new friends?????

Question
I have four guinea pigs (all girls). Three of them are sisters and they are five months old. Angel, Evie, and Lichey. (Nickname: Pudgeball). Honey is a year old and a teddy while the others are mixed breeds. Anyway, we thought Honey was getting lonley so we let her have floor time with the other three. In three days we knew she couldn't be out with Evie because Evie kept challenging her to be alpha so we had to watch them every second. It got very tiring and Honey spent time hiding instead of running around like usual. Evie gets along best with Pudgeball so we let them out together, alone, and Honey goes out with only Angel. Angel is shy and never once compeated for alpha. She stayed out of it. Honey and Angel both don't have a friend so we let them out together but they really just ignore each other. We were really disoppointed but we keep letting them out together. Was our entire try a flop or should we keep trying until they become friends? They both need a friend. Sorry this was so long, please answer asap! Thanks!!!

Answer
Hi Lindsey,

Sorry for taking a few days to get back to you. I'm a full time carer of newborn twins so it is a nightmare trying to get five minutes of peace to sort through everything! Apologies if any inconvenience was caused.

If the girls aren't fighting then they should be fine. A lot of guinea pig groups aren't close friends and just ignore each other - sometimes they accept the company and that is enough for them. The main point is that they are not completely alone and they have the option of a good friend to talk to or sit next to from time to time. It is better than them both living alone!

Normal dominance acts include:

Rumblestrutting (rumbling and butt swaying)
Nipping (a quick sharp nip not resultiong in injury - just a squeal!)
Chasing
Mounting
Nose-offs
Scent-marking
Mild, inconsistent teeth chattering

Make sure the cage you have is large enough (www.guineapigcages.com) and I - personally - would try all four together again. If the only dominance behaviours are those above then they should be fine. The behaviours will be more intense at first as they are virtual strangers. (Even with regular playtimes together. They will only not be complete strangers if they live side by side or very close to each other as they are used to smelling/hearing/seeing each other all the time).

They will be fine in two groups if that is what you choose, even in a divided cage. It's great that you are trying to pair the two lonely ones up as piggies are such social creatures!

If there is anything else you want to know, let me know and I will be glad to assist you.

Best Wishes,

- Laura
www.cavy-care.com