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If you just adopted two (or more!) guinea pigs or brought them home from a rescue, it is necessary to bond them together so they will get along and enjoy living together. Often friendships develop slowly, so take your time and allow your guinea pigs to get used to each other.

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Keep it neutral.

Guinea pigs will often display aggression if they do not know each other, so it is good to introduce them to a neutral environment where they can meet but are not touching. You can do this by not letting them see each other but keeping their cages in the same room. That way, they can hear each other before you allow them to see their new companion.

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How to start.

You must introduce your guinea pigs slowly and in stages, starting with scent swapping and moving on to sight. A place to start is by taking an item from each cage with its smell and placing it into each enclosure so they can sniff each other from the get-go. Once they got used to the items and have been smelling each other for a while, you can move on to face-to-face meetings in their neutral territory. In this first step of the bonding process, there will usually be lots of noise, rumble strutting, sniffing, chasing, and grooming.

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During the introduction.

If your piggies are aggressive during their introductions, this does not necessarily mean to end it. It can be stressful, but it’s necessary to keep going until they can live happily together. I know it may be stressful watching your guinea pigs being aggressive toward each other, but this does not mean to separate them. You should only separate them if any blood gets drawn. Otherwise, they will work out any disagreements between each other. During the introduction, you can also place various veggies around the neutral area for them to munch on. It will also act as a distraction to their squabbling.

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If you need to separate them.

If things get too violent, or you’re worried that your piggies are hurting each other, you can safely separate them by putting a towel over them. But make sure you’re careful not to squish them! You can pick one up while the other is under the towel and calm down their fight.

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Ending the introduction.

Ideally, you want the bonding process complete as soon as possible, but it is best to wait for at least an hour after you introduce them before placing them in the same cage. That allows them time to get used to each other and new surroundings.

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Concerns.

If you have concerns about whether your guinea pigs are getting on, you can always contact your local rescue center and ask if they can help you. They will have experience bonding with guinea pigs and can help you make the right decision.

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