In nature, animals from the pig family live in colonies. In a group, it is easier for rodents to escape from predators and obtain food. At home, the guinea pig is not in danger of being attacked by animals or starving. The presence of companions is not mandatory, but the animal is more comfortable in company.
Making two guinea pigs friends is not difficult. By nature, they are inclined to communicate and pets are more fun together. Thanks to active games, animals move more, which has a positive effect on their physical fitness and health.
Pair selection
Owners are concerned about the possibility of guinea pigs fighting. It is easier to prevent conflict between pets if you deliberately select suitable individuals. It is better to purchase a guinea pig from a trusted breeder. You can get information from him about the character of each animal and its position in the pack.
Important factors when choosing a pet partner:
Young animals develop easier relationships with each other than adults. It is best to have two babies at once, raised together. In this case, the struggle for leadership is easier, or is not required at all. The new resident must be younger than or equal in age to the permanent resident.
If one or two individuals are approaching the age of 3-5 months, it is better to postpone introduction. During this period, guinea pigs master the role of an adult rodent and zealously defend their boundaries.
The settler who dominated the previous flock will aggressively defend its position in the new place. The owner will not tolerate this and the rodents will begin to conflict. Therefore, it is better to choose a non-ambitious individual for sharing.
Patterns of groups by gender
It is not worth having a different-sex couple if breeding is not planned. Animals experience stress when living together. The female does not like the persistent attention of the male, and his constant refusals. Uncontrolled mating depletes the girl’s body. You can keep a male and female together only if the male is castrated.
Two female guinea pigs converge more easily on the same territory. Fighting for terrain between girls rarely ends in injury. This pair is optimal for a beginning livestock breeder.
Boys jealously defend their territory. Competition for the lady may break out between them. Two males don't get along well together. Vigilance is always required with them; even friendly rodents can suddenly start a fight. You can make friends between two males only if they do not smell the female.
To maintain order in the group, it is necessary to provide pets with toys and entertainment, plenty of hay, food and space. A cage for a pair of guinea pigs should be at least a meter long.
Relationships in a pack of three or more animals develop according to the same patterns. Among the trio, an unspoken conspiracy of two pigs against the third may arise. Therefore, it is optimal to group animals into colonies of 4-5 individuals.
Why might a pig bite?
There are several main reasons why a guinea pig bites, which are formed into three large groups:
- Violation of the boundaries of an animal's personal space, Discomfort and behavioral characteristics, Diseases.
Trespassing
A guinea pig, like any animal, has its own personal space and does not always tolerate violation of its boundaries. This applies to both other animals and humans. The animal does not like it when a person invades his life during meals, hygiene procedures, restricts his movements with too tight hugs, shakes, pinches. To prevent the animal from biting during regular procedures, such as trimming claws, combing or cleaning ears, they are taught to do so from childhood and encouraged with treats. Otherwise, the animal will begin to defend itself and bites are just necessary self-defense.
Cleaning the cage may also be considered a violation of personal space by the animal if it is done at the wrong time. Most often, a guinea pig can show aggression if the owner decides to start cleaning while the animal is eating or drinking. An animal can express its “No” by trying to bite even when the owner disturbed it during sleep.
Discomfort and behavioral characteristics
Discomfort is most often caused by incorrect actions of the owner. Careless handling can cause pain to the animal, and the response will not be long in coming. The owner has a high chance of being bitten even if he decides to separate fighting pigs. The owner's hands can be perceived as another enemy and the animals turn their attention to them. It is not so easy to separate fighting guinea pigs even with gloves - the animal's teeth easily bite through the material.
When buying a new animal, you need to understand that it needs time to get used to it. At first, it is better to leave the animal alone, let it get used to the smells and sounds of a new home, to humans and other animals. If you immediately start squeezing your pet, you can get a strong bite. If a person buys an adult guinea pig from a pet store, there is a chance of getting a pet with a bad life history. The animal may have negative memories of the previous owner, fear of people, aggression and begin to bite due to a lack of mistrust. In stores there is no way to get reliable information about the animal’s past.
Another reason why a guinea pig bites is the delicious smell from human hands. In this case, the animal perceives hands as its favorite treat and naturally.
A sick animal needs peace and quiet. Sometimes the owner does not notice the symptoms of the onset of the disease and habitually takes the animal in his arms. In this case, the disturbed animal will definitely begin to bite. During any medical procedures, the animal will also begin to defend itself and break free from your hands, try to bite, and squeak aggressively. Pregnant females are especially irritable in the last weeks of pregnancy and any attempt to pick them up most often ends in painful bites.
Even if there are no visible symptoms, the animal may feel unwell.
Rules for sharing
The new tenant must spend two weeks in a separate cage so that the owner can make sure that the rodent is healthy. After quarantine, you can introduce the guinea pigs to each other. Before attempting, you need to make sure that both rodents are full and in a good mood. It is better to introduce guinea pigs on neutral territory.
The first meeting place should be:
- new for both rodents, not marked by odors;
- protected by high sides, or located closer to the floor;
- spacious so that there is enough space for pursuit and escape;
- equipped with through shelters for a passive individual.
Competition for food is not typical for the species, so while the animals are getting to know each other, you can try to defuse the situation with treats. During the procedure, you need to be vigilant, since a fight may arise for the owner’s attention, or simply out of principle.
When joining a group, it is recommended to rub the newcomer from behind with sawdust from the common cage. Sensing the familiar smell, the flock will accept the guest more loyally.
After several meetings on neutral territory, if the pigs behave calmly, you can put them in one cage. Before doing this, you should wash it thoroughly and change the location of the accessories. For each individual, you need to install separate feeders and drinkers on different sides of the cage. The room will look unusual for both pigs, which will allow the rodents to inhabit the territory on equal terms.
First meeting
If you place two unfamiliar animals in the same dwelling, a ritual of acquaintance and establishment of rank will take place between them. In this ritual, sniffing and trying to jump on each other's backs are standard actions. Guinea pigs chatter their teeth and try to jump on each other. You should not create obstacles to their acquaintance. All that is required from the animal owner is patience.
Establishing a rank often lasts several days, after which the animals behave peacefully.
Due to the fact that pigs also have their own personalities and dislikes, before purchasing a new pet, you need to carefully consider whether it suits your group.
Expert advice: before placing a new animal in a cage with a group, you need to rub the back of its body with the litter that is already in the cage in which you want to place it. As a rule, after this the animals accept the newcomer as one of their own. This method helps when meeting for the first time in a neutral area.
During this period, the cage should be washed and filled with the necessary accessories. It is necessary to make a small rearrangement of the animals' housing. Housing for the group must accommodate a house for each pig. In the first few weeks, food should be scattered throughout the cage to eliminate possible conflicts between pets.
If the breeder sees that rodents are fighting, the following measures must be taken:
- Knock loudly near the cage. An unexpected sharp sound distracts the animals.
- Spray warm water on the animals.
- Try to separate them manually using rough gloves.
- The conflict is over. Now, for some time, the pigs need to be moved to different rooms. And start getting to know each other again.
Based on all of the above, we can conclude:
- The male needs to be castrated. This will help dull the animal's protective instincts. The process of sterilization of females is more complicated.
- It is recommended to purchase pigs while they are still young. For example, take a young animal of the same sex as an adult animal.
- It is worth raising two animals together from an early age, this way you will eliminate the incompatibility of animals.
- The guinea pig is a small but strong animal. If the animal is angry, you must handle it carefully so as not to get a scratch.
- The animal can be aggressive; during a fight, it can bite through the skin of another pig.
- You should not place an unsterilized male with a female. These animals reproduce quickly.
What I am a master at is talking incessantly about hamsters. I have three hamsters at home, and my husband has a pet rat. That’s how we live, the six of us eat, the six of us sleep :)
Source
Actions during a fight
Guinea pigs fight fiercely and can hurt each other and their owner. During the meeting and check-in process, a person should prepare a towel in case they have to separate the rodents. It is strictly forbidden to intervene with bare hands; animals react aggressively to humans.
Two guinea pigs will be wary of each other. At the first meeting, everyone should sniff their friend, this is how the rodents get to know each other.
Chatting teeth, ruffled fur, chasing and persecution should not be stopped. Pigs determine the hierarchy in a pair. Until the animals figure out who is in charge, they will not be able to find a common language.
At the beginning of the acquaintance, pigs should establish a hierarchy
If a fight breaks out between rodents:
- You can knock loudly near the cage so that the sharp sound distracts the animals;
- It helps to spray the ball with warm water from a spray bottle;
- separate by hand, through thick fabric, or with rough gloves.
After a conflict, pigs should be housed in different rooms for several weeks. Attempts to make friends with pets will have to start all over again. After getting to know each other on neutral territory, it is recommended to place the rodents through the bars close to each other. This will allow the animals to get used to the presence of a neighbor in safety.
What to do if the animal bites
Every breeder must know that it is impossible to punish a pig for biting. An animal bites only in response to the wrong actions of the breeder, and punishment for natural behavior will lead to a loss of trust on the part of the animal. Screaming or hitting can lead to stress and major health problems. To prevent the pet from biting, the breeder should show patience and understanding. It will take time to train your pig to stop biting.
After a bite, you can lightly tap the animal on the nose with your finger and say: “You can’t.”
Even if the pig has bitten until it bleeds, you need to calm down and let the animal go. Rinse the wound with iodine and apply a bandage. Guinea pig saliva does not contain any dangerous microbes. If a guinea pig regularly bites when a person picks it up, then the animal simply does not like hugs. In this case, it is worth minimizing the animal’s presence in your arms. If the animal breaks out of your hands, it is better to let it go.
What should you do to accustom your animal to handling and avoid being bitten?
It is worthwhile to exercise your pets little by little every day, pick them up for a few minutes and give them treats for calm behavior. You can scratch your pig's tummy or withers area - they love it. However, at the first sign of anxiety and dissatisfaction, the pet should be released immediately. Most often, such activities bring very quick positive results.
Video: about paired and single keeping of guinea pigs
Pigs fight ¶
From: oODevilOo - November 19, 2009 10:04 pm
My two males fight terribly! Especially the albino - he bites the other one until he bleeds. Can this hostility ever go away? And should we continue to keep them separate?
Pigs fight ¶
From: KsyuKha - November 20, 2009 0:24
If the cage is small, there is a house and there is no pipe, then there will be fights.
The house is cleaned, a pipe is installed, two feeders are in different places and there is enough space so as not to push butts. And they will live well.
Pigs fight ¶
From: oODevilOo - November 20, 2009 9:13 am
thank you very much) the cage is large, there is no house, but there was no pipe)
