Piggys are fighting

Question
Hi im 16 years old and own two guinea pigs, they are not related but have been brought up with eachother since babies and are both 2 years old, recently we jus went away of holiday for a couple of weeks and left them in the care of my 18 year old brother, which we have done before. Obviously he doesnt care or cuddle them the way i do but does take gd care of them.

In the last couple of days they have been fighting badly. It starts off with them both making clicking noises with eacother and i no this is them threatenin the other. Their fur stands up on end and they try to nip and chase eachother.

One is bigger than the other, this is bubbles, and the smaller one is squeak.
Squeak this morning had some of bubbles fur in his mouth and in the hutch is forcing him to sleep in the lounge area instead of the beddin area. Where as before its always been the other way round.

I relaise it might have something to do with authority and they mgith be fighting for dominence.Its jus im scared of finding one of them dead in the morning.

They've only ever had one fight where bubbles bit squeaks lip but since then they have been fine.

I desperately need some advice on how to stop them fighting, sorry this question is so long lol

Thanks

Answer
Hi Kerry,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I am a full time carer to newborn twins so am rushed off my feet at the moment! It is taking some time to sort through all my questions, despite working from the earliest questions asked, and I am very sorry if any inconvenience was caused.

Sometimes piggies can get on well for so long, and then in the space of a few days they can decide that they don't like each other any more and they will fight it out. It's certainly not unheard of.

What size is the hutch? Since they do seem to be upset with each other, it may be an idea to check out the Guinea Pig Cages website - www.guineapigcages.com
It would be much easier if they had a C&C cage to divide the cage into two, so that they have each others company but they can't do any harm to each other. Hutches would be too difficult to divide and the effect would not be as beneficial as a C&C if you did end up splitting the boys up. It doesn't take a minute to slip a divider into a C&C and you can remove it as often as needed.
A larger cage would also ensure that the boys have the opportunity to have their own space, so it may improve their relationship to have a bigger cage.

A divided cage is, I think, probably a good option to consider.

Rumblestrutting (rumbling noise and butt swaying), nipping, chasing, mounting, nose-offs, scent-marking and mild teeth chattering are all normal dominance behaviours and generally are little to worry about.

If you require any further help, let me know and I will be glad to assist.

Best Wishes,

- Laura
www.cavy-care.com