Another Guinea pig thread, URGENT

[Sookeh]

A friend of mine on a whim bought 2 boy guinea pigs who she has now decided she no longer wants. They have not been together long as she has only had them a couple of weeks and has said that she'd be fine seperating them. If they don't get picked up today she will take them to a rescue.

I would quite like to adopt them but am generally clueless. Should I split them up? The cage was bought at pets at home and looks only big enough for 1 but friend said all pets at home guinea cages are suitable for 2 as they usually are bought as a pair?

DP has said he'd prefer to only get 1 to keep costs down, is it really that much more to have a pair?

They are both males, could this cause problems?

Any help would be greatly appreciated as DD and I have sort of fallen in love and need to know what to do ASAP!

Good luck with your Operation Boar Re-Aquaintence -

Do they sit side by side if you cuddle them? Or one on each lap if two people? Mine tend to walk over each other- like they want what the other one has got IYSWIM.

Bath is a good idea especially if they stink to make them both smell neutral. Make sure you have everything to hand. A jug to gently pour the water over them, dilute some shampoo in a cup of warm water. Lots of towels to wrap them, I put a towel in the bath so that they don't slip. We washed them in our kitchen sink (it's huge and deep and has a mixer tap to rinse them) but last time we used the bath to let them wander about. The water should not be too deep, don't let it cover their chins or get in their ears or eyes.

Give them a neutral area if you can- or clean all the pig smells out- and their fresh towels, some hay, some of their favourite food, a couple of hidey boxes. Be prepared for lots of noise and rumblestrutting.

When we put our boys back into their pighouse after they'd been seperate at night, we filled their haybox to the brim. They go off exploring.
The only time my boars get on each others nerves is when there's no hay or if they've overdone the parsley (but that's pig2 mainly).

I shout "Oi" at them if they start, but they pretty well get on with it. They tend to sit apart in the hay though it is soooo sweet if they sit together.

Thank you for all of your help everyone, I can't tell you how valuable it's been.

Good luck with your boars today Queen!

Re-introduced them this morning and it went like a breeze. They were squeaking and sniffing and cuddling and jumping all over the cage, it brought a tear to my eye

As hoped Tyrion seems much much happier and has been coming out of his hidey house a lot more and they seem to totally adore each other, though Tyrion got a bit amorous with poor little Scruffles a few times I think he's definitely the alpha male but is also twice the size of Scruffles so maybe that's why.

I just adore them and they've brought so much happiness into the house, my depression has even eased a little as I find looking after them so therapeutic. I've insisted we get a C&C cage next month and eventually I'd like a couple of girls as well.

It's just so nice to see them so happy and cosy in their new warm cleaned cage.

I'll have to bath them both this weekend and I might need to trim the wee-stained hair from Scruffles' underneath as it's quite smelly and he too likes to bury underneath my chin.

We have a little room attached to the garage that isn't being used which I might turn into my guinea pig room it would mean they could have a big big cage and plenty of room to play.

DH has even taking a particular liking to Scruffles! He still won't hold him but I caught him giving him some freshly chopped cucumber this morning

Phew!!

The room beside the garage sounds good -provided it doesn't get car fumes and you can keep the temperature within guinea-pig temperature limits (and dry and draught free).

But Don't Do It Sookeh - GIRLS. ?

You've got 2 lovely little boys.
Unless you neuter your boys and put them in boy/girl pairs (and neutering boys carries risk) unless you want baby guineas.?

2 boars in a group of girls- they'd fight for dominence. Even neutered they still think like boars they just can't do the deed.

If you kept your 2 boys un- neutered seperate from girls they'd go demented but they will be sexually mature and every oppurtunity they'll try to get to them. This would lead to fighting between the boars.

Boars do get a bad reputation , people say they will fight to the death (I've heard it known anyone this has happened to) .They can get some nasty injuries.
You've got two lovely little boys who being young will bond .

Should read "I've heard this but never known anyone this has happened to"

I second 70 on the girl thing.

I was told by the breeder i got Little pig from to make sure that there was no girls within sniffing distance of the boys because it would lead to arguments between them no matter how well they got on. They would both be fighting to be the head of their 'herd' and would be desperate to get their leg over!

I'm guessing unless you want to breed the best thing to do is to get one sex or the other.

If you want some more how about another pair of boys? If you have the room for two cages then they could all live quite happily next to each other in two pairs.

But a big YAY for your two going back together fine :)

Well so far so good...ish. They are making a hell of a lot of noise, but no actual fighting.

It seems that Big pig is still the boss, but he isn't rumbeling, Little pig is though. . Big pig has been scent marking and chasing Little pig.

And as i am writing they have had a spat :(

Ohhh, I was thinking of keeping them seperate but didn't think it would cause problems at sniffing distance, I'll stick with my boys instead

Maybe another pair of boars in the future.

They're still getting on fine and Tyrion seems sooo much more lively. I'm so relieved!

Great news! I'm just so glad it's working out for you, and your boars!

Hi, how are the boars this morning ( Sookeh and QueenBonkey)-actually you need to go back to plain old BonkeyMollocks now- Jubilee is past .
There, I've dis-titled you

And it must be a boar thing to stick their niffy backsides right under your chin.

GP1 doesn't do it to DD -but I don't let GP1 near my neck because he's a nibbler. Has a little gnaw at my nose or ear-not a bite, a toothy kiss.

GP2 sticks his flatulent little arse right under my chin and farts for Britain. Doesn't do this to DH or DS. He's a flippin angel. (All boys together )

Im back to Bonkey

My boys are sperated . They ha another almighty fight and Big pig has a cut on his shoulder. :(

They are happy side by side for now.
I may try them again in a month or two. Once the damn hormones have settled !!

How are yours Sookeh ?

Do your boys go out in a garden run Bonkey?
Is it just in their sleeping quarters that they argue or is it when they are out excercising as well?

(I fortunately missed the early months with my boars but they were seperated indoors last winter and I will probably do this again when they come in)

When they are in a washing basket to get transported from HogHouse to indoors or Hoghouse to run, they will arrange themselves nose-to-rump and nudge each other in the bum. It only gets a bit heated if they are waiting a while.

I put them out for an hour yesterday (in a Force 9 gale but it was warm ) with lots of covers to windbreak their run, just to give them some fresh air and another view. They went loopy, popcorning and running round for 5 minutes before cuddling up in their wooden run shjelter.

It maybe best to let them have seperate sleeping quarters but excercise time together. That way they know the other one is there IISWIM. My boys don't sit close as a rule, so I don't think they miss not being in physical contact. And yours are indoors so have all the hustle and bustle as well as GP company. Hopefully Little Pig will settle when he's got past his terrible teens, but he's shaping up to be Alpha Pig in that pairing. (Blame Big Pig though he <span class="italic">chose</span> him) <img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Wink" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/build/assets/wink-ClU7UaDM.png">
Occasionally mine sit together in the haybox which is so cute! ( But I wonder what they've been up to) <img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Confused" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/build/assets/confused-DVrVQwAF.png">

Is Big Pigs shoulder okay?

No garden sadly. (although with this weather they wouldn't be outsuch anyway)

They are separate completely. They were fighting in their playpen . And now they start bickering id thy are both out on the sofa at the same time . I very nearly got my hand caught in the crossing the other day

Although they do curl up next to each other through the bars

I think the problem is that they are both dominant pigs naturally . Big pig is still Boss but Little pig is seriously pushing his luck!

His shoulder is fine. It has scabbed over nicely.
And yes, it is all Big pigs fault for choosing the Little sod

Sorry about typos again
In a car!

Boars are splendid today, eating and drinking well and getting on wonderfully. Tyrion is definitely the quieter and more skittish of the two whereas Scruffles is half his size and ten times louder

I'm totally in love with them and so is DH! He feeds them bits of carrot and stuff when he thinks I'm not looking.

My mum is bringing a big White cage tomorrow so somehow I'm going to try and fashion a huge cage out of the two I have. I'm rubbish with DIY do have zero idea how I'm going to do it.

Sorry your boars are still squabbling Bonkey.

Mine will be ok...and if they aren't then I may have to get them each a friend Will have to do some serious work on dh first though

Re. getting your cages together. Try cable ties!
They have been my discovery in the last year. I have used them for attaching the hammys cage to another to give him a palace , I use them to secure the bar panels to separate my boys, and for water bottles etc

They are cheap to buy so if you have to cut them to access anything then its nothing to whack another on!

Great they are getting on so well and that your dh is coming round. Mine is always whinging about our pigs.
I think he's jealous!

What do you use for the base of your cage? I'm not sure what to do about the plastic bases.

My DH is a whinger too. He never had pets when he was growing up so doesn't really "get" them.

I grew up in a zoo so I love having animals about. We had five dogs at one point

I second them getting a new friend each

Can you get them a bridge or something?

The bendy logs would do the trick. Or you could try and get hold of some correx and make your own.

Look at the 'stickys' here for ideas.

Also have a look through the 'Show us your cages' threads. Very inspirational!
I now have ideas

I love having animals about too. Dh isn't keen, mainly the poo! But then I do all that anyway so... I find it very calming and homely having them around :)

Its why we don't have a cat or a dog. I managed to talk him into a hammy two years ago, then Feb this year I snuck in another, then when hammy1 died :( I said I wanted a piggy, he said, "I don't care" , so I took full advantage

DH will cuddle the GP quite happily (usually GP2 who is DS GP) and I ask him to do modifications to the GPs Hoghouse which he does. (I have the ideas, he does the work)

He was a bit when DD first wanted GPs and when we got them (they were a year old) he was at the size of them (I reckon he thought they'd be hamster sized) but he's smitten quite amenable.

I think thats why dh 'let' me get them. I think he thought they would be a ever so slightly larger version of a hamster Big pig is turning into a chunk!

I have tried to thrust Big pig on him. Big pig doesn't poo/wee on you and will just sprawl out on your lap like a cat (dh likes cats) I daren't give him Little Pig who is the opposite. He isn't having any of it :( He doesn't even find it cute when Big pig wombles up to him and gives him a nudge when he is eating crisps
Hard bastard

Went to pets at home to sort out a refund for the veterinary bills I've incurred, all the guinea pigs have been quarantined for an infection apart from two who had been brought back to them and gotten better who were in the adoption bit (and totally gorgeous)

It seems like all of the piggies were already sick and it wasn't something I'd done.

Poor little pigs

When I last went to P@H they only had 3 pigs in stock.

I am hoping that they might be changing their supplier (it would be too much to hope that they didn't sell GPs ) .
I was told a while back that they were Spanish imports.

May have to pass by that way again to have a nosey.

But did you get your money refunded?