Hello, I'm new to this forum and could do with some advice.
A year ago, I bought two males from Pets at Home. they did not tell me about bonding, dominance or fighting. They said I needed to purchase a cage, which I did, but I knew it was nowhere near big enough and bought a 2metre x 1 metre run, with a ramp and upstairs living space (also large) which I thought would be adequate.
They lived happily together for six months until I noticed that the previously submissive and much smaller guinea pig had started to show some really dominant behaviour towards the other. He was chasing him constantly, nipping, humping, growling and chattering. I immediately started to read up on what this meant and realised that their hormone levels were probably going crazy and that this was normal behaviour. I thought they would settle down but the poor other male was being so harassed and I could see he was stressed so I separated them. By this point it was October so I quickly bought a C&C cage and brought them inside and reintroduced them.
At first they were fine, but within days the behaviour started again, I tried not to intervene but the bullied male was just miserable so I again separated them and divided the 6x2 cage so that they had 3x2 each. Not ideal but it was the best I could do under the circumstances. All winter I kept trying to reintroduce them, but it just wasn't working. The more aggressive male would bite the grids and rip them out completely to get to the other pig! In the end I had to barricade the partition with tunnels to make it secure enough. He was VERY determined to get to the other male.
Last month I purchased a huge 15ft x 6ft enclosure, in the hope that they just needed a really large space, with the opportunity to get away from each other if need be and that this may be the solution. It has two separate hutches inside, the much large one where they lived last summer and a much smaller one which I placed at the opposite end of the enclosure. They also have an assortment of tunnels and houses, separate feed bowls and separate water bottles.
I put them in together and sat in the enclosure with them for an hour to make sure all was well. They grumbled at each other but I think they were so happy to suddenly have all of this space that they seemed too calm down. I kept checking on them throughout the evening and they seemed happy so I decided to leave them in together overnight.
The next morning I went to check and there were clumps of hair all over the ground and the more submissive male had a cut to his lower lip. I again separated them and using the grids from my C&C cage was able to split the enclosure in two. So they now have 7.5ft x 6ft each.
They are still grumbling at each other through the bars
I'm now in a situation whereby I don't think these two will ever live happily together. I now realise it was a huge mistake to buy two males of the same age, but at the time I just didn't know any better.
I would like to know what is best for these two going forwards? Should I just leave them in their massive enclosure but always separate, although they can chat through the partition? Should I neuter them both and try and match them with a female each? Or should I try and rehome an older male to live with each of them?
I just want them to be happy and to do what's best for them. There is no way I can surrender the more aggressive one as I really do love him and he has so much personality. I would love them to have company but I'm not sure how best to go about this?
Thanks if you got this far!
A year ago, I bought two males from Pets at Home. they did not tell me about bonding, dominance or fighting. They said I needed to purchase a cage, which I did, but I knew it was nowhere near big enough and bought a 2metre x 1 metre run, with a ramp and upstairs living space (also large) which I thought would be adequate.
They lived happily together for six months until I noticed that the previously submissive and much smaller guinea pig had started to show some really dominant behaviour towards the other. He was chasing him constantly, nipping, humping, growling and chattering. I immediately started to read up on what this meant and realised that their hormone levels were probably going crazy and that this was normal behaviour. I thought they would settle down but the poor other male was being so harassed and I could see he was stressed so I separated them. By this point it was October so I quickly bought a C&C cage and brought them inside and reintroduced them.
At first they were fine, but within days the behaviour started again, I tried not to intervene but the bullied male was just miserable so I again separated them and divided the 6x2 cage so that they had 3x2 each. Not ideal but it was the best I could do under the circumstances. All winter I kept trying to reintroduce them, but it just wasn't working. The more aggressive male would bite the grids and rip them out completely to get to the other pig! In the end I had to barricade the partition with tunnels to make it secure enough. He was VERY determined to get to the other male.
Last month I purchased a huge 15ft x 6ft enclosure, in the hope that they just needed a really large space, with the opportunity to get away from each other if need be and that this may be the solution. It has two separate hutches inside, the much large one where they lived last summer and a much smaller one which I placed at the opposite end of the enclosure. They also have an assortment of tunnels and houses, separate feed bowls and separate water bottles.
I put them in together and sat in the enclosure with them for an hour to make sure all was well. They grumbled at each other but I think they were so happy to suddenly have all of this space that they seemed too calm down. I kept checking on them throughout the evening and they seemed happy so I decided to leave them in together overnight.
The next morning I went to check and there were clumps of hair all over the ground and the more submissive male had a cut to his lower lip. I again separated them and using the grids from my C&C cage was able to split the enclosure in two. So they now have 7.5ft x 6ft each.
They are still grumbling at each other through the bars
I'm now in a situation whereby I don't think these two will ever live happily together. I now realise it was a huge mistake to buy two males of the same age, but at the time I just didn't know any better.
I would like to know what is best for these two going forwards? Should I just leave them in their massive enclosure but always separate, although they can chat through the partition? Should I neuter them both and try and match them with a female each? Or should I try and rehome an older male to live with each of them?
I just want them to be happy and to do what's best for them. There is no way I can surrender the more aggressive one as I really do love him and he has so much personality. I would love them to have company but I'm not sure how best to go about this?
Thanks if you got this far!
So am I. Just re-watching the re imagined series yet again.
