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Post by redheadwalkin on Mar 14, 2016 17:50:54 GMT
I have two boars that have always been together, bought together from the same cage and we got told they were from the same litter. All was good they seemed happy, but recently one of them has become aggressive and drawn blood, they've been separated since the incident. The one that was bloodied is happy to be alone and is really coming out of his shell. The other one is lonely and seems unhappy. I tried re-introducing them and it didn't even last 5 minutes. When they see each other or hear each other they get all excited but they can't be together. I feel bad for my lonely one but he is the one that is aggressive. He is happier when he gets taken out and gets to play with me, but I am in school and working and it makes it hard to take him out as much as he wants. He needs a companion but I don't want the same thing to happen. He gets play time every day but the time varies and has toys in his cage. Help!
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Post by Bean on Mar 14, 2016 21:20:49 GMT
I'm sorry your boys have fallen out. It does sound like separation is the best thing, at least for the foreseeable future. How old are they? If they're going through puberty (anything from a few months old up to a year) sometimes the spike of hormones can cause real problems. Some boars need to be separated for this period (many will be fine living together) but can be reintroduced when they're older. Other continue to hate each other, sadly. It is worth remembering that if you can set up their home so they can see, hear and smell each other (although a common wall may frustrate boars who have fallen out) they can still provide a great deal of companionship for one another. Are they pretty close now? One thing that can cause problems with a lot of boys is simply not having enough space. They definitely need more than a pair of females, so they can get away from one another and have a bit of space to themselves. So if you are thinking of a reintorduction at any point, make sure they have at least the space requirements set out at Cavy Cages but ideally more. As 3piggles said recently, if you count 2 boys as 3 pigs and give them that much space, the chances of success go up massively. This page at Cavy Spirit is great for info on their social needs, and also about managing any future introductions. Here's a great page of ideas on things to keep them entertained too - the cheapest things are usually the best! Incidentally, I adopted two brothers who after a few months of being best pals, got a spike of hormones and couldn't tolerate each other. They never fought but there was long-term tension. I have a great vet so decided to get them neutered, and then they both got new wives (or old wives anyway!). I hadn't planned to have four this time round but they are so much happier now. If you are thinking of getting another male for your lonely boy, think about looking at a rescue as they will sometimes help you with the intros to find a good personality match. It's very much worth doing that for boys. Good luck and keep us posted. And welcome to Wheekers of course!
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Post by 3piggles on Mar 16, 2016 13:51:43 GMT
Hello and welcome Two boars are a hard fit in any size cage, especially if they have very different personalities, and if they are going through puberty (2-3 months through 10-12 months old). They may, eventually, be able to do floor time together, but probably not if you have them in any type of enclosure. I don't know if you have a set up to allow them to range freely around the room/house, but that's when they would probably do the best. Any type of confinement is a territory, so unless the territory is so large they can't find the boundaries, the aggressive one is likely to continue to be aggressive. Boars can get along, but it seems to take an awful lot of space. Boars get along very well with sows That means having your boys neutered, so they can have sow friends. Once boars have drawn blood, it's rare that they will get along, even if they do this during puberty, and you try them again when they are adults. I had a very similar situation. The aggressive one was miserable when he couldn't pick on his victim, but that's life. It's not that the aggressive one is a bully. It's just how his brain is wired. As long as they are separated, they can't hurt each other. That gives you time to save up and find a good vet who can do the neutering, and to find them sows they get along with well. Not all sows like all boars, just like people, so do a meet and greet with the boys and girls, to find the best fits. Good luck
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Post by jolovespiggies on Mar 16, 2016 21:10:42 GMT
Hello and welcome hun, I am sorry your piggies are fighting. Neutering is expensive isn't it but essential, I would help you hun if I could. Good luck from me too.
Hugs Jo xx
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Post by redheadwalkin on Mar 18, 2016 16:02:16 GMT
I posted earlier about my two boars that had a falling out. I tried reintroduction with a cage between them today. The aggressive one I thought was lonely got irritated when my other one got all happy and squeaky to see him. It seems my more dosile male wants a friend. I'm just worried having 3 pigs is a lot and if the same thing happens that's a lot of cages. Their both around 3-4 months old.
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Post by jolovespiggies on Mar 19, 2016 20:08:35 GMT
Do you have two together and one on his own at the moment hun?
Hugs Jo xxx
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Post by Bean on Mar 21, 2016 10:26:06 GMT
I've just merged your threads to make it easier for people to keep up.
Why not just have them living side by side for now and see how things go? A rescue who will help with bonding (and many that specialise in guinea pigs will do that as they know how important it is that they like each other) is definitely the best bet if you feel yours can't be reconciled but that one is lonely. But you do need to be prepared for any newbie not being accepted so if you don't feel you have room for 3 unless 2 are living together, just let these two provide some companionship by living near each others, and take some time to think it over.
It's unusual for male and female pairings not to work, but of course you would need to get your boy neutered in that case, and although if you have an experienced vet, this risk is much reduced, any surgery is taking a chance which you may not be willing to take. And if you don't have a very you know is proficient with guinea pigs, the risks would be much higher.
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Post by 3piggles on Mar 21, 2016 14:20:27 GMT
I totally agree with Bean, and was wondering if you have a rescue with experienced people working in it, where you could take your boys to find new friends? If so, it might be worth a few meet and greets with pigs at the rescue. If you going to have two cages, you can have 4 pigs, just not those two together. You can also stack the cages, if they don't need to see each other to have company, and that might save you some space. Good luck. Most of us have been where you are, and there is no easy answer.
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Post by redheadwalkin on Mar 21, 2016 20:18:17 GMT
Do you have two together and one on his own at the moment hun? Hugs Jo xxx I only have the two males and they are seperated. My shy little boy, the more dosile one, got all happy to see me but that could have been to the food bag in my hands. The more aggressive one seems to become more skittish and wild almost since he's been moved. He used to let me pet him but now he just runs away. He's cute but he's definetly a punk.
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Post by redheadwalkin on Mar 21, 2016 20:22:17 GMT
I totally agree with Bean, and was wondering if you have a rescue with experienced people working in it, where you could take your boys to find new friends? If so, it might be worth a few meet and greets with pigs at the rescue. If you going to have two cages, you can have 4 pigs, just not those two together. You can also stack the cages, if they don't need to see each other to have company, and that might save you some space. Good luck. Most of us have been where you are, and there is no easy answer. There aren't any rescues here and they boys have their own room to themselves, if they could be trusted I'd love to set up a run for them so they can run around with each other instead of in cages all day. My dosile little boy is extremely shy, and runs when you turn the light on. To get him out you have to catch him which feels like you're scaring him more but he loves being out. The other one is way too smart for his own good. He lets you take him out no problem it's getting him back in that can take an hour.
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Post by jolovespiggies on Mar 21, 2016 22:29:48 GMT
Merley (Merlin) is very shy, he meets himself coming back when he gets spooked, love him. Lacy Jane is just a diva and very greedy. The couldn't be more different and yet they are both adorable. I have never kept two males together so I cannot advise on that hunni.
Hugs JO xx
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Post by 3piggles on Mar 22, 2016 15:25:06 GMT
Pigs need to be where life is happening in the house, or they don't adapt to your interruptions. Is there any way to put them in the living room? They would adapt to the general noise, hustle and bustle of daily life, rather than adjusting to the quiet solitude, and being frightened by interruptions? If nothing else, can you get them out of their cages for some floor time in the living room, so they get to know you and all of your noises, actions and words? That will help them adapt much more quickly.
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Post by jolovespiggies on Mar 23, 2016 21:36:53 GMT
Our piggies are permanently in our living room and apparently so they tell me, they love watching the TV LOL!! They interact with us all the time and get to join in when we have visitors etc but have plenty of hidey places if they want to be alone for a while.
Hugs JO xx
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Post by redheadwalkin on Mar 28, 2016 13:31:58 GMT
UPDATE: I ended up giving one of my boys up, to a family member. Within 20 minutes of having him she's in love with him.
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Post by 3piggles on Mar 28, 2016 14:21:09 GMT
While I rarely advise that, I'm really glad it worked. They will both need friends, when you and the family member can get around to it. If they can be neutered(more about cost and a doctor who knows how to do it safely), then you can look for females to share their cages It is unfortunate that boars so often don't get along, and have to be separated. It can definitely happen with sows, too, though not as regularly as it is with boars. Great outcome to the problem
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Post by jolovespiggies on Mar 28, 2016 20:02:52 GMT
I am really pleasedfor you love.
Hugs JO xx
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Post by redheadwalkin on Apr 2, 2016 17:58:46 GMT
Since the boys have been seperated and one has been given away, George, the one I kept is extremely happy and way more lovely. My aunt says Donny just hides from them. They're considering getting him a friend. I recommended to her to go to a shelter to do a personality match but both are happy and getting lots of attention
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Post by 3piggles on Apr 3, 2016 16:37:14 GMT
Donny has a whole new environment to get used to, just as he did when he first came home with you. All the sites, sounds and smells are different. He's learning it all, and deciding what and who is safe. Once he's settled in, he'll start to come out and participate more. I totally advise friends for both of them, as they are herd animals, and they need to be able to communicate with their own, as well as with their humans. Single piggies are usually much more attentive to their humans, because they don't have anyone else. I'm sure you're giving him lots of love
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Post by jolovespiggies on Apr 3, 2016 20:47:37 GMT
Ours don't really care for us at all except to give them food but we still adore them LOL!!
Hugs JO xx
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Post by 3piggles on Apr 4, 2016 13:12:54 GMT
That's probably not really the case, Jo. Animals don't always show their feelings in ways we understand, but if we watch them carefully, in the right situations, we can see how differently they treat us versus a stranger or someone they don't like. Daughter bought Dallas and Dakota. I removed them from her care and put them in the living room, when she let Dakota get too sick to save him. When Dakota died, I got Zippy, who was only 4-5 weeks old, tiny, cute as a button, and full of personality. Daughter immediately adored Zippy, and acted as if Dallas didn't exist. From the very first day she brought Dallas and Dakota home, Dallas and I got along great. I would talk to him and Dakota, bring them treats, and generally treat them as important to me. Daughter ignored them until the cage started to smell, or she wanted to play with them. Every time daughter picked up Dallas, he peed on her. Every time! He never peed on me until he got really sick with pneumonia. He was on so many meds, it was a real production to get them all into him, especially getting him to use the inhaler. Once he had all the meds, he would fall asleep on me for a good 30 minutes, wake up and pee. I knew he was going to do it. No problem. I kept a towel under him so he could sleep snuggled on me and pee. He wasn't peeing because he didn't like me, but because he just woke from a drugged sleep, and didn't to know to ask to get down. The result was the same, but the motivation was totally different. They know who loves them, who cares about them, and while they like to have treats and fun, being in a safe and loving environment is extremely important to them. If they were allowed to range freely, I think you'd be surprised how often they stopped by to say hello to you, because you are important to them
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