# Advice needed about my guinea pigs please!



## PurpleCrutches (Sep 15, 2013)

Hello everyone!

I've had my 2 guinea pigs, Bert and Binky, for a year now. They lived indoors for a while, until we could get their hutch and run ready (my husband built them from scratch.) They were fine in the cage, never squabbled, and when they moved to the hutch they were fine as well.

As our hutch and run are massive, I decided to get 2 more guinea pigs, Smudge and Scampi. We kept them in the indoor cage, and set up an indoor run so that Bert & Binky could meet them in a neutral place. We watched them set up their hierarchy, and after lots of meetings, we felt that it would be ok for the little ones to join the big ones in the hutch. My husband built a small 'house' type building to put inside the run, just in case the little ones wanted somewhere to go. 

Now, they've been together for about a week. It looks like they've separated into 2 groups - each of the big ones now have a little mascot! The problem is, the big ones have now started getting very aggressive with each other. They eat together fine, but one seems to have the hutch as his territory, and the other has the little house in the run. It's the first time I've ever heard the 'teeth chattering' noise, and both of them keep doing it.

Do I need to do anything? Is this something that they can resolve? The little ones are doing great, there's no problem with them, and the big ones are never aggressive with them, just at each other.

I hope someone can give some advice - sorry for such a long post!

PC x


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## wind1 (Oct 24, 2010)

A group of 4 boars together is very difficult to keep. Most often boars are best just kept in pairs, even then it doesn't always work. Here is a link to a guinea pig forum which has lots of advice on keeping boars together. Good luck with your group, I feel you may end up having to seperate them though.

Boars: A guide to successful companionship.


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## happysaz133 (Jun 5, 2008)

Yes, as said, 4 boars almost never works, boars are best in pairs, sad to say, and sometimes even pairs don't work. As you've found out, introducing boars to an existing pairing can usually end up in breaking that bond. 

Things will likely only get worse when the little ones reach maturity, I'd split them up now to avoid full blown fights.


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## Hanwombat (Sep 5, 2013)

Four boars together happily is next to impossible!

I've had two successful trios in the past but that is rare!

I'd suggest you pair them to save the possibility (and most likeliness) of a vet visit due to a fight.


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