Youngest girl bullying senior girl

[Dan Angelis]

Hello! I am once again asking for advice on my guinea pigs. You see for a long time now, my youngest girl has been bullying my oldest girl. I haven’t separated them since there hasn’t been any blood drawn, however with the way my senior girl screams makes me worried. (however she is a dramatic girl so there’s also that)

I just want to know if there’s a way to make my younger girl get along with my senior like when I first got her. Because that’s also one thing is that when my younger girl was only four months she got along with everyone so well. But once she hits the one year mark she started to just hit my oldest girl but not my boy. She also only hits my senior girl and then runs away for some reason?

 

[Siikibam]

What do you mean when you say bullying? Can you tell us exactly what she is doing? Sounds like the older piggy is squeaking in submission.

Bullying is entirely different to normal dominance behaviour. It can lead to a withdrawn piggy who prefers to be alone and loses weight. How has your senior been? Any signs of that?
Moody Guinea Pigs: Depression, Bullying, Aggression, Stress, Fear and Antisocial Behaviour

 

[Piggies&buns]

It would definitely be useful to know more information

- how old are they all?
- how long have they been together
- what is their cage size
- Of the sows, is it the youngest or the older who has already been the dominant piggy?
- what behaviours are you seeing? As Siikibam has said, the squeaking could be submission which is a good thing - it means the older piggy is accepting that the younger is dominant. What do you mean when you say she ‘hits’ her?
Otherwise, seeing dominance behaviours is entirely normal behaviour and is not bullying. Dominance does not mean they don’t get on (equally though if two piggies do not get on, then there is nothing you can do to change that)

You call her a senior pig - is she elderly or are you simply referring to senior as the fact she is older?

 

[Dan Angelis]

It would definitely be useful to know more information

- how old are they all?
- how long have they been together
- what is their cage size
- Of the sows, is it the youngest or the older who has already been the dominant piggy?
- what behaviours are you seeing? As Siikibam has said, the squeaking could be submission which is a good thing - it means the older piggy is accepting that the younger is dominant. What do you mean when you say she ‘hits’ her?
Otherwise, seeing dominance behaviours is entirely normal behaviour and is not bullying. Dominance does not mean they don’t get on (equally though if two piggies do not get on, then there is nothing you can do to change that)

You call her a senior pig - is she elderly or are you simply referring to senior as the fact she is older?

My youngest Mimi is 2 years old, My male Kohako is 5 years old, and my oldest Farrah is 7 years old.

Kohako and Farrah have been together for 4 years and Mimi has been with them for 3 years.

Their cage is the KayTee open living habitat and it’s 60x30

I believe it’s the youngest, however she had never tried to mount Farrah or Kohako.

By hitting her I mean when Mimi will launch at Farrah and act like she “bite” her but I have only seen blood once and never again. Mimi will go towards Farrah spot (A place where she loves and refuses to go to other hide) and launch at Farrah, once Mimi launch and Farrah screams Mimi will run away to another side of the cage. And that’s the only behavior I have seen them do. I had never seen Mimi try to mount Farrah do anything else. Sometimes it seems like they do get along only when eating or when I have them both on my bed.

I call Farrah a senior because she is 7 years old at this time.

 

[Dan Angelis]

What do you mean when you say bullying? Can you tell us exactly what she is doing? Sounds like the older piggy is squeaking in submission.

Bullying is entirely different to normal dominance behaviour. It can lead to a withdrawn piggy who prefers to be alone and loses weight. How has your senior been? Any signs of that?
Moody Guinea Pigs: Depression, Bullying, Aggression, Stress, Fear and Antisocial Behaviour

I will look into this! Thank you for the information!