Sows that act like Boars.

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Dm100419

Hello,
I haven't recently noticed this by the way but my guinea pigs are acting like Boars. They are becoming a bit more aggressive than I thought they would be. Pebbles is the youngest and learns from what pumpkin does because she feels safer copying her. However Pumpkin was overall dominant and we knew that when we got them. But about early-mid December Pumpkin and Pebbles had a REALLY big fight. I'm not saying they squeaked a lot (they did) but they did bite. Pebbles had fur ripped out and her mouth was bitten. Pumpkin had a tiny bit of fur ripped out. Pebbles wound healed quickly and they were still really annoyed at eachother. We couldn't split them up because it was at night and all the pet shops/places you buy cages from were closed and so I put a very weak barrier in to divide the cage. It got destroyed by pumpkin. Now they are still very dominant and fight a lot about hay and other things. Pumpkin tought pebbles to teeth chatter and to wiggle her backside. I don't know if I should worry or not. They are females acting like Boars.
 
This cage is from pets at home. So very small. They have an outdoor cage which is bigger but I'm not sure if this size. They have two water bottles and one bowl but sometimes I scatter feed near two sides. They were fighting over this wooden log hide so we ended up getting two. Right now some piggie is in happy hay land and the other boys chewing on some strands of hay.
We try to get them out for play time/ floor time but they end up never coming out their cage unless you put them outside in the grass.
 
Pebbsy_Pumpky said:
This cage is from pets at home. So very small. They have an outdoor cage which is bigger but I'm not sure if this size. They have two water bottles and one bowl but sometimes I scatter feed near two sides. They were fighting over this wooden log hide so we ended up getting two. Right now some piggie is in happy hay land and the other boys chewing on some strands of hay.
We try to get them out for play time/ floor time but they end up never coming out their cage unless you put them outside in the grass.
Click to expand...


They do have three piles of hay but they want the biggest pile.
 
Pebbsy_Pumpky said:
This cage is from pets at home. So very small. They have an outdoor cage which is bigger but I'm not sure if this size. They have two water bottles and one bowl but sometimes I scatter feed near two sides. They were fighting over this wooden log hide so we ended up getting two. Right now some piggie is in happy hay land and the other boys chewing on some strands of hay.
We try to get them out for play time/ floor time but they end up never coming out their cage unless you put them outside in the grass.
Click to expand...

Please make sure that your girls have enough space. Lack of space and not being able to get away from each other is the biggest cause for fights in guinea pigs. Guinea pigs are ground roaming animals; they are not built to live in a tiny space. Like with humans stuck together in a small space, tensions and aggravation can build up quite quickly, especially when sows are grumpy from a season or another hormone spike. They also go through teenage but generally - if there is enough space - they do not fight.
Key to any happy piggy bond is character compatibility; piggies are as complex as human people when it comes to likes and dislikes. But that is another area where pet shops and for sale breeders fall sadly sort. They want your money and your repeat custom with some too cheap cute pets and a cheap hamster cage to lure you into buying; they do not care whether your pets are good friends or not or whether they are properly cared for. :(

Have a look at the picture in our cage size so you can see where you stand: Guinea pig body quirks - What is normal and what not?
 
Wiebke said:
Please make sure that your girls have enough space. Lack of space and not being able to get away from each other is the biggest cause for fights in guinea pigs. Guinea pigs are ground roaming animals; they are not built to live in a tiny space. Like with humans stuck together in a small space, tensions and aggravation can build up quite quickly, especially when sows are grumpy from a season or another hormone spike. They also go through teenage but generally - if there is enough space - they do not fight.
Key to any happy piggy bond is character compatibility; piggies are as complex as human people when it comes to likes and dislikes. But that is another area where pet shops and for sale breeders fall sadly sort. They want your money and your repeat custom with some too cheap cute pets and a cheap hamster cage to lure you into buying; they do not care whether your pets are good friends or not or whether they are properly cared for. :(

Have a look at the picture in our cage size so you can see where you stand: Guinea pig body quirks - What is normal and what not?
Click to expand...
Thanks,
Pets at home don't have a big cage for them but i found the size, L77 x W48 x H42cm . Its too small for them.
However their outdoor cage is quiet big but because Britain doesn't get as warm as piggies like it they will stay indoor for a couple more weeks (sadly for them)
 
Pebbsy_Pumpky said:
Thanks,
Pets at home don't have a big cage for them but i found the size, L77 x W48 x H42cm . Its too small for them.
However their outdoor cage is quiet big but because Britain doesn't get as warm as piggies like it they will stay indoor for a couple more weeks (sadly for them)
Click to expand...

Hi! Please get a good sized indoors cage; if necessarily, look for second-hand rabbit cages on your local free-ads.

You need to treat indoors guinea pigs like tender plants and keep in mind that you need to
a) carefully acclimatise them to the outdoors
b) be aware that guinea pigs don't deal well with big jumps in temperatures, which includes the big daytime/nighttime swings in spring and autum. They should NOT be outside during cold/frosty nights and they need to come indoors again during heat waves.
You should only move them outdoors for good when the danger of night frosts is gone and they are more used to the cooler outdoors temperatures.
c) in effect, UK guinea pigs usually spend half a year between September and May indoors.

Please take the time to read these guides below. They can saves lives and save you some major vet cost. A new larger indoors and doing it right is a LOT cheaper than risking illness or death from heat stroke/being exposed to wind and weather without any appropriate protection. Guinea pigs HAVE needlessly died in both situations because their owners underestimated cold drafts and the fact that hutches and lawn cages can be death traps in hot weather, too, as we have abundantly seen last summer. ~
Not to mention that we rarely see any threads about indoors all guinea pigs being found dead, but are getting them regularly about outdoors piggies, which can die of fright if their hutch is attacked by foxes, cats, dogs, rats or mice. :(

Cold Weather Care For Guinea Pigs
Hot weather management and heat strokes
Feeding Grass And Preparing Your Piggies For Lawn Time
 
Wiebke said:
Hi! Please get a good sized indoors cage; if necessarily, look for second-hand rabbit cages on your local free-ads.

You need to treat indoors guinea pigs like tender plants and keep in mind that you need to
a) carefully acclimatise them to the outdoors
b) be aware that guinea pigs don't deal well with big jumps in temperatures, which includes the big daytime/nighttime swings in spring and autum. They should NOT be outside during cold/frosty nights and they need to come indoors again during heat waves.
You should only move them outdoors for good when the danger of night frosts is gone and they are more used to the cooler outdoors temperatures.
c) in effect, UK guinea pigs usually spend half a year between September and May indoors.

Please take the time to read these guides below. They can saves lives and save you some major vet cost. A new larger indoors and doing it right is a LOT cheaper than risking illness or death from heat stroke/being exposed to wind and weather without any appropriate protection. Guinea pigs HAVE needlessly died in both situations because their owners underestimated cold drafts and the fact that hutches and lawn cages can be death traps in hot weather, too, as we have abundantly seen last summer. ~
Not to mention that we rarely see any threads about indoors all guinea pigs being found dead, but are getting them regularly about outdoors piggies, which can die of fright if their hutch is attacked by foxes, cats, dogs, rats or mice. :(

Cold Weather Care For Guinea Pigs
Hot weather management and heat strokes
Feeding Grass And Preparing Your Piggies For Lawn Time
Click to expand...

I will try and convince my parents to let me get a bigger indoor cage!
I will remind them about these consequences of what will happen. I own a pet cat too but she is scared of everything that doesn't fly.
Thank you so much for telling me these conditions and potentially saving my piggies lives.
 
Pebbsy_Pumpky said:
I will try and convince my parents to let me get a bigger indoor cage!
I will remind them about these consequences of what will happen. I own a pet cat too but she is scared of everything that doesn't fly.
Thank you so much for telling me these conditions and potentially saving my piggies lives.
Click to expand...

If you and your parents are looking for bargain cages, there are currently several models on discount:
Alternatively, a new ferplast 120 cm (2x4 ft) is currently on action on zooplus for £40 at half price. That is a really good price for getting the best quality 2x4 cage! ;)
Ferplast Rabbit & Guinea Pig Cage 120

The skyline maxi is current on offer at £34.
Skyline Maxi XXL Small Pet Cage
 
Thanks but I might look for a two story cage. Just because we are limited for space in the room they are on currently.
Thanks though!
 
Pebbsy_Pumpky said:
Thanks but I might look for a two story cage. Just because we are limited for space in the room they are on currently.
Thanks though!
Click to expand...

You can find two story cages on that website. Please be aware that guinea pigs will always use one story more than the other.
It is the cheapest place for traditional cages for the UK.
 
Wiebke said:
You can find two story cages on that website. Please be aware that guinea pigs will always use one story more than the other.
It is the cheapest place for traditional cages for the UK.
Click to expand...

I realised in the outdoor cage they used the top more. So I wonder what they will use more.
Thanks again
 
Just a thought, instead of relying on parents you could get a small job maybe one weekend day a week to bring in some money to be able to buy a cage yourself. Between 16 & 18 I worked Sundays in a toy shop, I remember my pay was £28 for the day because wages were a lot lower back then lol but it allowed me to do my own thing
 
Lady Kelly said:
Just a thought, instead of relying on parents you could get a small job maybe one weekend day a week to bring in some money to be able to buy a cage yourself. Between 16 & 18 I worked Sundays in a toy shop, I remember my pay was £28 for the day because wages were a lot lower back then lol but it allowed me to do my own thing
Click to expand...

I am I just told my parents if I could when I have the money
They looked at me and thought I was mad.
 
Pebbsy_Pumpky said:
I am I just told my parents if I could when I have the money
They looked at me and thought I was mad.
Click to expand...

All the best! You are not the first teenager with a generation gap in attitudes to pets - which includes me as well even though I am anything but young these days. But I am very glad that there is the Channel between my mother and my piggy room...

Go for what you feel is right. Your parents will come round to understanding when they see the difference it is making.
 
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