Introducing guinea pigs

Guinea pigs are sweet companions that thrive on each other for happiness and their wellbeing. So, if you have a solo guinea pig, or one that has recently lost its companion, finding them a compatible buddy is essential for their wellbeing.

Selecting the right companion for your guinea pig is essential. Sometimes you can adopt bonded guinea pigs, or ones that are siblings or mother/daughter duos. This can help form strong bonds between them.

It’s best to consider getting the same gender as a mate, otherwise you might end up with unexpected pregnancies! But desexed male/female pairs can also thrive together.

If your guinea pig is playful, they’ll need an active, similar friend. If you have more of a calm and relaxed guinea pig, best to adopt one that matches their personality.

• Initial Separation: Start by keeping your new guinea pig separate to your existing companion to allow them time to settle into their new surroundings. It’s also good to monitor their health before introducing them to your existing piggy.
• Scent and Sight: In the first few days of bringing your new guinea pig home, let both of your guinea pigs (or multiple) smell each other from a distance. You can swap bedding and toys to familiarise them with each other’s scents.
• Closer Contact: After a few days, allow your existing guinea pig and your new companion to see each other through barriers such as a crate or separate enclosure. Observe their reactions and provide treats to create positive associations. Look for signs such as squeaking, sniffing, and spending time together. You may notice them sitting right next to each other while still being in separate enclosures – this is a great sign!
• Face-to-Face Meeting: Once your existing and new guinea pig seem comfortable around each other, introduce them in a neutral space like a room or open enclosed area. Monitor their interactions closely, ensuring a safe environment with plenty of distractions like toys and veggies. You’ll probably noticed a lot of noise and interaction. Sometimes they’ll sniff and follow each other, then progress to grooming. These short face to face meetings should be about 10-15 minutes to start and you can build up time as long as they’re interactions remain positive.
• Moving In Together: If all goes well, they can move into a shared space such as their guinea pig hutch or enclosure. Ensure your enclosure is spacious with ample resources to prevent competition between the guinea pigs.

Have you heard of "popcorning"? This is happy jumps! If you notice this, all is going well between your guinea pigs. Any mutual grooming or cuddling – that’s ace!

Play behaviours in guinea pigs that are positive include following each other around at a slow pace, playing with the same toys, and talking to each other.

If you notice any negative behaviours between your guinea pigs such as fighting, hiding, chasing or backing one guinea pig into a corner, opening their mouths at each other, or teeth chattering, it’s best to keep them separated for the time being.

You can distract your guinea pigs when you need to separate them by scattering food around their enclosure.  

To separate guinea pigs not getting along, avoid using your hands as you might get a nip in the process. Use a piece of cardboard to separate them or dustpan to slip in between them. You can also use a towel to pick up guinea pigs and cool down any heated exchanges.

Be very gentle when handling your guinea pigs and go back to Step Two of Scent Swapping for a few days before trying to introduce your piggies again.

Remember bonding can take some time, so it’s good to be patient and revisit the steps to building bonds slowly. And of course, ask RSPCA Queensland for assistance.

Guinea pigs mounting or climbing on each other (even if they have been desexed) is usually perfectly normal and nothing to worry about. But, if one of your guinea pigs is doing this behaviour to another a lot of the time, this might be a cue to separate them for some time out.

Rabbits and guinea pigs don’t always get along! So, if you’re outside of Queensland, it’s an important note to consider when you’re adopting a guinea pig. It’s best to keep them to the same species for a happy relationship.

For more guinea pig tips, read about enrichment ideas.