOT put the new piggy directly into the cage of your existing piggy. This will be seen as a territory invasion and could cause a fight.

Ensure the cage they are to live once bonded is big enough - that is 180x60cm for a boar pair. The bonding pen will also need to be this size or bigger.
You need to put them somewhere your current piggy does not see as his own space to bond them. You then leave them in this space for as several hours to see if they get on. Do not put any hides in the bonding pen, just a pile of hay and some water. If they do get on after several hours. then you need to thoroughly clean out the cage they are to live in so the original piggy does not see it as his own space. You can then move them both to the cage to continue their relationship. During this time you will see a lot of dominance.
It takes around two weeks for the full process to complete. Do not separate them at all unless there are clear signs of failure or fights. If you separate them, then you interrupt the process and when you try to reintroduce them they will need to start back at the beginning.

You will need to ensure the hides you have in the cage have two exits (so no piggy can get trapped in a space with no way out as this is how defensive injuries and fights can occur). You also need to ensure you have two of every item so that they do not have to share - two bottles etc. It can be advisable to not use bowls for teenage boars - simply scatter feed veg and pellets by throwing it loose in the cage. This serves two purposes - the dominant piggy will not be able to hog food and prevent the other from getting any, but it is also a great form of enrichment and enables them to forage about and keep occupied. If you do use food bowls, ensure they are put at least a body length apart.

As you don’t know whether the two piggies will be compatible, you will need a plan b for living arrangements in the case the bonding fails. Unfortunately there is a risk with any on spec bonding that it may not work out. As the new piggy is a teenager, then hormones are in play which can make bonding more tricky. It’s always best to prepare for failure but hope for the best.

Please read the guides below before you start bonding. The first guide explains the process. The second guide explains dominance behaviours. These two are important so that you know how to do a bonding but also so that you don’t inadvertently intervene unnecessarily and interrrupt a bonding

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Click to expand...
Thank you SO much! And yes i can make two seperate cages if needed. I have alot of diffrent guinea pig houses but they all have only one exit is that ok? And ill be traveling in january for 3 weeks and wont be able to bring them. Ill be keeping them in a friends house, would i be able to keep them in seperate cages for those weeks? I just dont want to have the risk of them fighting and me not being there to help. Would that damage their bond?
 
mls18 said:
Thank you SO much! And yes i can make two seperate cages if needed. I have alot of diffrent guinea pig houses but they all have only one exit is that ok? And ill be traveling in january for 3 weeks and wont be able to bring them. Ill be keeping them in a friends house, would i be able to keep them in seperate cages for those weeks? I just dont want to have the risk of them fighting and me not being there to help. Would that damage their bond?
Click to expand...

No I’m afraid one exit hides can be problematic - particularly for newly bonded and teenage boars. They do pose a risk particularly for teenage boars that one may trap inside, have no way out and then cause a fight. If you don’t currently have any two exit hides, then do you have any cardboard boxes you could cut two holes in and use as hides (Youd need two boxes).

No, you won’t be able to keep them in separate cages during those weeks. Boars need to remain together permanently after the successful bonding process. If you separate them then for one the separation will cause stress but it can also harm their bond. You would then need to go through the neutral territory reintroduction all over again when you brought them home but there is then a risk they won’t go back together. This is also why we do not recommend medical separations, particularly aith teenage boars - it can cause a lot more problems than it solves.

You also need to be aware that any change in environment or territory can cause an increase in dominance. So you are going to see them more dominant and need to reestablish their relationship when you move them to your friends house and then again when you bring them back home. In well bonded pairs who want to be together, then the dominance is temporary and won’t come to anything. In pairs where there are any insecurities or undeflying rifts, such a change in environment can be too much for a bond and break it.
 
Piggies&buns said:
No I’m afraid one exit hides can be problematic - particularly for newly bonded and teenage boars. They do pose a risk particularly for teenage boars that one may trap inside, have no way out and then cause a fight. If you don’t currently have any two exit hides, then do you have any cardboard boxes you could cut two holes in and use as hides (Youd need two boxes).

No, you won’t be able to keep them in separate cages during those weeks. Boars need to remain together permanently after the successful bonding process. If you separate them then for one the separation will cause stress but it can also harm their bond. You would then need to go through the neutral territory reintroduction all over again when you brought them home but there is then a risk they won’t go back together. This is also why we do not recommend medical separations, particularly aith teenage boars - it can cause a lot more problems than it solves.

You also need to be aware that any change in environment or territory can cause an increase in dominance. So you are going to see them more dominant and need to reestablish their relationship when you move them to your friends house and then again when you bring them back home. In well bonded pairs who want to be together, then the dominance is temporary and won’t come to anything. In pairs where there are any insecurities or undeflying rifts, such a change in environment can be too much for a bond and break it.
Click to expand...
Oh ok thanks. What do you think i should do? Would keeping them together in a midwest cage be to risky? Their regular cage is alot bigger.
 
mls18 said:
Hi, ive just got my adoption application accepted for a guinea pig! Hes a male and is 5 months old and is a bit skitish. The adoption place said that they dont allow me to bring my guinea pig in to meet him becouse its to stressfull for the piggies. How should i introduce them? Should i just put them together in his cage?
Click to expand...

Hi!

Congratulations!

Please never put a new piggy into the territory of another one - this can very easily be perceived as an invasion and the newbie will feel like an intruder and will be on the defensive from the word go.

Always introduce guinea pigs on neutral ground with some hay to create a herd setting that is nobody's territory and they can meet as equals. Ideally you give them a few days in the divided and freshly cleaned cage so they can get to know each other through the bars and you can get a feel just how dominant and territorial they are with each other. It pays to never rush into a bonding unless there is a good reason (like baby bonding). A newbie who has settled into your home will be a lot less stressed and much less likely to overreact from fear when it all gets too much during a bonding. NEVER have any hideys or caught corner with any piggies you are bonding or any teenagers. It is the most common fight starter if a piggy is cornered and the only way out is by defence biting their way out.

Please be aware that bonding boars in little bits like it is making the rounds online is highly counterproductive from the guinea pig perspective - every meeting is for them a full-on bonding session that is aborted and has then to restart from square one the next time they meet; it means that they can't get anywhere significant with the bonding process. Ultimately, it always comes down to whether they are a personality match or not at the bottom line; NOTHING can change that. Once you have started the bonding process, you need to see it through in one go and accept the outcome.

Please take the time to read the links below. Our bonding guide covers all aspects and all phases of the bonding process with the attendant dynamics in detail from the run-up to a bonding to the post-intro two weeks dominance phase during which a group is fully established. It also contains a chapter on the special aspects when bonding boars. You will hopefully find it very helpful. I have made it as comprehensive and as practical as possible with plenty of pictures and videos.
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

This is a useful list of dominance behaviours in ascending order of severity to help you judging which level things are playing at: Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

Since you are adopting a teenager roughly at the age where the testosterone levels are coming into a life time high, you may want to also read up on boar dos and dont's in the boar guide and on our teenage guide.
Being skittish doesn't anything about how he is going to react to another piggy.
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

I hope that you will find the information above helpful. I would recommend to bookmark the guides so you can read them now and then look them up again as you go along. ;)

All the best!
 
mls18 said:
Oh ok thanks. What do you think i should do? Would keeping them together in a midwest cage be to risky? Their regular cage is alot bigger.
Click to expand...

I personally would not risk a Midwest. It is below minimum size for two boars (a Midwest measuring 120x60cm but the minimum for boars would be 150x60cm with 180x60cm being the recommended size). Lack of space, combined with the change in territories and environment could pose a problem

Would it be possible for them to stay At your house and have somebody come in and check on them a couple of times a day to feed etc?
 
Wiebke said:
Hi!

Congratulations!

Please never put a new piggy into the territory of another one - this can very easily be perceived as an invasion and the newbie will feel like an intruder and will be on the defensive from the word go.

Always introduce guinea pigs on neutral ground with some hay to create a herd setting that is nobody's territory and they can meet as equals. Ideally you give them a few days in the divided and freshly cleaned cage so they can get to know each other through the bars and you can get a feel just how dominant and territorial they are with each other. It pays to never rush into a bonding unless there is a good reason (like baby bonding). A newbie who has settled into your home will be a lot less stressed and much less likely to overreact from fear when it all gets too much during a bonding. NEVER have any hideys or caught corner with any piggies you are bonding or any teenagers. It is the most common fight starter if a piggy is cornered and the only way out is by defence biting their way out.

Please be aware that bonding boars in little bits like it is making the rounds online is highly counterproductive from the guinea pig perspective - every meeting is for them a full-on bonding session that is aborted and has then to restart from square one the next time they meet; it means that they can't get anywhere significant with the bonding process. Ultimately, it always comes down to whether they are a personality match or not at the bottom line; NOTHING can change that. Once you have started the bonding process, you need to see it through in one go and accept the outcome.

Please take the time to read the links below. Our bonding guide covers all aspects and all phases of the bonding process with the attendant dynamics in detail from the run-up to a bonding to the post-intro two weeks dominance phase during which a group is fully established. It also contains a chapter on the special aspects when bonding boars. You will hopefully find it very helpful. I have made it as comprehensive and as practical as possible with plenty of pictures and videos.
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

This is a useful list of dominance behaviours in ascending order of severity to help you judging which level things are playing at: Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

Since you are adopting a teenager roughly at the age where the testosterone levels are coming into a life time high, you may want to also read up on boar dos and dont's in the boar guide and on our teenage guide.
Being skittish doesn't anything about how he is going to react to another piggy.
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

I hope that you will find the information above helpful. I would recommend to bookmark the guides so you can read them now and then look them up again as you go along. ;)

All the best!
Click to expand...
Ok thanks so much! I will come back to this before I bond them!
 
Piggies&buns said:
I personally would not risk a Midwest. It is below minimum size for two boars (a Midwest measuring 120x60cm but the minimum for boars would be 150x60cm with 180x60cm being the recommended size). Lack of space, combined with the change in territories and environment could pose a problem

Would it be possible for them to stay At your house and have somebody come in and check on them a couple of times a day to feed etc?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure if i can do that. If i keep them in seperate cages but right near eachother would that still damage their bond?
 
Does the thing about having no houses with only one exit apply for forever? Or just for the first few weeks?
Piggies&buns said:
That’s lovely news!

Its a shame they don’t offer dating but not all centres do. It just means you need a back up plan in case the bonding fails - either of returning the new piggy to the centre, or having two cages so they can live separately but as neighbours.

You need to carry out a bonding in neutral territory bonding pen. Please DO NOT put the new piggy directly into the cage of your existing piggy. This will be seen as a territory invasion and could cause a fight.

Ensure the cage they are to live in once bonded is big enough - that is 180x60cm for a boar pair. The bonding pen will also need to be this size or bigger.
You need to put them somewhere your current piggy does not see as his own space to bond them. You then leave them in this space for as several hours to see if they get on. Do not put any hides in the bonding pen, just a pile of hay and some water. If they do get on after several hours, then you need to thoroughly clean out the cage they are to live in so the original piggy does not see it as his own space. You can then move them both to the cage to continue their relationship. During this time you will see a lot of dominance.
It takes around two weeks for the full process to complete. Do not separate them at all unless there are clear signs of failure or fights. If you separate them, then you interrupt the process and when you try to reintroduce them they will need to start back at the beginning.
If they fight, then the bonding has failed and they will need to be immediately separated (safely - use gloves, dnot put your hands in otherwise you cpipd get hurt) and will then need to live apart.

You will need to ensure the hides you have in the cage have two exits (so no piggy can get trapped in a space with no way out as this is how defensive injuries and fights can occur). You also need to ensure you have two of every item so that they do not have to share - two bottles etc. It can be advisable to not use bowls for teenage boars - simply scatter feed veg and pellets by throwing it loose in the cage. This serves two purposes - the dominant piggy will not be able to hog food and prevent the other from getting any, but it is also a great form of enrichment and enables them to forage about and keep occupied. If you do use food bowls, ensure they are put at least a body length apart.

As you don’t know whether the two piggies will be compatible, you will need a plan b for living arrangements in the case the bonding fails. Unfortunately there is a risk with any on spec bonding that it may not work out. As the new piggy is a teenager, then hormones are in play which can make bonding more tricky. It’s always best to prepare for failure but hope for the best.

Please read the guides below before you start bonding. The first guide explains the process. The second guide explains dominance behaviours. These two are important so that you know how to do a bonding but also so that you don’t inadvertently intervene unnecessarily and interrrupt a bonding

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Click to expand...
 
mls18 said:
I'm not sure if i can do that. If i keep them in seperate cages but right near eachother would that still damage their bond?
Click to expand...

It wouldn’t be appropriate to do this. Bonded boars need to remain together in the same cage at all times. Separating them is hugely stressful to them. You only separate boars if there are problems between them.

If you went ahead with it, then you would have to carry out the neutral territory reintroduction again and accept that the separation may mean they won’t go back together

I don’t even separate mine to move them from the hutch to their run and they’ve been together for almost four years

mls18 said:
Does the thing about having no houses with only one exit apply for forever? Or just for the first few weeks?
Click to expand...

You would need two exits hides at all times - you don’t want to give boars any reason to argue or ever feel trapped. Single exit hides can be a real trigger for piggies particularly boars who are naturally more territorial
 
Piggies&buns said:
It wouldn’t be appropriate to do this. Bonded boars need to remain together in the same cage at all times. Separating them is hugely stressful to them. You only separate boars if there are problems between them.

If you went ahead with it, then you would have to carry out the neutral territory reintroduction again and accept that the separation may mean they won’t go back together

I don’t even separate mine to move them from the hutch to their run and they’ve been together for almost four years



You would need two exits hides at all times - you don’t want to give boars any reason to argue or ever feel trapped. Single exit hides can be a real trigger for piggies particularly boars who are naturally more territorial
Click to expand...
Ok thanks! I might be able to use a cage the size of about 2 midwest cages in my friends house. Is that ok?
 
mls18 said:
Ok thanks! I might be able to use a cage the size of about 2 midwest cages in my friends house. Is that ok?
Click to expand...

Yes two Midwest’s together is fine.
You will still encounter the dominance due to the change in territories. It is important that you use soiled bedding when you move them to your friends and again when you move them back. This will enable them to still recognise it as their space (you will still see increased dominance though)
 
Piggies&buns said:
Yes two Midwest’s together is fine.
You will still encounter the dominance due to the change in territories. It is important that you use soiled bedding when you move them to your friends and again when you move them back. This will enable them to still recognise it as their space (you will still see increased dominance though)
Click to expand...
Ok thanks!
 
Hi! Ive just adopted my second guinea pig. The shelter i got him from said he was male, but should i double check? Hes still very scared though so how should i do that? My other guinea pig i will be keeping him with is male. I plan to bond them soon.
 
Should i quarentine him for a few weeks? I'm thinking about doing that since my guinea pig is very fragile due to his age.
 
If i quarentine him should i keep his cage close by to my other guinea pigs or should i keep him in a seperate place?
 
How old is he? Guinea pigs under 4 months are desperate for company and should be bonded immediately.
 
I just got my second guinea pig! I'm reading what you and @Wiebke said about introducing them in a nutrual territory. I was planning on making a new area for them to bond but i just thought about how maybe i can just introduce them in the cage theyre going to be kept in after the bonding. Ive cleaned it out fully and rearanged it from the last time my guinea pigs been in it, do you think i could do that? Its alot bigger then the area i wouldve set up to introduce them. Ill just take out all the houses.
Wiebke said:
Hi!

Congratulations!

Please never put a new piggy into the territory of another one - this can very easily be perceived as an invasion and the newbie will feel like an intruder and will be on the defensive from the word go.

Always introduce guinea pigs on neutral ground with some hay to create a herd setting that is nobody's territory and they can meet as equals. Ideally you give them a few days in the divided and freshly cleaned cage so they can get to know each other through the bars and you can get a feel just how dominant and territorial they are with each other. It pays to never rush into a bonding unless there is a good reason (like baby bonding). A newbie who has settled into your home will be a lot less stressed and much less likely to overreact from fear when it all gets too much during a bonding. NEVER have any hideys or caught corner with any piggies you are bonding or any teenagers. It is the most common fight starter if a piggy is cornered and the only way out is by defence biting their way out.

Please be aware that bonding boars in little bits like it is making the rounds online is highly counterproductive from the guinea pig perspective - every meeting is for them a full-on bonding session that is aborted and has then to restart from square one the next time they meet; it means that they can't get anywhere significant with the bonding process. Ultimately, it always comes down to whether they are a personality match or not at the bottom line; NOTHING can change that. Once you have started the bonding process, you need to see it through in one go and accept the outcome.

Please take the time to read the links below. Our bonding guide covers all aspects and all phases of the bonding process with the attendant dynamics in detail from the run-up to a bonding to the post-intro two weeks dominance phase during which a group is fully established. It also contains a chapter on the special aspects when bonding boars. You will hopefully find it very helpful. I have made it as comprehensive and as practical as possible with plenty of pictures and videos.
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

This is a useful list of dominance behaviours in ascending order of severity to help you judging which level things are playing at: Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

Since you are adopting a teenager roughly at the age where the testosterone levels are coming into a life time high, you may want to also read up on boar dos and dont's in the boar guide and on our teenage guide.
Being skittish doesn't anything about how he is going to react to another piggy.
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

I hope that you will find the information above helpful. I would recommend to bookmark the guides so you can read them now and then look them up again as you go along. ;)

All the best!
Click to expand...
 
Any piggies over 4 months need to be quarantined for two weeks, preferably in a separate room to current piggies. I would definitely double check that he is a boar. His testicles should have started descending, although they may not be particularly large.

You want to gently check for the penis ridge (lower belly above the button) or the fleshy seal just inside the slit. The guides below should help you out.

I would check him now. Then if he is indeed a he, I would give him a week to settle in before you start weekly weighing etc.

Remember that new pig is in his teens. (Hopefully a he).

Illustrated Sexing Guide

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
 
Siikibam said:
Any piggies over 4 months need to be quarantined for two weeks, preferably in a separate room to current piggies. I would definitely double check that he is a boar. His testicles should have started descending, although they may not be particularly large.

You want to gently check for the penis ridge (lower belly above the button) or the fleshy seal just inside the slit. The guides below should help you out.

I would check him now. Then if he is indeed a he, I would give him a week to settle in before you start weekly weighing etc.

Remember that new pig is in his teens. (Hopefully a he).

Illustrated Sexing Guide

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Click to expand...
Ok thank you so much! Since hes a bit over 4 months is it fine to querentine him?
 
I’ve answered on your other thread. It’s easier if you keep it to this one where the history is. I would try and bond in a neutral area.
 
mls18 said:
I just got my second guinea pig! I'm reading what you and @Wiebke said about introducing them in a nutrual territory. I was planning on making a new area for them to bond but i just thought about how maybe i can just introduce them in the cage theyre going to be kept in after the bonding. Ive cleaned it out fully and rearanged it from the last time my guinea pigs been in it, do you think i could do that? Its alot bigger then the area i wouldve set up to introduce them. Ill just take out all the houses.
Click to expand...

Is it the cage your first piggy is already living in? If so, then no you cannot use it for bonding. The bonding must be done in neutral territory.
If it is a spare cage (ie your original piggy is living in another cage at present) then it can probably be used.
 
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