No Love

[amorrissett]

Hello!
I have had my guinea pigs for about four months now. I have two males of roughly the same age that I got very suddenly because they were in a bad situation. Other than that they looked miserable where they were before I do not know much about if they grew up together or anything like that. The people I got them from told me they were girls, so shows you how much they know. They have always gotten into little fights, it doesn’t seem like they are hurting each other, they just have little stand offs with teeth chattering and some lunging and standing on hind legs. I wasn’t really concerned because I had read that males often do this to establish dominance and as long as no one is getting hurt they’re fine, so I let it go. However, the other day I had a fellow male guinea pig owner come over (she has had guineas longer than I have) and she said both sets of male guineas she has had didn’t fight as much as mine do. Is there any reason to be concerned? I just want them to be happy. They have lots of cage space and places to get away from one another but it seems like they get into little fights quite a but. Thoughts?

 

[Wiebke]

Hello!
I have had my guinea pigs for about four months now. I have two males of roughly the same age that I got very suddenly because they were in a bad situation. Other than that they looked miserable where they were before I do not know much about if they grew up together or anything like that. The people I got them from told me they were girls, so shows you how much they know. They have always gotten into little fights, it doesn’t seem like they are hurting each other, they just have little stand offs with teeth chattering and some lunging and standing on hind legs. I wasn’t really concerned because I had read that males often do this to establish dominance and as long as no one is getting hurt they’re fine, so I let it go. However, the other day I had a fellow male guinea pig owner come over (she has had guineas longer than I have) and she said both sets of male guineas she has had didn’t fight as much as mine do. Is there any reason to be concerned? I just want them to be happy. They have lots of cage space and places to get away from one another but it seems like they get into little fights quite a but. Thoughts?

Hi! How a relationship pans out depends very much on the personalities involved. The background can also play into it. As long as your boys don't really get into a fight, then you are fine. It doesn't mean that they are not any less firmly bonded, just that they have a bit more confrontational relationship, the same as you have families that are very quiet and others that have a lot of arguing - it doesn't mean that they do not love each other any less or will stand by each other in a crisis.

If your boys are still sub-adults (not yet 15 months or older), then they are very much in the middle the of the hormonal teenage months. Things are bound to quieten down more when they are adults and get older and their testosterone output is gradually fizzing out.
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

 

[amorrissett]

Hi! How a relationship pans out depends very much on the personalities involved. The background can also play into it. As long as your boys don't really get into a fight, then you are fine. It doesn't mean that they are not any less firmly bonded, just that they have a bit more confrontational relationship, the same as you have families that are very quiet and others that have a lot of arguing - it doesn't mean that they do not love each other any less or will stand by each other in a crisis.

If your boys are still sub-adults (not yet 15 months or older), then they are very much in the middle the of the hormonal teenage months. Things are bound to quieten down more when they are adults and get older and their testosterone output is gradually fizzing out.
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

Thank you! This makes me feel a lot better