Should I Put Two Re Bonding Guiena Pigs In A Bigger Cage Or Something Else

[PiggyProdigy]

Hello, Guinea Pig Forum!
I have an issue. Today my new male guinea pigs fought. One was hunping the other and I thought it was a dominence thing, and was ready for it to play out, but then they were actually fighting it out. (Two males a little over one year.)


So, they're in a 2 by 4 foot cage and currently divided with my cage divider. Just got them last night, brand new owner. I got them from a lady who was selling them away with the cage and all the basic necessities, and it was a long turn filled drive back to my house in a small box for them, and they have been very scared and jittery so far. They did not fight the whole rest of the night and in the early morning though.


So anyway, I was thinking since they were fighting, should I try to re bond them in a bigger cage because they're scared of me and their new envirement, or just get a very large wire cage and split it for them permenatly? I really want them to be friends but they were lunging and chattering and it was scary and awful... especially on my first day with them.

I personally think it's a space and new place issue and that they'll get over it once introduced to option one, especially since they were brothers raised together in a pet shop...
Thanks for any feedback

Here's option one : make a 5 x 2 c and c cage with a loft and hope they re bond in a bigger space with more expansive hidey places
Option 2 is get a larger box cage and split them permanently. I would hate to do this but it's not about me.

Thanks for any constructive feedback,

PiggyProdigy

 

[PiggyProdigy]

Here's the cage.

 

[LaurenKaye]

sorry but the picture did not come through.

Anyways, Your cage size sounds fine. Its just larger than mine. I also have two males in my cage and I have always worried of them fighting.

To start off, were your guinea pigs kept together before you got them? If they weren't then they probably were not properly bonded. I would look into that.
If they were kept together, I'm not sure what to tell you. I got my guinea pigs separately and had to bond them. The first night was tough. Every sound they made woke me up and I would have to check on them. I was terrified of them hurting each other.
I then saw online that guinea pigs may act a little aggressive the first day or so because they are "fighting" over who will be the "head pig" of the cage.
After a day things went normal and my pigs don't hurt each other. Sometimes they will seem like they will, but I have never noticed any marks indicating it.

I feel that your cage size is suitable for 2 guinea pigs, so it's hard to say why they are behaving this way if they have been together previously.
I hope things go better soon and maybe another member here has a little more knowledge than me when it comes to bonding like that

 

[worried val of york]

I agree with @LaurenKaye . When I got my pair of bonded boars they showed signs of dominance when they first arrived. I believe this was because of their change in the environment on being rehomed with me and needing to get the hierachy sorted again. I enlarged their C and C run to 6 grids by 2 grids and gave them separate hidies. I feed them with two separate bowls of food and they have two separate water bottles. They settled in find but if there are any issues they have space to be "alone".
But it does depend on them being bonded when you got them.

 

[DM030819]

Yeah, change in environment can make them have to work out their hierarchy again.

If it's not full on, fur flying, blood drawn fights then you can leave them to it. Just be on hand to separate them if it's escalates.

 

[PiggyProdigy]

Thanks everyone ! So anyway I'm building a new cage and I've built the base out of wire grid off of amazon, and I just want to see if you think it's big enough...