Bonding - Guinea Pigs

[PuddingPie1]

Really after some advice on bonding. We've only owned guinea pigs for just over a year so I really have no idea about this and think we may have made a mistake rushing into it.

Our poor Dolly died last week and having a devastated 6-year old and knowing how sociable guinea pigs can be, we purchased a new baby female. However, our remaining guinea pig doesn't seem to be taking to her very well. I cleaned out the hutch (although after reading various forums, I probably needed to actually scrub it more to remove the scent) and then had them both on a chair together indoors for a few hours. Our older pig spent some time sniffing baby and headbutted her a couple of times but I understand this is normal. They then seemed to settle down and actually laid together/snuggled up. All good! I put them in the hutch together that night and all was fine in the morning - no injuries although I'm not sure if baby was allowed out to eat anything. The next morning I put food into both sections (I was so used to our pigs sharing from the same bowls that it hadn't crossed my mind) and when we got them out again later they seemed fine so we put them back in the hutch that evening. Bigger female kept chasing baby back in to the sleeping area every time she tried to come out but it did settle down. Yesterday no injuries but when we got them out again, bigger female is picking on the baby. Stealing food from her, headbutting and making her squeal and then did try to nip her ear. I've separated them now and have baby indoors in a cage. However, this is against the point in getting her as she was supposed to be a companion for our remaining pig. Not only that, we go on holiday in 3 weeks and I'd booked the guinea pigs into a farm together where they normally share a cage. Obviously now we don't have Dolly, she'd be sharing a cage with the new baby but this can't happen if I can't get them to bond. Its also unfeasible to keep
them separately so baby will have to be returned if they can't work it out.

Can somebody please advise me on how to bond successfully (I know this isn't always possible but I need to give it my absolute best shot) as I'm going to start from scratch again later on. I'm at work today but my plan when I get home is to set up 2 metal runs side by side and hope they start to communicate through the run. I was also maybe going to swap some of their hay for each others to get them used to the scent of each other? I was going to do the same tomorrow? I'm off on Wednesday and can dedicate a lot more time to this so I was planning on removing the barrier and letting them share the run - putting their separate water bottles there, separate bowls and some hidey holes that won't trap baby. I'm wondering if my older pig was getting stressed because they had no room to get away from each other on the chair so if I provide more space etc. for them to do this, they may slowly get to know each other/accept each other. If they start to get along, should I perhaps let our older one go into the babies cage which is indoors so I can monitor more easily? If all OK, I will thoroughly clean the hutch again (disinfect etc.) and move things around a bit, replace the house so it has 2 escapes instead or just remove it completely for now then put them back in. I just don't want baby to get hurt or stopped from feeding and its making me stressed. Any advice would be greatly received and any success stories would also be reassuring. Thanks in advance.

Has anyone got any words of wisdom? Please?

I'm definitely no expert but I've just been through similar.

Last week one of my 19 month old boys died and I got a baby boy for my lonely fella.

I set up a new bonding cage. This was on neutral territory with all properly clean or new things.They each had their own sides but could sniff each other through the bars. I had intended to do this for a few days (and swap hay and toys around) but the baby was smaller than we had anticipated and he made it through to the other side after an hour!

I let them get on with it and it seemed okay so I took the divider away so they had plenty of space in the bonding cage. I made sure there was an area where the baby could fit but my bigger boy couldn't follow.

I left them in there all day and night but someone (mostly me!) sat by the side to keep an eye on them in case things went south. Hamlet (my 19 month old boy) chased the wee one a lot! He also wouldnt stop sniffing/licking his bum! The baby was very skittish for a few hours but grew confident enough to give a few sniffs back. A few more hours and they were sitting near each other. Then they were happy to eat hay side by side.

The baby squealed in submission a LOT. Which sounds worrying but he was fine, just telling Hamlet he knew he was the boss. Hamlet rumbled a fair bit at him and stole the best bits of the food.

By the next day they were quiet most of the time. Sitting close and a lot less chasing. So into the main cage they went. I had completely stripped this whole thing into parts. All scrubbed and disinfected, fleece all washed thoroughly, anything I couldn’t completely clean was removed.

We're only on day 4 but they seem to be getting along. Still working out the kinks of their relationship but Horatio (the baby) has accepted Hamlet as the boss. (For now!)

You're new plan sounds good. Just take it slowly and hopefully second times the charm!
I found it SO stressful and sticking out all the squeals and drama was hard and I sat and googled every last behaviour I saw from them. They just got on with it like the smart piggies they are!

Thanks for your reply @OvO

Good news that you had a positive bonding experience. I really hope ours heads in the same direction. I've decided to keep them apart tonight (as apparently letting them bond for a few hours and then separating them again is probably making the situation worse) until I can really dedicate some time to this when I'm off work tomorrow.

I currently have baby indoors in a cage and my other pig lives outside in a hutch (where they will both be eventually if they bond - I do bring them inside during the winter) so would you recommend perhaps starting them both off in the cage indoors so I can monitor their behaviour more easily? If all OK after a few days then move them into the hutch once thoroughly cleaned? Did Hamlet tend to nip Horatio? To be honest, I'm not even sure our older girl is nipping baby - it may just be violent headbutting but the squealing is making me think its worse than it is.

I'm finding it really stressful too and am on the verge of seeing if I can return baby to the shop and letting our other girl live alone. I don't particularly want to do this either but can't bear to see them stressed or one of them getting hurt. Its really helpful to hear that your situation was the same though so it does all sound fairly normal.

Yes, I'd keep them inside while bonding them just to make sure things dont get violent.
Hamlet gave Horatio one nip but I think that may have been accidental as he was nibbling at the bars separating them at the time as he was desperate to check out the new pig. They say some nipping is okay, its actual biting thats the problem. Nipping is just a bit of 'know your place child!'
I read that the babies are very vocal and dramatic and I'm so glad I knew that going in as Horatio really really was! All the sqealing like he was being murdered but then I'd look and he'd be eating hay while making these insane sounds with Hamlet two feet away!
Good luck!

She is definitely nipping or headbutting her away causing baby to squeal but the next minute will happily eat next to her or lay next to her. She'll then almost remember she's there and nip her again. There is no blood being drawn so I think baby is either scared or just letting her know she's accepting her dominance. It just sounds like she's being hurt.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow - I'm dreading it! Thank you so much again.

Are you taking the older one in and out each day? I wouldn't. I'd keep them within sniffing distance, indoors.

Try putting them in the bath (no water) with a huge pile of hay and food. New area for both of them, nowhere for them to hide or corner. Sit on the floor with a book, ignore them, and see what happens.

Thanks for your reply. I also joined a guinea pig forum and they agreed that I shouldn't keep separating them as it re-starts the process.

So they have both been inside since Wednesday lunchtime in a big playpen that I've put together in my spare room. Everything is new, washed or has been cleaned down and its not going too badly. Older one is still nipping and chasing baby every so often but is allowing her to eat and is mostly ignoring. However, baby has spent alot of her days in a tunnel that older pig can't access. They are together in a cage at night and have been sleeping in the house together. I'm sure there must be nipping in the night but no injuries have occurred yet/no blood drawn. I then move them back into the playpen each morning so they have more space/room to hide etc.

Its been about 48 hours now and am planning on keeping them both inside for a week to monitor it. If all goes well, I'll be moving them to the outside hutch. I've also been removing the tunnels a bit later in the day so that they have to get used to each other and baby can't just spend the day hidden. Its not going brilliantly but its not going too badly either and I guess my older one is just taking advantage of finally being able to be the dominant one. I just hope she settles down and starts to enjoy her new friend as she'll have to be a lone guinea pig if not