gp!!

Question
i have two boy guinea pigs and they have been together for well over 3 months, they get along great! my boyfriend and i just got another pig and he is very tiny...when i put him in the cage with the other older pigs they make wierd noises and looks as if there dragging there butt on the floor (haha) then when left aloan one of the older males bit the other older males ear!! what should i do??

Answer
Hi Elvira,

Male guinea pigs are very territorial as in the wild, only the dominant male in a group is allowed to breed with the females. Your boys will have established early on who is top pig, and who is the submissive of the two, and so they can live happily side by side. By putting the new baby in you have challenged this hierarchy, and they are likely to fight with each other and the baby for dominance. Whilst females can live in large groups, it is unlikely that a pair of males will accept a third cagemate - but there is something you can try.

You need to take the baby out and give him a bath (let me know if you haven't done this before, as it can be quite difficult - and is more of a wash than a bath as piggies can't swim). Then clean out the cage that the older boys are living in. Put all three in together (once you have dried the baby), with some fresh veggies to eat. The older boars will show a lot of interest in the young one - rumblestrutting (this is the bottom-dragging, purring behvaiour you describe), circling him, sniffing him and possibly even humping him. If this is all they do - fine. But if teeth shatter or claws come out, you need to remove the baby (have gloves ready) or he will get hurt. It will be obvious within 5 minutes whether things are going to work out or not. There is also a risk that the two older males will fight, and if blood is drawn, they may never be able to live together again. You can try dabbing a small amount of vicks on all of their noses and grease glands, so they all smell the same - and try introducing them again.

If they don't accept the new boar, you will need to get a fourth boar and house the two new ones separately. If the older boars have fought and aren't happy together, you could pair each up with a baby instead - and use the introduction method above to get them to bond.

Good luck and I hope this helps!

Jenny.