Submissive Guinea Pig Now Wants To Be Dominant

[Brandy]

I have two female guinea pigs. When I first introduced them to each other, it was pretty clear that CC was the dominant guinea pig and Poppy was the submissive one. They have been getting along up until a couple of days ago when Poppy started to express dominance towards CC. Both of them have been aggressively running around the cage, rumblestrutting, and attempting to mount each other. CC seems to be upset that Poppy suddenly decided that she wanted to be the dominant piggy. Is it normal for a piggy like Poppy to want a change in hierarchy? And how long should this behavior last until I decide that it's hopeless?

 

[Freela]

She may be in heat. This occurs about every two weeks and can lead to a display of dominance behaviors for a few days. If it's a strong heat cycle, the behavior should subside in a few days. Some pigs have more noticeable hormones than others... with some girls I have no clue when they are in heat, with others I can definitely tell. And weirdly, it's often been the submissive pigs who were the most noticeable among my girls!

 

[Brandy]

Thanks so much! This helps a lot. Good to know.

 

[Lady Kelly]

How long have they been together? Have you made any changes to the cage recently? A change can start the dominance again or if they haven't been together long then it could still be part of the first dominance argument. Keep an eye on things and seek advice if it doesn't subside in a few days.