Guinea pig query - keep them separate?

littlebee

Hello... sorry this is a little long winded....

We got two female guinea pigs on Sunday. We chose one on Friday and then they got another one in for us Saturday evening (to make a pair as no other females left). Now this piggie is very young, 4-5 weeks I reckon. Very small compared to the other one who is about 8 weeks I believe.

Anyway, popped them in together when home. No problem. It's a two storey hutch, so plenty of space.

I noticed by Monday that the bigger piggy was bossing the little one around a lot. Come tuesday morning and I find the little one had escaped to the peace & quiet of upstairs - was glad for her

But, now the bigger one has found her way upstairs and is hassling the little one, again. Not all the time but enough.

So now at night (and most of the day) I separate them to give the little one some peace as she is so tiny (I just hiked up the ramp in the hutch so big piggie can't get up!). They have runabout time outside the hutch together for about 1.5-2 hours a day.

Am I right to do this? I am just concerned for the little one as she is so tiny, about the size of a big hamster! I know guinea pigs like company but was going to keep them separate like this until the little one is a little older and can handle herself better. I feel that the bigger one, with her bullying/dominance, may prevent the little one from getting enough food/water. Maybe I'm overreacting!!

Any advice much appreciated..... thank you

littlebee

Anyone?

RosieJoe

I'd say you are going about it the correct way. I've read here to slowly introduce them.

Don't worry about the big one being bossy, she's just asserting some dominence over the little one. This will all settle down over a few days.

Sigma Force

There's always one bossier than the other. Signs to look out for are grumbling and walking on her back feet..that means she might go for the other pig.

Give them at least three hidey places so they can get away from each other as well.

Outkast_IRE

you will always get one who bosses the other about, if they start to fight you will know very quickly as you will hear the teeth chittering noise they make before hand and hear them jumping about etc.

littlebee

Thanks everyone. It's just bossiness, but those squeals really pull at my heart strings. Though I suspect it's the little one saying 'Leave me alone'!!

Had the ramp down more today and the bigger one was up and down but didn't stay upstairs too long, which I am glad of.

Have lots of hidey places for them.

Thanks again

Sigma Force

Are you sure they're both female?
Not that it should matter if they are both male, at that age they should still get on. Sometimes personalities clash as well.

littlebee

Yes, got the pet shop to triple check!! Though I know it is very hard to tell when they are very young.

They have been much better today, little bit of bossing but not so much as before.

I reckon the bigger one is just throwing her weight around... literally!!! lol

loveisdivine

It sounds like just usual dominance stuff to me. The youngest of our 3 still gets bossed around by the others sometimes. She doesnt mind too much though, just jumps on top of her pigloo and laughs at them because their too lazy and fat to try and follow her up there!

Vojera

Personally I would not keep separating them. The behaviour you have described sounds like normal establishment of dominance and each time you separate them they have to start the process all over again. Make sure they have at least their own food bowl/water/hidey at opposite sides of the cage so that the dominant pig can't guard them all. And it can help if you clean the cage well and put them both in at the same time so that the first pig doesn't feel like its territory has been invaded.

There'll be a lot of squealing, chasing and humping for the first few days, which is all normal. So long as no blood is drawn then it's best to just let them work it out and things should settle down within a week or so. It'll probably flare up every few weeks when one or the other comes into heat, but it's all normal. If you're concerned about the smaller one you could weigh her daily to make sure she's not losing weight from stress or being kept away from the food and hay (about 20-30g fluctuation/day is normal).