My Guinea Pigs are fighting... URGENT help needed!

[Bunny]

Hi Everyone :)

Sorry I haven't been around for a while, but I have been battling a court case and stress :disbelief:

Anyway, I have two male guinea pigs who have always got on fine... until (literally) today. They keep fighting and at first I left them to it to see if they were just being noisy, but they are getting worse. One now has a really nasty cut on his ear and they just keep running at each other and squealing. I seperate them and they are fine for a while, but then they start chasing one another again.

Any ideas?

[dreamer]

I don't know much about guinea pigs...do you have a guinea pig vet? If so, I'd call the vet and ask what might be going on. I have had bunnies and I know that male bunnies, if unneutered, can sometimes (out of the clear blue) start being more territorial and aggressive. Could it be that?

[Bunny]

Thank you for the speedy reply Dreamer!

I wondered if it may be territorial.... I also wondered if the younger one may be going through adolescence.

They are quiet again now, but I am still worried :(

I will phone my vet in the morning (they are shut right now)

Thanks again. :)

[Gliondrach]

Have you had them for less than a year? Perhaps Spring is making them this way - fighting to control the females, even though there are no females.

[dreamer]

Is there any way you can keep them apart until you talk to your vet? I'm just worried since it sounds like there's already been a wound--which you might want the vet to look at as well. If one is younger than the other, it may well be that his hormones are just starting to kick in. Maybe you can find on-line information about guinea pigs...I put it in the search engine and found a site that only vaguely mentioned aggression, especially btwn unneutered males.

[Bunny]

Gliondrach I have had them for less than a year - the spring theing may mean something. Thank you :)

Dreamer I am keeping them apart tonight. I have been googling madly and have found a site that says that lot of behaviour between them can just be them sorting things out. Apparently if they really want to fight, they will do so to the death (eek!) and so this behaviour may be them deciding who's boss.... I will keep them seperate a bit longer and maybe try getting them on the sofa and scrubbing their cage out. Maybe a change of scene will take their minds off it.


Thanks again everyone. :)

[Gliondrach]

The pdsa site says two males will fight. Anyanswers.com says it's a myth.

[Bunny]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I have been reading about it as much as I can and at the moment they are not fighting. Apparently it could be that the younger one is giving it his best shot at being dominant and it may all sort itself out. I have oven gloves beside the cage and am keeping a close eye on them.

I had them checked and they are both fine.

Another idea to try (According to many cavy forums) is to bath them both together. It won't hurt them, but they will hate it and a shared, hated experience could help them to bond more.

If all else fails I will have to seperate them, but they are social animals and so I am loathe to do this unless absolutely necessary. From everything I have been reading, this can be normal male cavy behaviour and will hopefully sort itself out.
:)

[Gliondrach]

A spot of National Service would sort them out.

[Gliondrach]

Only when he's disguised.

[Bunny]

They are fine today... so far! They seem to have settled down a lot. What a worry!!

I am smiling at the thought of two little piggies in army gear..... :D

[Gliondrach]

Good. Must have been a case of Mad March Guinea Pigs.

[alisont]

Sorry only just seen this, male guineas can often argue - hope they manage to get on and dont argue/fight too much in the future.

I know on the guinea pig forum Im on they do keep boys together or will bond a boy with girls - they say they only get on if nutered.

I know our rabbit Leo is very hormonal in spring - he will next build and get very tetchy for the next few weeks/months Im sure - just waiting for the stroppy bunny phase now! Hes 12 now and has yet to grow out of the hormonal phase!!

Even Monty my male guinea has been shredding paper and building a nest - Id love to bond him with another rescue guinea but hes 5 this year and I really dont want to put him through an op. He lives next to Leo in a big hutch and to me seems happy but you never know what they are thinking.

Glad they have settled down:thumbsup:

[Bunny]

Thank you Alison :)

I hadn't thought of neutering them. If they don't settle down I may try that. I had a boar a few years ago that had a little troupe of females, he suffered depression when he was neutered and had to have injections to perk him up, bless him.

They are sharing all the veg peelings tonight with very little argument!