Introducing guinea pigs to other guinea pigs
It’s best to introduce guinea pigs to each other on neutral territory; the area should look and smell unfamiliar to both animals. The simplest way to achieve this is to move the outdoor run to a different area of your lawn.
If you plan to mix the animals in a hutch or indoor cage, you must clean the accommodation thoroughly and provide some new tunnels, hiding places and rest areas.
Once you have created a neutralised area with plenty of places for the guinea pigs to hide, you should put them into the run at the same time and let them investigate the territory and approach each other.
Guinea pigs usually show signs of friendliness or hostility after a fairly short time.
Signs of acceptance include loud squeaking, following each other, feeding close to each other, grooming one another’s face, males will often mount a submissive guinea pig, female or male, making a gentle rumbling sound.
Signs of aggression include continuous chattering of the teeth, rearing up at each other, mouths open
Walking to the side of the other guinea pig and swaying from side to side with the rump in the air and constantly attacking the face or rump of the other guinea pig
It’s important to observe closely and try to spot bullies or a bully’s victim.
If hostile behaviour continues for several hours, you should separate the guinea pigs; this particular mix is unlikely to work. Please contact us to help you to find the right companion for your guinea pig.
Guinea pigs and rabbits
Rabbits do not make good companions for guinea pigs and we advise against mixing them as the two species cannot communicate with each other. Guinea pigs ‘talk’ to each other in high-pitched squeaks: to a rabbit, this is a signal of distress or pain. The rabbit will be frightened; the guinea pig will not be able to understand why the rabbit isn’t ‘talking’ to it.
Some larger rabbits can injure guinea pigs with a kick from their powerful back legs.
Guinea pigs and rabbits do have broadly similar feeding requirements, but these are not identical.
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