Two cages next to each other and fighting

[erinroneree]

Hello. I have one 4 x 2 cage with two male guinea pigs in it. And one smaller cage with one male guinea pig in it. They are all the same age. They are past their teen years.
I just had to move the cages to be next to each other in another room. I had to take the big cage out of my son’s room, because there wasn’t enough enough ventilation, and I had to rearrange the room for various reasons. I do not have another location for them. So now the two cages are next to one another and I am finding they are squeaking like crazy and the two pigs that are together that I’ve been bonded for over three years are fighting. What do I do?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Are they actually fighting as in rolling around locked together, biting and causing injuries to each other? If so, then they need to be immediately separated and kept apart permanently. A fight like that is bond breaking.

If they are just squeaking, mounting, chasing and rumbling then that is not fighting. It’s dominance and has been caused by the rearranging and moving them to a new environment. If they are well bonded as a pair and want to be together then it will be fine and it will calm down within the next two weeks. You don’t need to do anything.

 

[erinroneree]

Yes, it is the latter because they were moved. They are not actually fighting. I thought that maybe being right next to the pig and the other cage was causing it. They seem to have settled down for now.

 

[Bill & Ted]

The set ups and cages, even room changes can upset the status quo, but they usually settle down with in 24 hours. Always leave a bit of something with their scent on like a bit of hay when you make any changes, even when cleaning them out, it help stop them re-scenting everything and can prevent little fall out involving hierarchy