putting adults together - advise needed on behavior

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rshevin

Post   » Sun Jan 27, 2008 2:56 pm


Basically the thing to do is one big, long introduction, planning for the long term. This means a buddy bath, floortime introductions in a neutral place, a thorough cage cleaning, and a "cage furniture" redesign in a suitably sized enclosure. If things go really poorly after this, you may be looking at building 2 adjacent cages for them to be neighbors.

If it were me, I'd want to wait until next weekend when they could be closely observed for a long period of time. It may give them some time to chill out after today's interaction as well.

rubes

Post   » Sun Jan 27, 2008 4:44 pm


Thaks Rshevin - thats good advise - I am going to do as you say. see what next weekend brings and report, bit cold here in the Uk for buddy bath as they housed in shed but I am going to try other things. Thanks again and all. I report on that soon.

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rshevin

Post   » Sun Jan 27, 2008 5:15 pm


For the health and safety of your pets, you should really bring them indoors.

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Maria1986

Post   » Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:21 pm


Rubes, I'm in the UK to and I don't know about where you are, but here its pretty cold and has been pretty windy. because of the temperature the piggies would probably be happier indoors over the winter, you will also be able to keep a better eye on them as well while they are getting used to each other. Also if they are in the living room or the room you spend most time in you will have great fun watching them running around, popcorning and playing. "Guinea pig TV" is now a favourite in our house!


Also if they are in the shed what size hutch do you have them in, as if the space is too small they will fight because of lack of space, I know that it is a standard thing in the UK to use hutches like the ones in Pets at Home and keep them outside, but the Petshop ones rarely meet the RSPCA standards for 1 pig, let alone 3!

rubes

Post   » Tue Jan 29, 2008 1:47 pm


Hiya Maria1896, I am in Kent. They currently are housed in 2 hutches in shed - but the big 2 bed hutches we had especially made are outside for spring/ summer use.
I give them microwave heat pads when cold.

As I am worried about Fuzzy being on his own (he already stpped the chirping and popcorning on his own) then we are going to take end panels out of hutches (which are next to ea other) and put in wire so Fuzzy can see the other 2.
We definatley going to take yuor advise (and others)and try the buddy thing on towels this weekend. The annoying thing is with working full time we can only try this at the weekend.

If it goes ok at the weekend (no major fights) can you advise whether they be alright to house together - Or is this a gradula thing and I have to try the buddying thing many times???
Only read that if it dosent work 1st time - You have to start all over again - Hpw many attempts do you give?

Thanks Maria1986 - Where are you in UK?
I totally agree with what you saying about petshop hutches in the UK.

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Maria1986

Post   » Tue Jan 29, 2008 3:19 pm


I was given the advice that if you don't see bloodshed after and hour, house them together after giving the cage a really really good scrub and then just keep an eye on them. You may find that they are never best buddies and just tolerate living together, but every time they try to establish dominance and you break them up, they will have to go through the same thing again the next time (or so I have been told). So maybe do the neutral territory and buddy bath at the weekend and if they are OK for the first hour then just leave them and see where it goes. If they end up seriously fighting and drawing blood then separate them obviously.

Mine have been housed together for a while now, and still act like it is a pain to have the other one about, untill something startles them, then they run to each other for comfort and if one has lap time they wheek to each other and miss the other when they are not there!

I am currently in Oxford, but lived in Kent too until I moved about a year ago.

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