Bonding

There is currently no formal scientific research that defines the best way to bond guinea pigs. While this highlights the need for more research, we can refer to what we do know about guinea pig biology, behaviour and recommendations from established animal welfare organisations.

Any introductions should be done slowly and carefully.

• Guinea pigs should only be bonded to and housed with other guinea pigs and not animals of different species.
• Guinea pigs can be successfully kept in single sex pairs.
• Male and female guinea pig pairs can also work well, as long as neutering has taken place to prevent unwanted pregnancy.
• In the wild, guinea pigs would live in groups and often do well when kept in groups in captivity, as long as neutering has taken place to prevent unwanted pregnancy.

Quarantine

It is recommended to keep any new guinea pigs apart until you have determined if they appear healthy. Giving them some time to settle into their new surroundings and monitor for signs of ill-health is advisable.

Initial introductions

• Sight: Let them see each other, e.g. in separate enclosures but not touching.
• Around the same time, begin swapping over items of bedding so they can get used to each other’s scent.

Getting closer

• Keeping a barrier between them, if possible, move their enclosures side by side – this way you can observe their behaviour and let them get used to each other. During this time, it’s important to be vigilant for any biting or aggression behaviours which could take place through bars or other barriers.
• If the side-by-side introduction has been successful and positive behaviours have been observed (sniffing, squeaking, wanting to be close to one another), you can progress to a face-to-face introduction.

Face-to-face introductions

• It’s important for the first face-to-face meeting to take place in a neutral territory (somewhere that neither guinea pig has lived before). Some people choose to do this in a room that the guinea pigs have likely never been into, such as the kitchen or bathroom.
• The neutral meeting area should have hiding places with more than one exit, to avoid guinea pigs from being trapped. Food and hay should be scattered around so they see the experience as a positive one.
• When introducing the guinea pigs to the neutral meeting area, it’s important to keep a very close eye on them to make sure there is no fighting.
• A towel or blanket should be kept on hand to be able to quickly separate fighting guinea pigs without getting hurt (guinea pig bites can be painful!)
• Guinea pigs will need to establish a dominance hierarchy, so some behaviours such as mounting, chasing and “rumblestrutting” (shifting side-to-side whilst making a purring noise can be expected).

Red flags to watch out for:

• Excessive teeth chattering (a small amount of this is to be expected, but if it’s continuous, it could be an indicator that things may escalate).
• Open mouths, with heads in the air
• Lunging and biting

Moving in together

• If the neutral territory bonding has gone well and guinea pigs have responded positively to one another over several hours, i.e. grooming one another, eating together and napping, it may be time to move them into their new home.
• Ideally, their new home should be somewhere where neither guinea pig has lived before; if this isn’t possible, thorough cleaning of the environment is recommended to remove pre-existing scents.
• Provide multiples of every resource to reduce the risk of fighting:
  • Multiple water sources
  • Multiple food bowls
  • Multiple hay piles
  • Multiple hiding places (with more than one exit)

No two guinea pig bonding experiences will be the same. If in any doubt, many
rescue centres offer bonding services, or you can ask your veterinarian for advice.