Pablo&Arthur
Junior Guinea Pig
One of the reasons I joined this site is because although we've had guinea pigs before, I've never had any issues with a pair of boars. I'll try to keep this as short as possible, any opinions or advice are welcome!
I adopted them both about 2 and a half weeks ago from a breeder, took them home and everything was normal, i.e. it was a typical first couple of days and I did everything right; they had time to settle in.
They get plenty of veggies, hay and food, they have more than one hidey hole including a pigloo, bridge and a tunnel. I've given them a soft toy and tied up some toilet rolls stuffed with hay. They have two eating areas and their overall space is about 5ft by 6ft including their cage and run. They live in the living room where I spend most of my time and I try to hold them at least a couple of times a day, plus sitting around with them and talking to them.
But there are a few issues... Arthur is completely attempting to dominate Pablo, he spends a lot of time rumble strutting, chasing/mounting Pablo. Pablo rarely does any of these behaviours back. However, they both teeth chatter at each other, assuming after Pablo's had enough, and they square up to each other. It didn't escalate into anything further until a few days ago... since then Pablo has twice had a tuft of Arthurs fur in his mouth and Arthur has a bite mark (it didn't bleed).
I understand it is very early days, for me and them, but apparently they have been together since they were 4 weeks old and "have bonded" (is what the breeder said when we asked her for advice), she suggested they may not have enough space or food, but they have plenty of both.
I also understand that they're at an age where hormones may be a factor, as well as their new environment but I've noticed that Pablo has become withdrawn and prefers to be in the pigloo away from Arthur (who spends most of the time in the 'run area'). I'm worried that the fighting will escalate before it gets better, and or that Pablo will become depressed.
They were briefly separated during the incident where Arthur was nipped, but apart, all they ever do is try to escape back to the cage/run, it really seems they don't like being away from each other. And despite all of the above, they eat and sleep pretty happily together. They also seem to dislike lap time, most of the time, and rarely sit still for more than a few seconds, unless they are in a dark place, like under a blanket. These things don't bother me as much as I understand bonding and trust will build over time but I would like to prevent further/worse fighting and Pablo isolating himself due to pretty much constant harassment from Arthur.
I've read so many websites etc, all with different advice and opinions, some say it would be best to separate them, others say don't - persevere - it is difficult to know what to do for the best for them both, as I hate the thought of either of them being unhappy. Is there anything else I could try/d/not do?
I adopted them both about 2 and a half weeks ago from a breeder, took them home and everything was normal, i.e. it was a typical first couple of days and I did everything right; they had time to settle in.
They get plenty of veggies, hay and food, they have more than one hidey hole including a pigloo, bridge and a tunnel. I've given them a soft toy and tied up some toilet rolls stuffed with hay. They have two eating areas and their overall space is about 5ft by 6ft including their cage and run. They live in the living room where I spend most of my time and I try to hold them at least a couple of times a day, plus sitting around with them and talking to them.
But there are a few issues... Arthur is completely attempting to dominate Pablo, he spends a lot of time rumble strutting, chasing/mounting Pablo. Pablo rarely does any of these behaviours back. However, they both teeth chatter at each other, assuming after Pablo's had enough, and they square up to each other. It didn't escalate into anything further until a few days ago... since then Pablo has twice had a tuft of Arthurs fur in his mouth and Arthur has a bite mark (it didn't bleed).
I understand it is very early days, for me and them, but apparently they have been together since they were 4 weeks old and "have bonded" (is what the breeder said when we asked her for advice), she suggested they may not have enough space or food, but they have plenty of both.
I also understand that they're at an age where hormones may be a factor, as well as their new environment but I've noticed that Pablo has become withdrawn and prefers to be in the pigloo away from Arthur (who spends most of the time in the 'run area'). I'm worried that the fighting will escalate before it gets better, and or that Pablo will become depressed.
They were briefly separated during the incident where Arthur was nipped, but apart, all they ever do is try to escape back to the cage/run, it really seems they don't like being away from each other. And despite all of the above, they eat and sleep pretty happily together. They also seem to dislike lap time, most of the time, and rarely sit still for more than a few seconds, unless they are in a dark place, like under a blanket. These things don't bother me as much as I understand bonding and trust will build over time but I would like to prevent further/worse fighting and Pablo isolating himself due to pretty much constant harassment from Arthur.
I've read so many websites etc, all with different advice and opinions, some say it would be best to separate them, others say don't - persevere - it is difficult to know what to do for the best for them both, as I hate the thought of either of them being unhappy. Is there anything else I could try/d/not do?
