How to Introduce Two Guinea Pigs

Guinea pigs are social animals, and they thrive when they have another guinea pig living with them. However, guinea pigs have distinct personalities, just like people, and they don't always get along. Conflicting personalities coupled with territory issues can make introducing two guinea pigs difficult. But there are things you can do as a guinea pig owner to ease the transition.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A neutral area outside of the cage
• Towels
• Dustpan
• Vegetables

1. Set up a large, penned-in area outside of the cage. Don't just throw the newcomer into the cage--you need to let them get to know each other in a neutral area. Guinea pigs are very territorial and tend to scent-mark their areas, so they may be more hostile to a newcomer in a place they consider "theirs."

2. Place some vegetables (lettuce, bell peppers, carrots) in the neutral area as a distraction.

3. Put both guinea pigs in the neutral area. Let them find each other.

4. Be prepared for some normal establishing of dominance. Rumblestrutting (waving the rear end from side to side and emitting a low, loud purr) is completely normal, as is mounting and the occasional scuffle. They need to work out the issue of dominance, so don't interrupt this. Even a little fighting is okay, as long as they do not draw blood.

5. Clean the cage completely. Scrub the floor of the cage and any accessories with vinegar to neutralize any existing odors. Add a layer of fresh bedding to the cage.

6. Put them in the cage together. There may still be a little scuffling as they re-establish dominance in their new surroundings, but it shouldn't take long.

Tips & Warnings

• If they fight hard enough to draw blood, that's where you need to step in. Use a dustpan to separate the guinea pigs (if you just stick your hand in there, you could accidentally get bitten) and use a towel to scoop one of them out.
• The initial introduction could take several hours, so be sure to plan plenty of time for it.
• If the guinea pigs don't get along (fight hard enough to draw blood), you'll have to keep them in separate cages. Consider keeping them in adjoining cages so that they can still see each other and interact without being able to hurt one another.

Resources

• Guinea Pig Cages

[GLeeBourquin]

on 12/1/2008 Good advice. We introduced our 2nd guinea pig several months after we got the 1st.We used a lot of these methods. The older one can still be a bully sometimes, but most of the time they're fine.