Young guinea pig with older pig

[BillyThePig]

Just today I got a New Guinea pig who is about 4 months old as a friend for my other pig who is about a year. The older one, billy, is very excited and desperately trying to meet the little guy. There’s a divider in the cage and when I let them run around the floor Billy chased the small guy, sniffing his butt while the little one tried to get away. How long should I keep in the divider and will Billy hurt the little one?

 

[Piggies&buns]

He won’t hurt him, but equally there is no guarantee they will get on. they can be placed in a divided cage for a few days/week and only allowed interaction through the bars (don’t let them physically be together until the actual day of bonding). Guinea pigs dont do playtime, to them each meeting is a bonding session so it is important to not keep introducing and separating as it is stressful for them. Once you put them together for the bonding, then they need to remain together (unless bonding is a failure, in which case they need to be permanently separated). While they are in the neutral bonding cage, you need to thoroughly remove all smells from the cage they will live in so billy doesn’t see the youngster as an invader in his space.

Your youngster is just at the start of his teenage months when hormones are starting to fly. You need to ensure your cage is big enough so that there are no space issues. Cage Size Guide

The guides below should help you on how to do the bonding, and what signs to look out for

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

 

[Bill & Ted]

You really need to read the Boar Bonding Guide. This behaviour sounds very normal to me, but you must not keep introducing them and then separating them. Piggies don’t do play dates.
Bonding should be done on a completely neutral area where there are no smells of either piggie. For the best success please read through the links here, particularly boars bonding
Behaviour, Bonding & Bereavement Guides
Good luck x

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

This is very normal getting to know you behaviour and there is nothing to worry about.

Please take the time to read our bonding guide which will take you through all bonding stages and tell you how to do it correctly. It also contains a chapter on boar bonding and one on baby bonding with a video. Baby boars are just so dramatic. As long as your little one has plenty of space to run and jump, there is no way your boy can hurt him, as the baby is too quick and too agile - not that boars will actually hurt babies.
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

 

[BillyThePig]

Just today I got a New Guinea pig who is about 4 months old as a friend for my other pig who is about a year. The older one, billy, is very excited and desperately trying to meet the little guy. There’s a divider in the cage and when I let them run around the floor Billy chased the small guy, sniffing his butt while the little one tried to get away. How long should I keep in the divider and will Billy hurt the little one?

Update: I put them together and I’ve never seen Billy so happy! They’re constantly sleeping together and it’s so sweet. The new piggy also seems very happy

 

[RoyalDuke]

Thats sweet! I had two baby boys in with my old man Marlon for a few months, he was very gentle with them until they got too big!