Nipping...

[Slingy68]

My two boys generally get on well and have an occasional spat of facing up to each other and being squeaky which is to be expected. But recently Vince has taken to giving Howard a nip which has drawn blood at times, and obviously poor old Howard isn't happy.

What should I do? Do they need to be separated? Advice please...

 

[sport_billy]

Tagging in @Wiebke for you and sending you this link to have a read of Bonds In Trouble

How big is their cage?

 

[Wiebke]

My two boys generally get on well and have an occasional spat of facing up to each other and being squeaky which is to be expected. But recently Vince has taken to giving Howard a nip which has drawn blood at times, and obviously poor old Howard isn't happy.

What should I do? Do they need to be separated? Advice please...

Hi!

Nipping is a blood free, carefully judged gesture of dominance that lets an underpiggy just feel the teeth but without breaking the skin.
If there is blood, then it is biting.

Please evaluate whether the bond is still functional or not or whether the balance has tipped into bullying.
This link here is telling you how to conduct a short term trial separation and what to look out for. This is the best way of working out how piggies at the receiving end feel about it as we cannot ask them directly: Bonds In Trouble
Moody guinea pigs: Depression, Bullying, Aggression, Stress, Fear and Antisocial Behaviour

 

[Slingy68]

After reading these links it seems like Vince is just establishing his dominance. Howard doesn't like to be away from him and is still behaving normally most of the time.

Thank you.

 

[Wiebke]

After reading these links it seems like Vince is just establishing his dominance. Howard doesn't like to be away from him and is still behaving normally most of the time.

Thank you.

Good!

It is always difficult to assess a situation from the outside as I can only see it through your filter and based on the information you are giving me, which is often very incomplete and doesn't contain the necessary pointers I rely on.
The guides are there to enable you see the whole picture and put it into perspective so you can make your own informed assessment knowing what you need to look at and which situation you are in.

You can find our guides with the green background at the top of each Care section or in order via the shortcut on the top bar if you want to research a certain issue; we cover quite a wide range of topics. You are of course always welcome to ask any questions if you have any concerns!