Tried having my two 5month old males hang out with me. Ended up in a fight.

[Rhymestyle]

So I got a guinea pig bonding question for y’all.

I got two male guinea pigs both around 5months old houses together but separated by a divider. I did that because Tuxedo is a little bit younger than Brownie. My mom suggested I put both of them on my bed to play with them. I did. And it was a disaster.

I put Tuxedo on my bed first because he was easier to grab then I picked up Brownie and placed him on my bed. Almost as soon as I did that they started sniffing each other then a fight broke out. They became a big flurry of thrashing and jumping up and down biting. I didn’t even know guinea pigs could do that. I thought they would be cool since I’ve seen them lay close to each other along the divider.

I’m just wondering if this is normal and how to get them to get along.

 

[Betsy]

Once piggies have fought they have already decided that they don't like each other and there is nothing you can do to make them like each other. It sounds as if your piggies are best to "live together apart" back in their divided cage so they can still have stimulation from one another. Sometimes piggies just don't like each other. It's a personality thing. I'll tag in @Wiebke for you as she is the bonding expert.

 

[Wiebke]

So I got a guinea pig bonding question for y’all.

I got two male guinea pigs both around 5months old houses together but separated by a divider. I did that because Tuxedo is a little bit younger than Brownie. My mom suggested I put both of them on my bed to play with them. I did. And it was a disaster.

I put Tuxedo on my bed first because he was easier to grab then I picked up Brownie and placed him on my bed. Almost as soon as I did that they started sniffing each other then a fight broke out. They became a big flurry of thrashing and jumping up and down biting. I didn’t even know guinea pigs could do that. I thought they would be cool since I’ve seen them lay close to each other along the divider.

I’m just wondering if this is normal and how to get them to get along.

Hi!

Unfortunately your two boys are full-on teenagers at the stage of their lives when testosterone output is at an alltime high. After this fight, they will likely never go together if there have been full-on bites to the face, neck or rump (which need to be seen by a vet because of the risk of infection/abscesses). The teenage is about the worst age to try and bond boars.

Far too many people mistake a dominance 'power lie-in', which is all about demarkating the edge of two adjoining territories, with the desire to be friends as the true nature of this behaviour is not well known because the human interpretation is rarely questioned.

Please take the time to read these guides here. You will find them both very helpful and interesting to make sense of your experience:
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics