First introduction and question

[wyvernsmile]

I was REALLY inexperienced introducing my two new baby guinea pigs. I thought that since they were babies, and grew up around other guinea pigs, I'd put them in the cage and they'd snuggle up together and be best of friends. Oh my! Hence why I joined here right away! After that initial failed meeting, I read up on what to do and placed them in separate cages side by side so they could smell and hear each other. Today was their first meeting in a large neutral space. They did great! Ever since then they have been calling and calling to each other from their separate cages. Wheeking and wheeking up a storm! My shy quiet guinea pig Flint is now as loud as it gets. Sniffing the air, hunting for Charcoal. I wanted to keep them separate for a bit longer (after reading up on the right way to introduce), but maybe they'd do OK in the same cage with a divider? What do you guys think? How have your introductions of a new guinea pig gone?

[bazookagoof]

3Piggles is our resident expert on these sorts of things, so I'd wait to hear from her on this before making a decision, as her input is invaluable.

[Bean]

Glad you had such a positive session with them in a neutral space. That's great, especially after the first meet didn't go so well - some pigs would remember that and get straight down to fronting up to each other, so it's really promising they got along!

If the initial session has gone really well and I've been able to observe them for a long period of time in the cage afterwards (the danger is to think all is well and turn your back instead of monitoring them), I've let them stay together straight away. But that's mainly been with male-female pairings or groups, which do tend to have a higher success rate.

I think with them being boys, and with them having had a spat before, having at least one more positive session before they start sharing a living space would probably be wise. I think the most sessions I've done before them co-habiting is 3 and that was because the newbie (going into a group) seemed to be getting bullied by the older boss female. But she was just being overly dramatic in her submission (screaming whenever anyone came near her!) and they all ended up getting along wonderfully after boss female was happy she wasn't going to be challenged!

Is the cage big enough to have a divider but not compromise them both still having enough space? If not, having the cages side by side will be almost the same. Another important thing to remember is that you don't want to put them together in a cage that one of them thinks is their cage as it's more likely to cause territory squabbles. So if you are putting them in a cage one of them has already lived in, get all the bedding out, disinfect it thoroughly and change the toys/ layout so they feel like they're somewhere new together, not 'He's in my house!'.

Many people find that having two of everything like hideys, food bowls, water bottles etc can reduce the chances of them squabbling too (I've never needed to do this myself, but have seen it make a massive difference for others). You need a bit more space for that, but two boys will need a larger than average cage anyway, especially when the teenage years approach!

It can be tricky to get the balance right. You don't want to keep separating pigs that want to be together and cause them lots of frustration. But you don't want to rush it either and end up coming back to tense pigs. Hope the next session goes really well and you feel confident putting about them together. Keep us posted!

[3piggles]

I generally do one intro session, then put the pigs together in the main cage. I've had good luck, though it did depend on the two pigs involved. I had one boar couple not work well, and one sow couple not work well, but otherwise, it went pretty well.

I advise having two of everything except hay, and having a pile the pigs can eat, play in, play through, etc. Hay is one of their favorite things. Mine have bulldozed it across the cage, jumped in it, burrowed under it, tossed it around and generally put all of their imagination into it. My current two only have hay, though I did add a chew log for them. They make nests, tunnels, houses, and it provides all the fun and stimulation they need. Once in a while one tunnels into the other one, and there's a big wheek fest while they sort out their differences. Then it's back to whatever they were doing. I know having a hay pile is harder to keep clean than it is to keep hay in a contained space, but they do love it

I have also used a low-sided kitty litter tray to more or less contain the hay in a pile in the cage. The tray makes it a bit easier to keep the cage clean, but not much. It also needs an absorbent layer under the hay, and that adds to what you need to do with it. I find just piling it in a pile works best.

Just remember that every time you change their location, they go through a version of the introduction. They may do fine in the neutral space, but not do as well in the cage. Most cages are smaller than the neutral spaces, and unlike the neutral spaces, having water, food and houses. That's why I prefer to have two of everything, and if possible, put one set on each end of the cage. That way it's impossible for one to block access to the other, and any attempts to dominate by blocking access end quickly and without much fuss.

This is one of my favorite sites, when it comes to cages. With boars, I always go up at least one pigs worth of space, and two pigs worth if possible, as boars need more space than sows. Also, consider a large enough cage space to divide, should they not get along. Most pigs do well through the divider bars, even if they can't share the same space.
www.guineapigcages.com/