QuestionQUESTION: Me again lol. I took your advice earlier to try to get my 2 boars to bond - I kept them in the same cage with a partition and switched sides every day. After the two weeks, I (unswuccesfully) tried to bathe them, and left them each in a section of the bathroom while I cleaned the cage. I then rearranged the cage and cleaned all toys, dishes, etc. I put them back in and the larger one (about 4 months old) seemed to be bullying the other one, so I separated them after about 30 min. A few days later I tried the c,ar trick which was unsuccessful for me as well. The older one didn't get along with any of the 3 cavies I introduced him to at a shelter, either. Do you have an opinion as to whether or not he is better off on his own? Also, will the other piggie want a friend? I know every situation is different, but any advi,e would be much apprfeciated :) oh, and I now have them in a 2x6 grid C&C cage with a partition. Thanks again!
ANSWER: well like with people some cavy's just dont get on with others, it is rare but it does happen that sometimes they just dont get along. the other cavy will still probably want another with him, and i recommend the same bonding method for the other.
sorry it didnt work out, but one last thing to try, if you can, if have a large run, several meters long, (use wood or any scrap stuff you might have lying around to stop them escape) and let them graze on your lawn, if the two of them spend more time grazing than fighting then they will still probably eventually get along and so you'd have to go back to the partition thing with the occasional supervised meetings
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QUESTION: Thank you for your advice! The younger one ( Carlos) got a uri :( so I put him in a different cage in another room for now. When he ( hopefully) recovers, would it be ok the put all 3 guinea pigs in the cage with partitions to start out? I'm just not sure if the older one will get upset. I was also worried that the older piggie stressed out carlos which made it easier for him do get sick. Thank u for any advice u can give me!!!!
Answeri there is room for the partitions then yes it is fine, i would add a few grids though, in fact for three pigs i would double the size. if he was being bullied or attacked by him then yes that would have stressed him out, but if there is a partition there he would not have been stressed out from the older pig.
the older one will get irritated at first, but after a while will get used to them being on the other wside of the partition.
the best advice i can give to you in your case is more space, if your piggy is more territorial (which i think the older one is) then you are going to need more space.
if the older guinea pig can never be bonded with the others then it would be fine to leave a partition in indefinately, in the long run the older pig will be happier to have them there even if he cannot get along with them, guinea pigs are a herding animal and even though he is aggressive to them he will still feel safer.