Guinea pigs are social animals. In their natural habitat, guinea pigs live in herds. Most domesticated guinea pigs prefer to be around other animals, so adopting another guinea pig can make a positive difference in your pet's life. However, guinea pigs are territorial animals and major changes have to be introduced slowly to keep things running smoothly. Be careful and follow certain protocols when introducing a guinea pig to a new friend.
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Part 1 of 3: Understanding Gender Roles
Step 1. Determine the gender of the guinea pig
Gender plays a big role in how guinea pigs interact with each other. Before introducing the two guinea pigs, determine their gender first. Pet store employees often make gender-determining mistakes, and if you buy your guinea pig from a pet store, the chances of error are higher.
- You should check the guinea pig on the floor or on a short table. This way, if your guinea pig escapes, it won't hurt itself when it falls. Hold your guinea pig gently, but your grip on the chest and shoulders should be tight. Spread the hind legs apart to check the guinea pig's genitals.
- The distance between the genitals and anus will be greater in male guinea pigs than in females.
- The male guinea pig's genital opening is shaped like a round dot, while the female's genital opening resembles a Y shape.
- There is a slight bump in the male guinea pig's genital area, while the female genital will look flat.
Step 2. Find out which gender combination works best
Certain gender pairs are better than others when it comes to guinea pigs.
- Two guinea pigs of the same sex will get along more easily. These two guinea pigs will start a relationship from scratch and then grow and develop together.
- If you already have an older guinea pig, keeping a baby guinea pig of the same gender is also a good option. An adult guinea pig will not feel threatened by a baby guinea pig and their dominance will not be challenged.
- It's a good idea to neuter the male guinea pig before introducing him to the female guinea pig. However, whether neutered or not, never place more than one male guinea pig with a female guinea pig. Male guinea pigs will fight to attract the attention of the female.
- Female guinea pigs tend to be more gregarious than male guinea pigs.
Step 3. Set up special accommodations if you have two male guinea pigs
Male guinea pigs are very territorial. If you are introducing two male guinea pigs, you should be wary.
Spacious cages are the key to male guinea pig harmony. Provide a place for each to eat, hide, sleep, and eat. In essence, provide two pieces for everything. Make sure that the hideout has two doors so that one guinea pig won't be able to trap the other
Step 4. If you have two male guinea pigs, it's best to keep a third guinea pig instead of introducing them to a female guinea pig
Part 2 of 3: Introducing the Guinea Pig
Step 1. Quarantine the new guinea pig
You should separate the two guinea pigs for the first two to three weeks. Do not allow the two guinea pigs to make physical contact until the allotted time is up.
- Placing your guinea pig directly in a cage with a new guinea pig can be stressful because your guinea pig will have to be introduced to their new environment slowly. It can also make your guinea pig very territorial.
- In addition to emotional worries, many guinea pig diseases, which are easily transmitted in pet stores, can strike in the long term. Make sure your new guinea pig has no symptoms before introducing it to your guinea pig.
- Place your guinea pigs in separate cages next to each other. Position the cage so that the guinea pigs can't see each other, but can smell and hear the other guinea pigs.
Step 2. Introduce the two guinea pigs in a neutral area
After the two to three week quarantine period is over, it's time to introduce your guinea pigs to one another. However, do not immediately put the guinea pig into the cage because we should introduce it in a neutral area so that no guinea pig feels that their territory is threatened.
- Look for new territory that the guinea pig has never lived in, but is still closed and quiet so both guinea pigs will feel safe. A good choice is on the floor of a narrow, closed room, such as a bathroom.
- Place vegetables, treats, and hay in the middle of the area to distract your guinea pigs from fighting while they are still getting used to each other.
- If your guinea pig becomes aggressive, you should hold onto an old towel. You can use a towel to hold your guinea pig and avoid scratching them.
- If all goes well, and the guinea pigs haven't fought for more than two hours, you can introduce them to the same cage. Make sure the cage is properly cleaned and all the toys are rearranged so that the cage looks like new.
Step 3. Be careful before putting the two guinea pigs together
Once your guinea pig is introduced, there are several steps you can take to smooth the transition process before placing both guinea pigs in the same cage.
- Set up the guinea pig's cage. Guinea pigs are territorial animals, so make sure your cage is large enough. As a rule of thumb, a cage measuring about 70 sq cm and 1 sq m is the recommended cage size for two guinea pigs. A larger cage is better, and if you have three or more guinea pigs, buy a cage that is at least 1.2 square meters.
- Re-layout the cage and wash it thoroughly so the cage will feel new and more neutral to both guinea pigs.
- Rub the hay from the old cage over the new guinea pig's body so it smells like the rest of the herd.
Part 3 of 3: Know When to Meddle
Step 1. Understand your guinea pig's aggressive body language
The first few weeks of your guinea pig's cohabitation can be tough, and you'll notice some tension between your pets. Be aware of signs of aggression and body language that could be a sign for you to interfere.
- Climbing or jumping over each other can lead to a fight if one of the guinea pigs refuses or retaliates. Watch for this behavior, but don't interfere unless the guinea pig starts fighting.
- Squeaks, chases, and chattering of teeth are common in the early weeks. Guinea pigs will bite other guinea pigs when disturbed, and this behavior is necessary to create boundaries between guinea pigs. You should only interfere if the guinea pigs bite each other so hard that they hurt.
- If the teeth of one of your guinea pigs are constantly chattering, this is a sign of aggression that could become a serious problem. Look closely, but don't separate the guinea pig unless one is injured and bleeding.
- Standing fur, especially around the neck area, and stomping feet are signs that your guinea pig is getting ready for a fight. Fights can happen, but just watch carefully. Do not separate the guinea pig unless it is injured and bleeding.
Step 2. Chasing and riding on each other is normal, don't separate the guinea pigs unless there's a guinea pig that's bleeding
Step 3. Know the normal interactions of guinea pigs
Not all guinea pig body language is a bad sign. There are some behaviors that are normal, especially during introductions, and you need to be able to recognize these gestures so you don't interfere when you don't need them.
- Ass sniffing and nudging are guinea pigs' ways of welcoming their new friend. This is normal behavior and not harmful behavior. Your guinea pig will create territory by dragging its bottom across the surface or by tilting its head occasionally to show dominance. These behaviors are usually seen in the early weeks of introductions.
- Guinea pigs sometimes do something called rumblestrutting. Guinea pigs will walk across other guinea pigs by rocking their hips left and right with their fur growing while making a rumbling sound. This is an expression of dominance and is normal when determining hierarchical status, unless accompanied by aggressive gestures.
Step 4. Break up the fight if necessary
If an argument hurts your guinea pig, you should break it up. Learn safe ways to minimize harm to you and your guinea pig.
- Act fast. Guinea pigs have sharp teeth and can injure each other. If you see two guinea pigs fighting aggressively, separate them immediately. Guinea pig fights can cause permanent injury and disability if left unchecked.
- Don't interfere with your bare hands. An angry guinea pig can cause you serious enough injuries to require medical attention. Cover the guinea pig with an old towel, rag, or thick gloves when separating the guinea pigs.
- Separate the guinea pigs after a fight. Put them in different cages, but still in the same room, so the guinea pigs can still see, smell, hear, and talk to each other. Continue to hold both guinea pigs with gloves or towels for several hours after the fight, as guinea pigs are still passionate and aggressive for some time after the confrontation.
- Slowly reintroduce the two guinea pigs. Again, introduce both guinea pigs in a neutral area with treats and food as a distraction. Depending on how severe the fighting between the guinea pigs is, wait a few hours to a few days. Keep wearing protective gear in case your guinea pig gets into a fight again.
Step 5. Don't be upset if the guinea pigs don't get along
Some guinea pigs just don't get along, even if you follow proper protocol for introducing them. You must be prepared for this possibility. This is indeed a risk when introducing a new guinea pig to your guinea pig group.
- Do not feel guilty. This is how nature works, and guinea pigs have different personalities. Some guinea pigs may be more independent and aggressive, so they will be more difficult to introduce to new friends. Even if you do everything right, guinea pigs sometimes don't get along with each other.
- If the first introduction led to a fight, you can repeat the introduction process, starting from the quarantine period. This will give your guinea pig time to calm down and forget about the fight.
- If your guinea pigs don't get along, you can use separate cages where your guinea pigs can still smell, see, and hear each other but can't physically interact. Guinea pigs still benefit from social interactions but without the stress of a stressful environment.
Tips
- Castrating male guinea pigs will have no effect on their behavior. Castration is a risky procedure and is not recommended unless you introduce a male guinea pig to a female guinea pig.
- Socialization will be easier if one guinea pig is younger than the other. Consider keeping a guinea pig of the same sex as your current guinea pig.
- If possible, keep two guinea pigs raised together. This way, you'll know right away that the two guinea pigs are compatible with each other.
- Use two separate feeding and hiding places on opposite sides of the cage.
Warning
- Despite their small size, guinea pigs are very strong animals. When your guinea pig is violent, be careful when handling it to avoid injury.
- Guinea pigs can be quite aggressive towards one another and can cause permanent injury to their cage mates during a fight. If you notice that the two guinea pigs are getting increasingly aggressive, intervene immediately.
- Never introduce an unneutered male guinea pig to a female guinea pig. Guinea pigs can reproduce very quickly, which can put a lot of stress on the female guinea pig. guinea pig pregnancies are high-risk, and female guinea pigs that have problems with their pregnancies will die slowly and painfully.
