Introducing Two Guinea Pigs
Guinea pigs are very sociable and love company, so it is advised they are kept in pairs. Sows (female guinea pigs) can be kept in larger groups. If you do have a guinea pig on its
own and are worrid about introducing another pig, these steps will show you there is nothing to be scared of!
STEP 1
Find a neutral territory. It is important, especially when introducing two boars (male guinea pigs), that neither pig has been in the area before, as it can increase dominance. I usually introduce in the garden, as the grass is also a bit of a distraction! You could also bath the two guinea pigs together so they smell the same.
STEP 2
Let them get on with it. It can be daunting watching two guinea pigs meet for the first time, as I'm sure many of you know males can be very agressive. Signs that your guinea pigs are getting on and establishing a pecking order include; humping, purring, rumble strutting and chirping (read our recent post on guinea pig noises if you feel you can't identify the different sounds). Signs your guinea pigs are getting aggressive towards eachother include; teeth chattering, yawning and drawing blood. Always remove if blood is drawn. If you don't want to plunge your hand inbetween two fighting guinea pigs which is perfectly understandable, you can throw a towel over them to confuse them and pick one up.
STEP 3
If all has gone well, then I would reccommend keeping the guinea pigs together. It is less stressful to both you and the piggies if they do not have to repeat step 2! Put them into a clean hutch that smells of neither pig. Make sure they have two of everything (for example, food bowls, water bottles and places to hide) so they do not have to squabble over things.
I hope this has given you a hint at what to expect when bonding guinea pigs! If you do have a boar on its own, I would suggest buying a young male to introduce to him. This is almost always sucessful as dominance is asserted imidiately by the difference in size. This has worked for us many times. If you have sows and are thinking of introducing another girl, or a neutered male, you should find it much easier than trying to make two hormonal boars become best of friends!
Good luck :)
