Urgent advice needed: to seperate or not!?!

[Char-x]

I AM SO STRESSED OUT! AHHH!
As some of you know I adopted an ex breeding pig for a second companion for my girl Gypsey as she is blinde, and incase anything ever happened to Tallulah.

Tallulah has ovarian cysts and this week we will sort out with the vet whether she is getting injections or operation to sort them out. But its saturday now and I dont know what to do in the mean time...

Problem is Tallulah is getting VERY aggressive with Montana the new pig. I am not home this weekend and it was getting bad just as I was about to leave. Now I've got my mum on the phone stressing at me saying its not fair on Montana because now Tallulah is just sat in the hay box ON TOP of Montana. She apparently wont let her get to her food or drink either, although i have yet to see montana drink anyway so that could just be the case. Oh and Tallulah is just constantly stalking her/mounting her.

My mum thinks its a good idea to just get the petstore cage and put Montana in it and then put this into the big cage (4x11 so no probs with space) until Tallulah is either having her op or is having injections (again we find out on Monday and it iwll be done this week). But I dont know if Montana will be down or depressed with that or what. I am clueless right now.

I'm so stressed out over it all, I could actually cry. :a19:

I am at a loss of what to do, do I seperate Montana or do I leave them to get on with it? No blood has been drawn as far as I am aware.

 

[Cozmo]

Sounds like bullying. Have you got alot of hides (some with 2 exits) so if Montana gets cornered in a hiddie hole, she can slip out the back to get away.

 

[Char-x]

Sounds like bullying. Have you got alot of hides (some with 2 exits) so if Montana gets cornered in a hiddie hole, she can slip out the back to get away.

It definitely is bullying, just dont think it will happen after Tallulah is sorted because Gypsey was exactly the same when shehad cyst problems as Tallulah...but because Gypsey was small is wasnt so bad. We have got hidey holes and they can get out of them, but Montana doesnt use these she usually goes in the cat bed which has a big enough entrance for two to get out of, or the hay which is like an open space..

Do you think she should be put into a seperate cage within the cage until Tallulah goes in for the op/has injections?

 

[Cozmo]

If you could section off an area of the enclosure that would probably be better, easier to see and smell one another if you put a mesh barriar up.

 

[Char-x]

If you could section off an area of the enclosure that would probably be better, easier to see and smell one another if you put a mesh barriar up.

Not sure my mum will be able to do that but I could just put the petstore cage in and then when I get home sort it out like that, and leave it like that until Tallulah is sorted..
I get home Monday morning/early afternoon, so wouldnt be for too long...

I could also put on of their blankets in with her for the smell, and put a new blanket in with her and once it has her smell on it put it in with Tallulah and Gypsey so they think shes still around..?

 

[Cozmo]

Yeah you could do. To be honest, with Tallulah's hormones the way they are, I don't see how a blanket smelling like Montana is going to help things.

You're probably better seperating them, for your own piece of mind, until Tallulah has been done and then try reintroducing them again once her hormones are in check.

 

[Char-x]

Yeah you could do. To be honest, with Tallulah's hormones the way they are, I don't see how a blanket smelling like Montana is going to help things.

You're probably better seperating them, for your own piece of mind, until Tallulah has been done and then try reintroducing them again once her hormones are in check.

Okay thank you for your quick and helpful advice! I will do that then

 

[Cozmo]

Cool, your welcome...I hope things sort themselves out soon with your little ones.

 

[Wiebke]

Make sure that you go through the full introductions again when reintroducing, but at the moment, a separation is better. Montana will be grateful for it.

If the bullying won't stop after a reintroduction, you have to face up to the fact that for the sake of Montana, you will either have to have two groups with a companion for Montana or hand Montana over to a rescue.

Trios do not always work out, despite our best intentions.

 

[Char-x]

Make sure that you go through the full introductions again when reintroducing, but at the moment, a separation is better. Montana will be grateful for it.

If the bullying won't stop after a reintroduction, you have to face up to the fact that for the sake of Montana, you will either have to have two groups with a companion for Montana or hand Montana over to a rescue.

Trios do not always work out, despite our best intentions.

Yeah I will do. They wont be reintroduced until after Tallulah is sorted anyway so hopefully like Gypsey she will be a whole new (and nicer and calmer) guinea pig.

If it doesnt stop Montana will be able to go back to the breeder who had her before, she was going to stay there forever anyway if we hadnt of rehomed her. She doesnt breed from her anymore she was retired.

If this didnt work out then I would prehaps look into adopting a baby guinea pig. Someone did say to me it might be best getting a baby from the same breeder since I know she treats her animals amazingly etc and if it didnt work out they would go back to her. But I dont really like the thought of babies from breeders:{. Anyway hopefully Montana will work out.

 

[*SRH*]

In my opinion, when blood is drawn is really when you know to seperate them fo sure. If you see both of them rearing up on their hind legs, that is a sure sign that they will fight.

Maybe put them in neutral territory with no food and see how they find each other, if they seem fine, put some food in and clean out there house.

Perhaps you could get another food bowl and water so that she can eat and drink to and take it away when they have bonded.

Hope that helps.

 

[Char-x]

In my opinion, when blood is drawn is really when you know to seperate them fo sure. If you see both of them rearing up on their hind legs, that is a sure sign that they will fight.

Maybe put them in neutral territory with no food and see how they find each other, if they seem fine, put some food in and clean out there house.

Perhaps you could get another food bowl and water so that she can eat and drink to and take it away when they have bonded.

Hope that helps.

I did introduce them like that in the bath on neutral grounds with nothing and they seemed okay. They have three food bowels, loads of places for hay and two water bottles.

My mum has got the cage ready but not needed to seperate them. Apparently Gypsey is now copying tallulahs behavioiur. But Montana is okay right now.

 

[Wiebke]

If the trio doesn't work out after Tallulah has had her operation, I'd rather adopt a laid back boar if I were you! With both of your girls being spayed, you do not have to look for a neutered boar and can concentrate on finding a chilled out character.

Cross gender pairings are usually a lot more stable and a boar (can be of any age when paired with sows, so he doesn't have to be a baby) won't upset the hierarchy and can be as loving and helpful as any sow to Gypsy.

Just have a look at my Valentine's picture thread of three year old Llewelyn with four year old Fflur, who I rehomed only a month ago after she'd lost her sister.

 

[Char-x]

If the trio doesn't work out after Tallulah has had her operation, I'd rather adopt a laid back boar if I were you! With both of your girls being spayed, you do not have to look for a neutered boar and can concentrate on finding a chilled out character.

Cross gender pairings are usually a lot more stable and a boar (can be of any age when paired with sows, so he doesn't have to be a baby) won't upset the hierarchy and can be as loving and helpful as any sow to Gypsy.

Just have a look at my Valentine's picture thread of three year old Llewelyn with four year old Fflur, who I rehomed only a month ago after she'd lost her sister.

My only problem with this is I thought neutering didnt stop their sex drive?
Gypsey would freak out if she kept being bothered constantly especially being mounted (she gets slightly freaked out even when Tallulah does it), and I dont think Tallulah would stand for it. I dont really want an unneutered boar because I did have one and the impaction stuff was a nightmare!