Trying to break in?

[Julienooknook]

Hi, you guys have been fantastic and helped me in the past. I have 3 sets of 2 guinea pigs, all happy and bonded. However, when I let 1 pair of Guinea Pigs out, one of them is constantly gnawing and pulling at another sets cage. It's like he's desperate to get in, and spends his whole free time doing this. You helped me find a mate for my lonely guinea pig, and this is the pig my Joe Joe Beanz is trying to get to. It's been going on for weeks. There's no adverse behavior, no chitting or rumble strutting, just the sound of Joe Joe trying to break in. Any ideas why he's so desperate to meet the new guy?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

Since we cannot ask a piggy what they are thinking, it is very difficult to say. It is most likely because he is territorial in approach, especially when it is just the gnawing and not any other 'I would like to be friends with you' social interactive gestures. Most owners are not aware that piggies have this side; they have a herd identity where several groups march together to their feeding grounds twice daily, seeking safety in numbers but then they have their territorial denning areas in thick underground; these can be fiercely defended against intruding boars.

The new piggy is on his patch and he wants to rather establish his dominance over him or chase him away, depending on how the face to face meeting goes. The same behaviour can also be caused by fear-aggression - insecurity/fear that is hidden behind overly dominant behaviour.

However, we can only ever guess...