Trial separation

And I know these are all normal behaviours but there is no good behaviour accompanying it to balance it out

Your girls may indeed be happier with having each their own territory with a divider for interaction and mutual stimulation. I find that it helps to have adjoining hay corners that are open to the other cage so they can sleep next to each other in the hay if they like.

Contrary to what is making the rounds online, piggies don't groom each other mutually all the time, don't sleep snuggled up and don't share hides. But if they don't like each other and there is a constant dominance issue, then it is better to call it quits.

You have given your girls all possible chances to have their say in how they feel about their relationship, so please don't feel guilty or like a failure. Nobody can make piggies like each other; as little as small human kids. They are very much their own complex personalities. I have certainly my own fair share of sows (not rarely actually sisters) not getting on and carrying life-long grudges what would come up again and again with each attempt, and rather grow than settle down.
Although my worst pair of squabbling sister (from a horrible background with not enough milk from the mum) did move in together after years apart a few weeks before their death when the despised sister was the very last piggy they would accept; but by then they were nearly 7 years old and valued companionship over power struggles...
 
Thank you for all the help and I do sometimes think they will be okay with each other but the feeling that they don’t like each other is always there (backed up by the behaviour) so I think I may just have to go with my gut
 
Thank you for all the help and I do sometimes think they will be okay with each other but the feeling that they don’t like each other is always there (backed up by the behaviour) so I think I may just have to go with my gut

Nothing wrong with your gut. It may not be the picture perfect pet piggy life, but then once you get to know piggies, they are anything but picture perfect and actually lot more interesting for it.

Please don't feel like you have made and are making a mistake. You are dealing with a difficult situation in a practical and realistic way and are doing a lot to give your piggies a happy life. That is a lot more than many owners would do. They are lucky to have found you. ;)
 
Thank ever so much I honestly wouldn’t know what to do without this forum xx

We try our best for owners with a piggy problem to find a constructive solution that fits their personal and individual circumstances best. It makes for happier piggies and happier owners.

Picture perfect is for online videos that only show a small slice of the reality because it reflects what humans want to see - while real life is usually very different and not as cute. But it can be actually much more rewarding when you realise that you are living with real people in fur coats who have very much their own ideas.

And that the real piggy world is more like a soap opera than Dr. Doolittle... :D
 
the under piggy is already very happy she’s popcorning more than I’ve ever seen her do it before

So you now have confirmation that your girl bond is sadly dysfunctional and that you have made the right decision. :)
 
My under piggy has been consistently gnawing at the bars between them for multiple days and obviously giving them their floor time I’ve noticed some new behaviours
 

It looks a bit more like an armed truce to me - rather cautious interaction. If you wish, you can continue with joined roaming time in neutral territory and see what comes of that...

Don't rush it. All it takes is one wrong move and you are back to square one.
 
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