The Bonding Continues...

Cavy Kung-Fu

Cavy Kung-Fu

Adult Guinea Pig
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To stress me out! I'm still unsure if this is going to work. I guess I'm going to just have to stick it out til someone gets hurt, which is horrible to think about.

There are moments when the fur is up and there's a lot of teeth chatter where I think "nope this isn't going to work out at all" and then they go to sleep or popcorn about for a while and I think I'm just being overly sensitive about the situation... But I'm just not sure and I hate it!

I don't really know why I'm posting about it, just venting my anxiety I guess! I'm just worried about whether or not I'm doing the right thing. If it absolutely won't work then I'll have to find Iggy a new wife which will be really sad and not ideal at all... Oh dear!
 
How long has it been? Has blood been drawn? If not just hold your nerve and keep going! I was worried about introducing Dennis and Christian to Velvet, Betsy and Meg. After lots of bum sniffing, mounting and wee spraying they sorted out the hierarchy and all live happily together.
 
Betsy said:
How long has it been? Has blood been drawn? If not just hold your nerve and keep going! I was worried about introducing Dennis and Christian to Velvet, Betsy and Meg. After lots of bum sniffing, mounting and wee spraying they sorted out the hierarchy and all live happily together.
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It's not been that long, I've just had to separate them as Drom and Iggy were just fighting but there wasn't any blood drawn... Not even a lip wound or anything.

I'm gunna guess this means it won't work but I don't know... Wishful thinking maybe :(
 
Honestly it just breaks my heart. I'm too scared to leave them over night after this...
 
Have another read of the Bonding Guide to refresh your memory. They may just be fighting to sort out who top pig will be. Is Drom the dominant sow? If so this is probably why they are fighting cos she doesn't want to relinquish this coveted position.
 
Betsy said:
Have another read of the Bonding Guide to refresh your memory. They may just be fighting to sort out who top pig will be. Is Drom the dominant sow? If so this is probably why they are fighting cos she doesn't want to relinquish this coveted position.
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Haha I've re-read them all today :)) I wondered that but idk it looked terrifying.

No the hierarchy is Cissy, Bella, Drom and Tonks. Cissy and Bella have already established they're on top of him so they're fine with him, no problems. I thought he and Drom had sorted it out until just now. He and Tonks have stand offs as well so I guess the bottom 3 spots are still all to play for...
 
Cavy Kung-Fu said:
Or should I put him back in oh god I don't know what to do. I'm holding him atm, any ideas anyone?

@Wiebke any ideas?
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Can't answer that one I'm afraid! Never got that far with mine! Velvet accepted Christian (top male piggy) first then put in Christian and once all those 3 seemed to be getting on added Betsy and finally Meg and held my breath, a towel and some oven gloves!
 
Cavy Kung-Fu said:
Haha I've re-read them all today :)) I wondered that but idk it looked terrifying.

No the hierarchy is Cissy, Bella, Drom and Tonks. Cissy and Bella have already established they're on top of him so they're fine with him, no problems. I thought he and Drom had sorted it out until just now. He and Tonks have stand offs as well so I guess the bottom 3 spots are still all to play for...
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Sounds like it. I was advised by my vet and also my neighbour (who used to breed piggies) that once the dominant sow has accepted the new pig(s) it is more than likely that the others will accept the new pig(s) not sure how true this is though. It worked for me and my lot but that doesn't necessarily mean it will work for everybody.
 
Betsy said:
Can't answer that one I'm afraid! Never got that far with mine! Velvet accepted Christian (top male piggy) first then put in Christian and once all those 3 seemed to be getting on added Betsy and finally Meg and held my breath, a towel and some oven gloves!
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I'm very jealous! :))

furryfriends (TEAS) said:
I’d do it when you’ve got a whole day free. In that way you can be sure all okay before leaving them overnight. You need to stay calm or they’ll pick up in your anxiety. xx
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They've been together all day, they've not long been in the cage (maybe an hour or two?). I was calm at the time as they were all super chill but I left the room and came back and that was happening.

If I put the divider back up tonight and take it down in the morning do you think that would be okay? Or put him back and stick it out? They previously spent about 3 days together and I separated (which I massively regret) so I don't know...
 
Betsy said:
Sounds like it. I was advised by my vet and also my neighbour (who used to breed piggies) that once the dominant sow has accepted the new pig(s) it is more than likely that the others will accept the new pig(s) not sure how true this is though. It worked for me and my lot but that doesn't necessarily mean it will work for everybody.
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Yea I think you have a better shot if the leader accepts but then it depends as you go down the hierarchy... Drom is pure evil incarnate so I worry about her the most!
 
Cavy Kung-Fu said:
I'm very jealous! :))
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I know I'm soooo lucky that they all get on. I know its very unusual for 2 boars to live with 3 sows and not fight. I think it is because the boys were so well bonded before they were neutered and put in with the girls, the are also so laid back they are almost horizontal and Velvet the dominant sow takes no crap from anybody and keeps everyone in order!
 
Betsy said:
I know I'm soooo lucky that they all get on. I know its very unusual for 2 boars to live with 3 sows and not fight. I think it is because the boys were so well bonded before they were neutered and put in with the girls, the are also so laid back they are almost horizontal and Velvet the dominant sow takes no crap from anybody and keeps everyone in order!
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I wish this was that easy! Cissy has stepped in with a few of the arguments and got in the middle of it but she's a really lazy boss so she mostly lets them get on with it :doh:
 
I've put the grids back up and separated for the night, think I'll try again in the morning and watch them like hawks.

Out of the bonding sessions I've done this is the most confusing, although I'm unsure if they're going to work I feel like they haven't said they won't work...

The fight was really scary for me but neither of them were hurt or had fur in their teeth so I just don't know... Argh this is so frustrating!
 
It looks worse than it is! It looks bad to us but it isn't for the piggies. As I said earlier you just have to hold your nerve. Also hold your breath, a towel and some oven gloves!
 
Betsy said:
Oo good question! I didn't think of that one!
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Haha thanks....the description of the fight is important, from my limited experience I've seen my two boars shaggy and scooby have many different types of fight.
But with mine, as they were from p@h, they hit hormone spikes at the same time so I had to learn what was what and rule things out like cage size, diets, housing etc etc. And ultimately I had to split and spend weeks getting them to cohabit. Really glad they get on well now. Scooby now accepts shaggy as the boss.
Whereas drogon and Elvis who I also got from p@h around a month after scooby n shaggy have yet to be seperately and don't really show any of the ferocity as scooby and shaggy......sorry to hijack the thread but ultimately the type of fight is key
 
I would recommend that you separate them for the night and then resume the bonding when you have plenty of time to see it through - it is up to the piggies whether they can work out a hierarchy or not. if tensions are soaring again very quickly upon meeting again, then things are likely to not work out, unfortunately. The stress will always transmit to the whole group and generally have it turn against the newbie.

Please read the bonding guide and consider whether you have analysed or interpreted the scuffle correctly.
Illustrated Bonding / Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
 
Betsy said:
It looks worse than it is! It looks bad to us but it isn't for the piggies. As I said earlier you just have to hold your nerve. Also hold your breath, a towel and some oven gloves!
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Yea it's more the worry that they will hurt each other, I've never seen a proper fight like that.

Scooby& Shaggy said:
When you say fighting. Were they lunging at each other? Having chin offs? Or were they like rugby tackling eachother tumbling around?
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It was an actual fight, not a dominance display. They haven't really done a lot of chin offs or normal dominance displays, no humping, no chin offs and no rumbling really... It's weird actually. It's more 0-60 like they're cool and then they're not.
 
Wiebke said:
I would recommend that you separate them for the night and then resume the bonding when you have plenty of time to see it through - it is up to the piggies whether they can work out a hierarchy or not. if tensions are soaring again very quickly upon meeting again, then things are likely to not work out, unfortunately. The stress will always transmit to the whole group and generally have it turn against the newbie.

Please read the bonding guide and consider whether you have analysed or interpreted the scuffle correctly.
Illustrated Bonding / Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
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Yea that's what I've done for the evening. I've read through the guides loads of times but I'm still not sure what to make of it really?

The weird thing is that it's all fine until it's not, and then it's fine again. Cissy and Bella have almost defended him a few times which is odd.
 
Cavy Kung-Fu said:
In my kitchen, I moved them to their cage when they were all calm and they'd had a little lay down and a nap x
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So they had the whole kitchen? It sounds like they may have had too much space to get a bond and then they were moved into a smaller area. I’d bond in the cage they will be living in.
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
So they had the whole kitchen? It sounds like they may have had too much space to get a bond and then they were moved into a smaller area. I’d bond in the cage they will be living in.
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Sorry they were in a run in the kitchen. They were already "half bonded" if that makes sense, it's just Drom and Tonks he's got to win over now. Cissy (boss pig) and Bella (first mate) have accepted him and seem rather fond of him in fact.

Wiebke said:
I would recommend that you separate them for the night and then resume the bonding when you have plenty of time to see it through - it is up to the piggies whether they can work out a hierarchy or not. if tensions are soaring again very quickly upon meeting again, then things are likely to not work out, unfortunately. The stress will always transmit to the whole group and generally have it turn against the newbie.

Please read the bonding guide and consider whether you have analysed or interpreted the scuffle correctly.
Illustrated Bonding / Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
Click to expand...

After watching the video on there it looks like the tussle from it, which worries me a bit. Even though neither were injured do you think it's finished?

I'll try again tomorrow anyway, it's just when tensions are running a bit high and I think Iggy holds a bit of a grudge and starts chattering his teeth at everyone (even me!) after he's had a confrontation with either Drom or Tonks.
 
Just a thought, to save you getting another piggy to keep Iggy happy, if Drom and Tonks don't accept him, how about keeping those two as a pair and keeping Iggy with Bella and Cissy? Is that a stupid idea?
 
Betsy said:
Just a thought, to save you getting another piggy to keep Iggy happy, if Drom and Tonks don't accept him, how about keeping those two as a pair and keeping Iggy with Bella and Cissy? Is that a stupid idea?
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I don't know, I would feel mean doing that. Drom adores Cissy and she would miss her I'm sure. It's not so much about the number of pigs but the two cages. I mean I will do what's best for Iggy don't get me wrong, but it would make life a whole lot easier if they would accept him into the herd completely.
 
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