Not sure what to do.

[Raybaybay]

Hello, I’ve had my guinea pigs for about three years. I adopted both, one as a youngin and the other after she had been to a family (I’m not sure how old she is) both girls. They’ve had their moments of not being happy with each other, but that’s been few and far in between. Recently my youngest went to the vet to get a cyst removed. They stayed in separate cages for a week or so, so the wound could scab over. Today I cleaned out their main cage and put her back in with the older one who stayed in the cage. Well the older one started being mean to her. to the point that the younger one was scared with her face in the corner not eating and crying. I picked up the older one and held her on my chest a little to love on her and placed her back in the cage with the younger one and got them each some celery. The same thing happened and the older one was chattering her teeth and cornering the younger one again. (Keep in Mind the younger one is about 3 yrs old and has usually been the dominant one but she was scared). I didn’t know what to do so I moved the older one to the other cage (which is slightly smaller) over night until I can get them to an even playing field to reintroduce them. I wanted to be able to monitor their interactions and didn’t want to leave them together over night. I’ve never been in this situation, I don’t know what to do. I’m posting this in hopes that when I wake up there’s some tips or advice or something. Thank you for taking the time to read this and help if you can.
Best regards!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Reintroductions following a medical separation need to be done carefully and always on neutral territory - a bathroom for example, somewhere where neither of them see as their territory but never should reintroduction be done in the cage. When they were in separate cages, were the cages next to each other so they could still interact through the bars?

Please try a reintroduction on such neutral territory and see how things go. They will go into a period of restablishing their relationship and you will see dominance behaviours during this time but it’s about determining if things go beyond normal dominance. However, there is always a risk that a medical separation can break the bond between two piggies (and this is why separations when one is poorly aren’t recommended - although there are some situations when this needs to be done) particularly if there are already underlying tensions between them.

The guides below will help you on how to reintroduce them and also on whether the reintroduction is going as expected or whether things are more concerning

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Bonds In Trouble
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

 

[Wiebke]

 

[David Piggie Lover]

Best of luck

 

[weepweeps]

I hope they go back together again.

 

[Raybaybay]

I tried to reintroduce on neutral territory, I took them out back in a play pin type thing. They are the grass and spent a lot of time eating that so I brought them inside to the bathroom. Once again the older was establishing dominance. This time she was sticking her nose into the younger ones side, bum, and ear. Finally I just gave them a bath together. They were both tired and have gone to separate corners of their cage. The vet recommended separation because of an open wound and possibility for infection. I’ve been monitoring them in their habitat and there’s been no interactions at the moment.

Reintroductions following a medical separation need to be done carefully and always on neutral territory - a bathroom for example, somewhere where neither of them see as their territory but never should reintroduction be done in the cage. When they were in separate cages, were the cages next to each other so they could still interact through the bars?

Please try a reintroduction on such neutral territory and see how things go. They will go into a period of restablishing their relationship and you will see dominance behaviours during this time but it’s about determining if things go beyond normal dominance. However, there is always a risk that a medical separation can break the bond between two piggies (and this is why separations when one is poorly aren’t recommended - although there are some situations when this needs to be done) particularly if there are already underlying tensions between them.

The guides below will help you on how to reintroduce them and also on whether the reintroduction is going as expected or whether things are more concerning

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Bonds In Trouble
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

 

[Siikibam]

Bathing won’t help if they’ve made up their minds. And we don’t recommend doing so unless they really need it.

Did you thoroughly clean and rearrange the cage before you put them back? How many hours had they spend in the neutral areas?

Do be aware that they will need a further two weeks to establish the hierarchy.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Bathing them during bonding is outdated advice and will not do anything to make them like each other.

You will just have to see how things go. If they still want to be together, then they will reestablish their relationship and they will be fine. If they don’t want to be together, then sadly there is nothing you can do and they must live separately.