Can You Separate Bonded Guinea Pigs?  (Find Out Now)

Bonded guinea pigs are usually lifetime partners who spend their time together. However, sometimes bonded piggies might start harming each other. Can you separate bonded guinea pigs? 

Yes, you can separate bonded guinea pigs. But, it’s not ideal, because there’s a chance that their bond will break, and they won’t get along anymore. But, sometimes bonded guinea pigs have to be separated because of medical reasons, bullying, fighting, or pregnancy.

Guinea pigs love company so separation might sound like cruelty. But remember above everything, the safety of your cavy is of utmost importance. If the company puts them in danger, find ways to separate them.  

Keep reading to find out more about the separation of guinea pigs and how other cavy parents went about it.  

Can You Separate Bonded Guinea Pigs? 

While it’s possible to separate bonded guinea pigs, there’s a risk that they might lose their bond or become depressed if they’re separated too long. So, it’s important to only separate them if it’s absolutely necessary.

If you have to separate bonded guinea pigs, it’s important to do it as carefully as possible. Ideally, you’ll want to keep them in the same cage but separated by a grid so that they can still see and interact with each other. If that’s not possible, try to at least keep them in the same room.

Medical separations to avoid spreading disease throughout your herd of piggies is a little trickier. If one of your guinea pigs becomes sick with something contagious like pneumonia, it’s important to quarantine them from the rest of the group (and out the room) to prevent the spread of disease.

In cases like this, there’s not much you can do except reintroduce your guinea pigs slowly once they’re both healthy again. Start by letting them see each other and then, if everything goes well, put them back in the same cage.

With patience and care, it is possible for separated guinea pigs to form new bonds and live happy, healthy lives.

When Should You Separate Bonded Guinea Pigs? 

There are several reasons to separate your bonded guinea pigs. Here’s a few of them: 

• Medical Separation
• Pregnancy  
• Fighting

Let’s start with…

1. Medical Separation 

Medical separation can be necessary for guinea pigs who develop infections or diseases. Separation can prevent the spread of parasites and diseases. 

It can help prevent the other piggies from exposure to infections. This will provide the sick cavy with a better environment to recuperate.  

You can separate your guinea pig if they have contracted;

• Ringworm 
• Upper Respiratory Infection (URI)
• Fungal infection 
• Airborne diseases like Bordetella  
• Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) 

Since bonded guinea pigs will tend to interact more with each other, it’s likely that diseases will spread. A quarantine for guinea pigs lasts 2-3 weeks. 

This can differ from medical separation since they might last for shorter periods.  

Separating your sick piggie can be hard on them but it might speed up the healing process. It will also protect vulnerable piggies like the elderly or young pups.  

2. Pregnancy  

Pregnancy in cavies is very dangerous. 1 in 4 guinea pigs die from pregnancy complications. A pregnant guinea pig needs proper nutrition and enough support to deliver safely.  

In many cases, a pregnant guinea pig can be left with her bonded pair in their cage. A closely bonded pair can take care of the pregnant sow and share food. However, there are cases when you might need to separate them for her safety.  

• Insufficient nutrition: During late-stage pregnancy, it might be hard for the sow to move around. This might deprive them of access to food and water. Her bonded pair might also not share food with her. If you observe this, separate the expecting mother. This way you can provide her with special care to ensure she is getting enough nutrition.  
• Hormonal Issues: Hormonal issues might need you to separate your pregnant sow. Changes that come about during pregnancy can cause fighting in bonded pairs.  Pregnancy hormones can trigger violent behavior in the expecting mother. This could lead to her hurting her bonded pair. They can get territorial as well.  In this case, separation will protect the pregnant guinea pig and her bond. You can use a divider that will allow them to communicate if they miss each other.  
• Male guinea pigs: If you have a pregnant sow and a male guinea pig, you need to separate them right away. If the male guinea pig mates with the pregnant sow, she could have problems. Female guinea pigs also go into heat soon after they give birth, so you need to keep them apart too. If the male guinea pig tries to mate with the female, there is an 85% chance that she will get pregnant. If this happens, it is life-threatening for the sow to have a pregnancy right after giving birth. You can have the boar neutered or keep him in a separate cage so that this does not happen.

3. Fighting  

There are many reasons guinea pigs can start fighting. But they usually work it out themselves. There’s cases when the fighting can get too serious and you need to separate your piggie.  

These are the most common reasons for fighting: 

• Lack of space – Even for bonded pairs, small spaces irritate guinea pigs. They need large enclosures to move around freely. A lot of store-bought cages are too small to fit two guinea pigs. The minimum requirement for guinea pig cages is 120cm by 60 cm. 
• Teenage years – Guinea pigs go through teenage when they’re around 9-12 months old. At this age, the adolescent hormones cause them to become violent. They can hurt their bonded pairs and even draw blood.  
• Death of dominant guinea pig – Guinea pigs have hierarchies. In the case of a herd, there is usually one dominant piggie that can be boar or sow if they’re of the same sex. If the dominant piggie dies, there will be a fight for the position that can result in the need for separation.  
• Ovarian cysts – Female guinea pigs are prone to ovarian cysts. Cysts will cause elevated hormones that can trigger fighting within bonded pairs.  
• Presence of female guinea pigs – This will trigger the male guinea pigs to fight. They fight for the female’s attention and the right to mate with her. The fights for females get very violent that will need separation for safety.  
• New enclosures – Guinea pigs have a very strong sense of smell. New and unfamiliar enclosures can cause them distress. This can lead to fighting among bonded pairs which might need separation. The bonding process will need to be redone once again.  

Why Guinea Pig Parents Had To Separate Bonded Guinea Pigs (Pet Parents Weight – In)

I wanted to find out from other cavy parents the reasons they separated bonded piggies. So, I surveyed 120 piggie parents. Here are the reasons they listed for separating their piggies.  

• 50 (41.7%) named bullying as the main reason they separated their piggies. They noticed that one guinea pig had injuries or teeth were chattering. The dominant cavy never gave the bullied cavy on any rest OR wasn’t letting the other eat food.
• 30 (25%) separated their piggies due to fighting. The guinea pigs who had gotten along for years started fighting too much. This caused many pet parents to separate them. There were injuries in both piggies such as torn ears and eyes, broken legs, and open wounds on their skin. 
• 30 (25%) separated their piggies due to illnesses. Most of this separation was either medical or full-on quarantine. The main diseases were upper respiratory infections e.g. Bordetella and pneumonia, ringworms, and UTIs. The separation in this case was mostly temporary.  
• 6 (5%) separated their piggies due to pregnancy. They built a different cage for the expectant mother to allow her more freedom and safety. They also gave the expectant sows more food.  
• 4 (3.3%) of cavy parents separated their piggies for rehoming. Some of them couldn’t afford to support the number of piggies they had. Others were moving to different places and had to find homes for one or both of their piggies.  

It’s important to know when to separate your guinea pigs. Here are some signs pet parents listed that will tell you when the fighting has become serious;  

• Actual and frequent fights  
• Lunging at each other 
• Excessive yawning which comes about due to stress  
• Teeth chattering 
• Dominant piggie preventing the other from eating 
• When they draw blood in their fights

These are the main behaviors to watch out for that can be constant and aggressive;

• Nipping 
• Lunging  
• Fighting  
• Chasing 
• Mounting 

Guinea pigs might act differently when they play. They might not be as easy to tell apart from normal behavior. But if their playing gets too aggressive and happens more often than usual, you should separate them.

Don’t try to separate fighting guinea pigs with your bare hands. There’s a very good chance that you’ll get bitten by one – or both – of the guinea pigs. Some parents had caught a Staphylococcus infection from bites by piggies.   

Separate your piggies using a divider if the cage is large enough and if it’s not, buy them a new C&C cage to use.  

How Can You Tell If Your Guinea Pigs Are Bonded?  

Bonded guinea pigs will share food and groom each other. They will cuddle and sleep together. They will also play together a lot once they bond. 

The submissive piggie will follow the dominant one around. Separating them will cause visible anxiety in both piggies.  

How Long Does It Take For Guinea Pigs To Bond?  

Bonding can take a few hours or last a few days. It can vary from one guinea pig to another. It can be easier if you select obvious pairs that don’t need to take too long fighting for dominance such as; 

• Smaller/Larger Piggie 
• Older/Younger Piggie 
• Male/Male Pairs 
• Female/Female Pairs 
• Naturally dominant/naturally submission personality

How Do You Introduce A Guinea Pig To A Bonded Pair?  

The introduction of two new guinea pigs needs to be done with a lot of care. There’s a few different ways to do it. But, here’s one ways that works for a lot of people. Take a look.

1. Start by having one person hold a pig. Have the other person hold the other pig some distance away.  
2. Release both the guinea pigs. It’s preferable to have a pile of hay in the middle so that both piggies can find their way to the food.  You can use a bit of hand lotion on both your hands to give both piggies a ‘similar’ scent. It will help create familiarity. 
3. The guinea pigs will first find each other. 
4. Then they will sniff each other to check the sex. Both piggies especially same-sex will want dominance in the relationship.  
5. Next, they will fluff up to appear bigger than the other. They will yawn to show how big their teeth are, chatter teeth, rumble strut, chase, and mount each other. This can last an hour and it might cause some minor injuries. Do not separate unless there is a huge loss of blood or major injury. 
6. After this, they will lie down some slight distance from each other. At this point, the hierarchy has been established. 
7. Then they will move side by side while pointing in opposite directions. By now, bonding is finished.  

DO NOT interfere with the bonding process unless there is some serious damage. It will be aggressive but don’t touch or pet the piggies.   

They might be other attempts to establish dominance but they will be less severe than before.  

What Breaks Bonds Between Guinea Pigs?

Lots of different things can break the bond between guinea pigs. Here’s a list of some things that might cause problems:

1. Old Dislikes or Grudges That Flare Up

In any close relationship, it’s inevitable that there’ll be a few disagreements – even with guinea pigs. However, usually these disputes are quickly resolved and the bond between the two parties is stronger than ever.

However, sometimes an old, genuine dislike can flare up and break the bond between two individuals. This is often the case with guinea pigs.

While they are social animals by nature, they can still have preferences when it comes to their companions. If two guinea pigs have a longstanding dislike for each other (and you see a lot of bullying or blood drawn), it’s best to keep them apart to avoid any potential fights.

2. Death of a A Leader

When a group of guinea pigs loses their leader, it can be a devastating blow. Not only is there suddenly a power vacuum, but the remaining guinea pigs may start jockeying for position to take the place of the leader.

This can lead to serious conflict and even break the bond between guinea pigs. In some cases, the death of the leader may even trigger a complete collapse of the group.

While it may seem like guinea pigs are simply small, furry creatures, they’re actually highly social animals that rely on their leaders to maintain order and stability. So, when that leader is gone, it can have a profound impact on the entire group.

3. Ovarian Cysts

Anyone who has ever had a female guinea pig knows that they can be cranky and grumpy creatures later in life, but did you know that this behavior could be caused by ovarian cysts?

These cysts are very painful and can cause a female guinea pig to break bonds with her group.

When a guinea pig has an ovarian cyst, she may become aggressive or withdraw from her social group. This can be very stressful for the other guinea pigs in the group, and may even lead to her being kicked out of the group – bond broken and all.

Fortunately, there’s things that you can do to help your guinea pig if she is suffering from ovarian cysts.

Speak to your veterinarian about treatment options, and try to provide her with a calm and stress-free environment. With a little bit of care, you can help your guinea pig to overcome this difficult condition.

4. Medical Separations

No one likes being sick, and that includes our furry little friends. When a guinea pig falls ill, they have to be isolated from the rest of the group in order to prevent the spread of disease.

This can be a difficult experience for both the sick guinea pig and their bonded friends.  Guinea pigs are social animals that form close bonds with one another, and the sudden separation of a sick animal can disrupt the entire hierarchy.

In some cases, the quarantined guinea pig may even be rejected by the group once they are healthy enough to return.

There’s ways to make the process easier on everyone involved. For example, you can try to keep the quarantine area as close to the main living area as possible, so that the sick guinea pig can still see and smell their friends and vice versa.

Now, that won’t be possible if your fur baby has to be quarantined because of pneumonia or Bordetella (cuz no one is trying to get all their piggies sick). But, for less serious illnesses or a surgery recovery, then it’s certainly worth a try.

5. Changes in Living Arrangements

When guinea pigs are moved to a new environment, it can disrupt the social hierarchy that’s been established and lead to fighting among the guinea pigs.

The reason for this is that guinea pigs are very social animals, and they establish a hierarchy within their group.

When the living arrangements are changes, sometimes guinea pigs will view the new environment as a new territory, and they’ll want to establish themselves as the dominant guinea pig in the new environment. This’ll make your fur babies more aggressive towards each other (yep, like that scene in Animal House where the two fraternities are fighting).

So, if you’re going to be moving your guinea pigs to a new home, it’s best to do it gradually.

Introduce them to the new environment a little at a time so that they can slowly get used to the change and re-establish the social hierarchy.

Move items that smell like “the group” into the new environment, like their food dish, water bottle, and some of their bedding. This’ll help the new area smell like “home” and will hopefully help them understand that nothing should change with their social order.

Things to Remember About Separating Bonded Guinea Pigs

As you can see, you can separate bonded guinea pigs…but it’s risky and it can come with negative consequences. Also, there’s time where it’s best to separate bonded guinea pigs – no matter how much it hurts to do so.

Here’s some tips to help you figure out if your fur babies need to be separated and how to make the process as smooth as possible.

• Don’t confuse normal playful behavior for fighting that means you need to separate your fur babies. Pay attention to the behaviors noted earlier in this article.
• Separate your piggies only when it’s necessary to avoid injuries. Do not do it for minor nips and bites.
• DO NOT separate fighting guinea pigs with your bare hands, you might catch an infection. 
• Watch the behavior after separation. You can try reuniting them to see if they stopped fighting. If it continues, consider permanent separation.
• Always separate if blood is drawn. It is a sign that the aggression is too serious. 
• After separation, you will need to introduce them to each other again. Ensure you follow the proper steps to create bonds. 
• You can keep them near each other after separation if they are too anxious. As long as they can’t reach each other to cause harm. The smell of other piggies helps guinea pigs relax.