Why is she doing this?

[lovehanabanana]

Hello this is my first post. I have 2 guinea pigs (Muffin and Bella). I have had them for 3 years now. Recently my older (Muffin) has been doing something weird. Whenever I talk to them, she starts rumbling, slowly walking towards Bella and chases her. I understand establishing hierarchy, but it’s been 3 years. Why is she still bullying her? Everytime I talk to them, it’s like she gets mad at Bella for some reason. Why is this happening?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Welcome to the forum

Rumbling is a normal dominance behaviour, it isn’t bullying (bullying is a sustained set of behaviours which ultimately mean the bond will fail and the piggies would have to be separated). Piggies will spend a lot of time maintaining and confirming their bond so dominance behaviours do not stop once they are past the two week bonding stage, these behaviours continue lifelong.
It may just be a coincidence that you are noticing it when you talk to them.

However, sows (once over two years old) can get ovarian cysts so a sow who appears to be overly dominant, displaying dominance behaviours a lot or always appears to be in season should be vet checked for the presence of cysts.


Sows: Behaviour and Female Health Problems (including mounting and ovarian cysts)

 

[lovehanabanana]

Hello this is my first post. I have 2 guinea pigs (Muffin and Bella). I have had them for 3 years now. Recently my older (Muffin) has been doing something weird. Whenever I talk to them, she starts rumbling, slowly walking towards Bella and chases her. I understand establishing hierarchy, but it’s been 3 years. Why is she still bullying her? Everytime I talk to them, it’s like she gets mad at Bella for some reason. Why is this happening?

I’d like to clarify something. When I said “bullying”, I was referring to her behavior as if they were humans. Like if a human was to always push another at school. That would be considered bullying. In my eyes this behavior from her is bullying. Even if it is “normal dominance behavior”. This is not normal. My older pig (Muffin) does not like Bella period. There are a couple instances where Muffin is calm but most of the time you can tell she does not like Bella. This has been going on for 3 years. It occurring when I talk has only started recently. So I do not believe this is a normal behavior. Thank you.

 

[Piggies&buns]

We do always have to check as we do see the word bullying mentioned but when we get into further detail with the OP it often isn’t the actual bond breaking definition of bullying.
(Normal dominance is:
Rumbling, chasing, nipping (a behaviour which lets the underpig feel the teeth but does not break the skin), taking food from each other.
None of these things are of concern on their own (*except where ovarian cysts are suspected or diagnosed where these behaviours can become enhanced))

However, if the behaviour is and always has been beyond dominance, confirmed as tipped into bullying and two piggies who don’t like each other/are in a dysfunctional bond, then they should not be in the same cage together. Bullying is detrimental to the bullied party so would always be bond breaking.

Bullying is typified by relentless chasing that the bullied piggy is never allowed to rest and is chased out of every hide; that she loses weight at each weekly weight check through not being allowed to eat; nipping which does make contact with the skin leaving wounds and pulling hair out; and increasing acrimonious face offs; all of which can cause depression in the bullied pig.

So your next step is to ascertain whether it is within the limits and realms of normal dominance and whether they do like each other (this guide will help Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs). If it is then you do nothing.

If it isn’t within normal realms and is instead within bullying and dysfunction of two piggies who can’t get on (this guide will help Bonds In Trouble) then you can either carry out a temporary separation for several days with a view to potential neutral territory reintroduction to allow them to decide their future. Or call their bond a fail and immediately separate.
If they do need to be split up then they will need to be kept in side by side cages (each measuring at least 120x60cm) permanently.

Why it would be worse when you talk to them would be unclear (the only things I can think of is if we as owners don’t respect their hierarchy by doing everything for the dominant first then it can cause a dominant piggy to feel the need to reassert their position; or maybe it is simply down to the fact piggies are more sensitive to sounds and frequencies than we are).

A vet check for cysts would be advised for any sow over 2 years old displaying any increase or change in dominance behaviours.

Sows: Behaviour and Female Health Problems (including mounting and ovarian cysts)