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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

What a pair of pigs

205 replies

Guineapigdrama · 16/09/2025 12:00

Shamelessly posting here with misleading title for traffic 🤣
I have two guinea pigs, horrendously spoilt things. Recently purchased them a new house (see image when uploaded) hence spoiled.

Now, one of them will not let the other into the bed area, chases him out. There's two beds in that area, completely separate and the same. So the ousted one sits in the other area all the time.

What do I do? Shut them both out of the bed so it's can't be hogged by one of them all day (pun intended)?

Or shut them both in at night and let them get on with it? I shut them in together for an hour yesterday and they were fine, no issues.

Going out of my mind with trying to please these two animals 🤣🤣

What a pair of pigs
What a pair of pigs
OP posts:
Thread gallery
14
Guineapigdrama · 16/09/2025 14:20

YourLemonTiger · 16/09/2025 13:01

They are so very sweet but the cream, fluffy one on the left looks like a trouble maker 😂

He's actually a good boy!

OP posts:
Mel0626 · 16/09/2025 14:21

I had to separate my two boys and spent a fortune on their respective homes. The aggressor was a right bastard and the other one so timid and meek bless him.

they had grid/partitions so the knob one could still growl at the other to his hearts content but he couldn’t actually harm the other.

of course the sweet one died first and I got a
mirror for the other one as couldn’t risk getting another! Anyway he absolutely loved looking at his own reflection . He was very enamoured with himself.

Guineapigdrama · 16/09/2025 14:21

Elaine118 · 16/09/2025 12:50

Why can't you move one of the covered beds to the place where he ends up sleeping? Will they not be housed inside in winter?
It looks like quite a small space to have those two beds closed in together if they haven't been getting on very well recently.
My guinea pigs have several beds and hidey areas and they all just pick between them. Sometimes they squabble but we leave them to it, if they're bonded it shouldn't get violent over beds. Hopefully the dominant pig will calm down when the novelty of the bed has worn off a bit too but I'd look at moving one if you can.

I don't know if he'll be warm enough. This is a year round home. The house is slightly different than the original image in that the end is closed so it's just the front that is open but we have a fold down cover for that. It's not as small as it looks on the camera angle. Is 4 foot deep and about 2 foot wide.

OP posts:
Guineapigdrama · 16/09/2025 14:22

TorroFerney · 16/09/2025 13:04

Now you see I think it looks quite docile/people pleaser ish. The other one looks like a terror. I realise im anthropomorphising them!

You're not wrong though!

OP posts:
Butchyrestingface · 16/09/2025 14:22

I sympathise. I dropped £150 on enrichment toys recently on Amazon for my ungrateful parrots. (As an anxious pet parent, I worry about their intellectual and emotional stimulation).

They still prefer shredding rolls of loo all over the joint and climbing inside cardboard boxes and singing and coming over all hormonal.

At this stage, I would wash my hands of the pigs. Leave them to it. You could work your fingers to the bone for them and they'll never appreciate your suffering.

Guineapigdrama · 16/09/2025 14:23

TeddySchnauzer · 16/09/2025 13:05

do they ever come out of that wooden enclosure at all? If not then it’s too small! Guinea Pigs need space to run around freely

It's 8 foot long and 4 foot wide with two levels. It's absolutely not too small but yes they also have an additional run on the grass.

OP posts:
Guineapigdrama · 16/09/2025 14:23

AmyDudley · 16/09/2025 13:19

You forgot the first rule of pet ownership 'the greater the cost of the bed, the more determined the animal will be about not using it for the purpose it was intended'

You are so right!

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Guineapigdrama · 16/09/2025 14:24

Abominableday · 16/09/2025 13:23

Is the bed area the only bit with lots of hay? As he might be keeping possession of all of that. I totally want a pig cam now but they're in my teenager's bedroom so I don't think I'd be allowed 😂

No they have hay boxes in the main area too 🤣

OP posts:
AnAlpacaForChristmasPleaseSanta · 16/09/2025 14:25

Guineapigdrama · 16/09/2025 12:16

They are so cute. minnie the big white one and pom pom the smaller one. And you can guess which is the bully, the small one! Named by my 5 year old...

Pom Pom the guinea pig! Too much cuteness OP 🥰.

Guineapigdrama · 16/09/2025 14:26

Beentheretoolong · 16/09/2025 13:24

How old are they? 4-16 (ish) months is peak hormonal teenage time especially for boys and they do exert their dominance. Houses need 2 entrances so one pig can’t be cornered and has an escape route as well as having 2 of everything.
Your hutch probably isn’t actually big enough despite how nice it it looks. The space the ramps take really reduces the actual amount of actual space they have and boars need more space than girls.
We had indoor piggies which is a much better place to have them, they don’t really do well outside on the whole unless their hutch is in a well insulated shed or garage. I had 2 boars in a 2m long cage and that was really the minimum space for them. They learnt the sound of the fridge door opening very quickly😆.

The ramp takes up a matter of cms as it's completely to the side, again a change from the original picture I realise now that I posted. It's 8 foot wide and 4ft long wait two levels and they have an additional run on the grass. They are 9 months old ish

What a pair of pigs
OP posts:
Guineapigdrama · 16/09/2025 14:27

IHateEmptyPockets · 16/09/2025 13:24

Guinea Cam… this is what I was missing in my life

I love it. Have one in each area and spend far too much time watching them whilst I'm at work!

OP posts:
Guineapigdrama · 16/09/2025 14:27

naiveandrestles · 16/09/2025 13:38

Eep eep eep eep epp

I want little piggies but Ive been outvoted because apparently the squeeks will stop being cute after a while. 🤣

Noooo!

OP posts:
Guineapigdrama · 16/09/2025 14:28

NNforthispost · 16/09/2025 13:40

How about an annexe to be added on - so not a full house but another covered area containing a sort of second bedroom and then saw through an opening so they can share the other areas of the house. Then the dominant piggy can’t chase the other away as he can’t be in two places at the same time. Would that work?

They’re lovely. I’d love some but the dog would likely think they’re interactive squeaker toys so I darent even go there!

It would but am fast running out of patio and £££ 🤣
My dog largely ignores them thankfully and they absolutely ignore him

OP posts:
Guineapigdrama · 16/09/2025 14:29

Baninarama · 16/09/2025 13:53

Be careful. A couple I know adopted a pair. Fast forward 2 years and they have over 50 in a purpose-built shed. They show them, rescue them and breed pedigree pigs. It's a slippery slope.

This will be me 🤣🤣🤣

OP posts:
Agapornis · 16/09/2025 14:30

Surely the solution is to challenge the hierarchy by getting more guinea pigs 😇

(Caveat: I've never had guinea pigs)

Guineapigdrama · 16/09/2025 14:30

Ewock · 16/09/2025 13:59

They are gorgeous. We have two rabbits and looking into getting two guineas in spring. Can I ask where you got their house from? Looks great for them

From Shropshire Pet Housing. They supply and build if you live close enough but I am far away so they couriered it and we had to build... Very pleased with it though.

OP posts:
Guineapigdrama · 16/09/2025 14:31

AirborneElephant · 16/09/2025 14:00

Can you put in a mezzanine/ second floor in the bedroom area and create a second door. So that they have separate bedrooms? It’s a bit hard to tell but looks like there should be enough room.

You're right there is enough room and there was a second level in that area but the naughty one will not use the ramp so the other one still couldn't use the area

OP posts:
Guineapigdrama · 16/09/2025 14:31

dawngreen · 16/09/2025 14:18

Could the female be preparing for babies?

They're both boys. Despite one being called Minnie...don't ask 🤣

OP posts:
Guineapigdrama · 16/09/2025 14:32

Mel0626 · 16/09/2025 14:21

I had to separate my two boys and spent a fortune on their respective homes. The aggressor was a right bastard and the other one so timid and meek bless him.

they had grid/partitions so the knob one could still growl at the other to his hearts content but he couldn’t actually harm the other.

of course the sweet one died first and I got a
mirror for the other one as couldn’t risk getting another! Anyway he absolutely loved looking at his own reflection . He was very enamoured with himself.

Edited

Aagh this is my worry!

OP posts:
Guineapigdrama · 16/09/2025 14:32

Butchyrestingface · 16/09/2025 14:22

I sympathise. I dropped £150 on enrichment toys recently on Amazon for my ungrateful parrots. (As an anxious pet parent, I worry about their intellectual and emotional stimulation).

They still prefer shredding rolls of loo all over the joint and climbing inside cardboard boxes and singing and coming over all hormonal.

At this stage, I would wash my hands of the pigs. Leave them to it. You could work your fingers to the bone for them and they'll never appreciate your suffering.

At this stage, I would wash my hands of the pigs. Leave them to it. You could work your fingers to the bone for them and they'll never appreciate your suffering.

This is partly how I feel. 🤣
**
**

OP posts:
Abominableday · 16/09/2025 14:33

No way your original picture looks 8ft x 4ft! Must be a strange perspective.

Guineapigdrama · 16/09/2025 14:33

Agapornis · 16/09/2025 14:30

Surely the solution is to challenge the hierarchy by getting more guinea pigs 😇

(Caveat: I've never had guinea pigs)

I like that idea! My husband not so much. Lol

OP posts:
Guineapigdrama · 16/09/2025 14:36

Abominableday · 16/09/2025 14:33

No way your original picture looks 8ft x 4ft! Must be a strange perspective.

🤷🏼‍♀️

What a pair of pigs
OP posts:
Abominableday · 16/09/2025 14:36

You need to lie down in front of it so we can see 😃

IVbumble · 16/09/2025 14:44

Abominableday · 16/09/2025 14:36

You need to lie down in front of it so we can see 😃

Or maybe get in it for proper perspective.

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