Guinea Pigs
If you kiss or even nuzzle a Guinea pig, there's a chance you could end up with a severe case of diarrhea. An investigation by the CDC showed that the individuals were infected with Salmonella enteritidis after coming in contact with pet Guinea pigs.Teeth chattering may be done by both guinea pig's so it shouldn't worry you when they both do it. Another common behavior is humping. The dominant guinea pig usually mounts the one they are trying to dominate. The mounting is never sexual and should not worry you.
Why are my guinea pigs fighting? Usually, guinea pigs fight when they need to establish dominance over something or dominance over the other guinea pig in the cage. Other times they will fight because they are in some sort of physical pain or if they are unhappy with something.
It's recommended that you keep two of the same gender, (unless you're getting guinea pigs that have been spayed or neutered, in which case it's perfectly fine to keep a desexed male and female together). Otherwise, two females or two males are best.
Yes, It is ok to have one guinea pig. In fact, males are solitary in the wild, while females enjoy being in the company. If you have enough time to dedicate to your guinea pig, interact and play with them then it is completely fine to own a boar. Else you should go for a pair or more of Sows.
Introducing the Guinea Pigs. Quarantine the new guinea pig. You should keep your guinea pigs separate from one another in a different room for the first two to three weeks. Put the guinea pigs in separate cages next to each other.
Fact: Two or more male guinea pigs can live together quite happily, and seem to be less prone to the kind of surprise falling-outs that we've seen within pairs and trios of females. A perfect example of a happy trio of males is Cheech, Chong and Diego, three sanctuary pigs profiled on our Web site.
It's highly uncommon for guinea pig fathers to eat their newborn babies. While it's important to keep male guinea pigs away from new mothers, cannibalization of their offspring isn't a big source of concern.
Guinea pig dominance behavior can last for anywhere between two days, two weeks, or even longer.
Who Fights More: Male Guinea Pigs or Females? In general, both can fight when necessary or needed. Two females could fight over domination but males do the same, except they are much more aggressive. Special attention should be paid when introducing two male guinea pigs in a cage.
Neutering Your Guinea Pig. Guinea pigs should be kept in same-sex pairs with a large enclosure and run so that they can each have their own “bedroom” and have alone time should they choose to. Although you can also keep guinea pigs in herds of females (sows) or a male (boar) with 1 or more female guinea pigs.
Usually, the first 15 minutes is just getting acclimated to the new surroundings and the idea that there is another guinea pig there. It's the next 15 to 30 minutes that can get interesting. The nice thing about being on the couch is it makes it easy for them to run to you when they get uncomfortable.
In most cases, vocal confrontation and some humping and chasing with rumbling noises are some common signs of guinea pig dominance. Some sows do get into a severe fight to prove their dominance, but in most cases, they sort it out by chasing and humping on their back only.
Yes, Guinea pigs can bite you sometimes. Most guinea pigs have a sweet and docile personality, and they will not bite you unless they have a good reason to do so. Although young guinea pigs often nibble at you to communicate something but this is something familiar in their learning phase.
Put your baby guinea pig in his own cage before introducing him to your adult, who should be in his own cage as well. This helps reduce the potential for territory protection, and allows the guinea pigs to meet one another and get familiar with each other's smells while safely contained in their own spaces.
Usually, guinea pigs fight when they need to establish dominance over something or dominance over the other guinea pig in the cage. For these reasons, it is perfectly normal for guinea pigs to fight sometimes.
As yucky as it may seem, male piggies spray female piggies to scent mark them as their own. So if an other male comes to check out the sprayed female, he will smell the wee of the other male and back off, or try to mate with the female.
It is fine to leave your guinea pigs alone for a day or a little bit more, but anything more than two days can be threatening. There are lots of problems which your guinea pigs might get into, right from lack of hay, water to hurting themselves by fighting or escaping their cage.
The surprising truth is – yes, guinea pigs can die of loneliness. They need a companion in their life because they are social animals. If they are living alone in the cage then you need to play with it all the time in order to keep them motivated and happy.
Which guinea pig gender is better? Both guinea pig genders will make for a great pet, no matter if it's a male or a female guinea pig. For example, male guinea pigs are a little less shy, physically larger and somewhat more trainable while female guinea pigs are cleaner, less aggressive and they are not noisy.
