Is It Normal For Guinea Pigs To Fight? (Explained Now)

We all had those minor sibling fights as we grew up, and they were a normal part of life. In fact, such rivalry taught us to resolve our issues, an invaluable lesson we still carry on in our daily lives. But have you ever wondered whether piggie fights are an essential part of their growth? Is it okay for guinea pigs to fight?

Typically, it’s not normal for guinea pigs to fight. But, there are some exceptions. If the guinea pigs are living in a cramped or unclean environment, they may become stressed and start fighting. If one of the guinea pigs is sick, the others may become aggressive towards it. And if the guinea pigs have been improperly paired, they might not get along.

Guinea pigs are social animals that usually live in groups of 10 or more. But what makes them start to fight?

I’ll tell you everything you need to know about guinea pig fights, including what causes them and how to stop them. Shall we?

Is It Normal For Guinea Pigs To Fight?

No, it isn’t normal for guinea pigs to fight. If they do, it might mean that something isn’t right. The cage might be too small or you might have paired them incorrectly. Sometimes there can be a mismatch or disagreements between the two pets.

In any case, if you have two guinea pigs that are fighting, it’s important to take action to correct the problem. Otherwise, you may end up with two dead pets.

As herd animals, guinea pigs enjoy the company of other piggies. But that doesn’t mean that things can’t go haywire. Sometimes they will, and you have to act quickly when that time comes.

Guinea pigs can sometimes have fights just like people do. If things seem to be going wrong, you need to find out why and fix the problem – sooner rather than later. If you don’t, it can cost a lot of money and sometimes the problems will be too big to fix.

Sometimes the brawl could come from having a small cage. Like you and me, piggies sometimes value their personal space. So, when a small enclosure can’t offer them that, it can cause a fight.

Another common cause of fights between cavies is improper pairing. Perhaps you didn’t match the piggies correctly in terms of their sex or personalities. And when there’s such a mismatch, you can expect to have them fight over and over.

What Should I Do If My Guinea Pigs Are Fighting?

You should separate your guinea pigs once you find them fighting. While they may not look like it, piggie fights are dangerous and can even lead to loss of life. So, to avoid the consequences, intervene immediately if you see your two pets fighting.

Whenever you set your eyes on your piggies fighting, don’t watch and see how it goes. That’s the worst thing you can do in such a situation.

Instead, act quickly and separate them before things escalate further. Then, place them in different cages.

Oh, and in case you didn’t know, it’s ALWAYS a good idea to have an extra enclosure handy in case you need to separate your fur babies because of fighting or sickness.

Ideally, you should have two cages – one for each guinea pig. But if that isn’t possible or practical, you can create a temporary partition. Use chicken wire or any other safe material and divide their current hutch. Doing that will give each guinea pig its space and eventually help stop the fighting.

If you have them in separate spaces, observe how they are doing. If things seem okay, you can try to introduce them again. But if they still appear agitated, it might be best to keep them apart for good.

The rule of thumb is if blood is drawn during a guinea pig fight that you shouldn’t put the piggies back together again. Guinea pigs can hold grudges and you don’t want the fighting to start up again.

Why Do My Guinea Pigs Keep Fighting?

Typically, guinea pigs keep fighting when both guinea pigs want to be the dominant guinea pig, if the cage is too small, when one is sick or injured, from boredom, or because they haven’t been properly paired up in the first place.

Sometimes guinea pigs will fight for things that don’t seem important. So when trying to figure out why they were fighting, consider even the small things.

Let’s look at the common reasons why most guinea pigs fight below:

1. Need To Establish Dominance

Piggies believe in hierarchies. There must be a leader in every herd. It’s the leader who rules over the herd. He gets the best sleeping spot, eats before the rest, and wants the best attention from humans.

Now, the process of establishing dominance over other guineas may bring issues. That’s especially true if neither of the guinea pigs involved is willing to back down. But where one is submissive, things should go back to normal, and the piggies should live happily.

2. Small Cage 

As much as they love spending most of the time together, some moments work best when spend alone. The problem arises when their hutch doesn’t allow them to have such moments. 

Each pig needs enough space to run, jump, and do their stuff. The rule of thumb is each piggie needs 7.5 square feet of space. So, a standard cage is good for one piggie. But for two or more guineas, that’s way smaller than they actually need.

3. Injury/Sickness

When we are sick, it’s normal to get irritated first. The same goes for piggies. They need ample time and space when something isn’t adding up. 

Sometimes when one piggy can’t read the other piggy’s face, they get into fights. If you see that your pigs are fighting, remember that one of them might be sick.

4. Mismatch Personality types.

It could be in sex or personality. Putting two males with one female is the worst idea. Ideally,  one male and several females. This combination should give you the happiest boy. Just make sure you get the male neutered. Otherwise, you may end up with more piggie pups than you could manage to handle. 

You can work with the same sex. But again, personality-wise, be sure to notice any collisions between the two. And for males, check for dominance.

Avoid pairing two dominant pigs together. That’s typically a recipe for disaster. A dominant guinea pig with and a more submissive one make a peaceful combination.

5. Boredom

To keep your piggie happy, ensure that they remain stimulated. That means you need to get the two pets good toys, treats, and other stuff they can use to stay active. Otherwise, they can easily become restless and irritated. 

And when your piggie becomes uneasy, it’s very likely for a fight to break out. So, to curb that, ensure there’s plenty of stuff to keep your furry friends from boredom.

6. Not Enough Resources

Guinea pigs are more likely to fight if they feel that their food and water supply is threatened. So, if one guinea is hogging all the food or water, the other may feel like he’s being left out and may start a fight.

To avoid these kind of fights, make sure that there’s enough food and water for both of your guinea pigs. You can also put two water bottles and two food bowls in their cage to avoid any conflict.

Are My Guinea Pigs Fighting Or Playing?

You can know whether your piggies are fighting or playing by reading their body language. Fighting involves louder teeth chattering and more biting, chasing, and squealing than playing. Playing is more like running around with the other piggy following.

We’ve had domesticated guinea pigs for a while now. Even so, it can sometimes be hard to understand what they are trying to tell us.

That’s because some behaviors don’t always mean the same thing. To figure out what they mean, we need to consider the context in which the behavior happened.

Let me give you an example. It’s common for guinea pigs to squeal when playing. But if the squealing is too high-pitched and persistent, it might mean that something is wrong. The same goes for chattering teeth. If it’s too loud, then there might be a problem.

Another sign that your two pets are fighting and not playing is standing on their hind legs. In most cases, the essence of rearing up on their rear legs is to appear larger than their opponent.

Also, you’ll notice that the fur on their backs is standing. Injuries and drawing of blood also draw the line between laying and fighting.

So, to know whether your two small friends are in a physical contest, look out for the signs and the context. And as we’ve said, signs that they are fighting include:

• Loud squealing
• Loud teeth chattering
• Standing up on hind legs
• Visible injuries
• Drawing of blood
• Showing their teeth

How Do You Know If Guinea Pigs Don’t Like Each Other?

You can know that your guinea pigs don’t like each other by interpreting their behavior. Loud teeth chattering, leaping at each other, and frequent squabbles are signs of dislike. So, once you notice these signs, it’s best that you start making different living arrangements for your furry friends.

And that’s not all, guinea pigs don’t speak as we do. So, the only way to know what they are saying is by reading their body language. You’ll notice several things when your guinea pigs don’t like each other like:

• Loud teeth chattering
• Leaping at each other
• Frequent fights
• Chasing one another more often.
• One pig more often tries to get away from the other
• One piggie appears nervous around the other
• The two guinea pigs may avoid each other
• One guinea pig refuses to let the other eat (bullying scenario)
• One guinea pig may be trying to control the other’s movement

It’s essential to take note of these signs. If you don’t and let the situation continue, it could result in more significant problems like:

• Injuries and bites (yep, from fights)
• Loss of fur (also because of fighting)
• Weight loss (due to lack of appetite because of stress or due to one guinea pig refusing to let the other eat food)
• Death (yes, guinea pigs can kill each other)

But, this doesn’t mean that every little disagreement between your two guinea pigs is a sign that they don’t like each other. It’s important not to overreact to every little squabble.

Often groups of male guinea pigs will squabble, bicker, and chase each other around like brothers. That’s perfectly normal.

You just need to be careful if you notice a ton of behaviors like the ones I described above.

Can Guinea Pigs Fight To The Death?

Yes, guinea pigs can fight to the death. If there’s a lot of blood from a bite or a different sort of severe injury from , one of them might die. So, never take it lightly when you see your two little furry friends brawling. You could be staring at their final moments.

Guinea pigs can kill each other in a fight. The death could come from one sharp bite on the neck or head. It could also come from several bites that sever major blood vessels.

If you see your guinea pigs fighting, don’t hesitate to step in. And make sure you do it quickly. One of them could die if you don’t.

Guinea pigs usually don’t fight to the death in their natural habitat. This is because the losing pig has enough space to run away from the aggressor. They can also hide in the bushes or burrows to avoid further harm.

But in an enclosure (with limited space) there’s nowhere for the losing piggie to go. So, the aggressor may continue attacking long after the fight should’ve ended.

Despite this, the good news is that most guinea pig fights are usually harmless. They rarely lead to death or serious injuries. The piggies will usually squeal and run away from each other after a few seconds.

But there’re times when the fighting could get out of hand and lead to severe injuries or death. So, you should never take any chances when you see your piggies fighting.

Will Guinea Pigs Eat Each Other?

Typically, guinea pigs won’t eat each other. In fact, cannibalism is quite rare in the animal kingdom. So, it’s highly unlikely that your guinea pigs will turn on each other and start eating.

There are several reasons why guinea pigs don’t eat each other. For starters, they are herbivores. This means that their stomachs are not designed to digest meat. So, their diet consists of plants and vegetables.

Additionally, these fur babies are social animals. They live in groups and rely on each other for survival. So, it wouldn’t make sense for them to start eating their companions.

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. There have been reports of guinea pigs eating each other. But such cases are rare and usually involve extreme circumstances – like impending starvation.

Things To Remember About Guinea Pigs Fighting One Another

When it comes down to it, squabbles are quite normal between guinea pigs. But, bloody, ball of fury fights aren’t (and should never be) the norm. So, what does that mean for you and your furry friends?

1. Don’t overlook fighting between your guinea pigs. Just because guinea pigs fight doesn’t mean you should ignore it. You need to keep a close eye on their behavior to make sure things don’t escalate.
2. Pay attention to the body language. Guinea pigs communicate through their body language. So, it’s important to learn how to read it. If you see your guinea pigs fluffing up, barring their teeth, and looking like they’re ready to lunge at each, they could be getting ready to fight.
3. Know when to intervene. If the fighting gets out of hand, you might need to step in. Just make sure you do it safely.
4. Always have a backup plan. If blood is drawn and /or one of your guinea pigs is injured, you need to have a plan. This might involve separating them into different cages or taking them to the vet.
5. Make sure you match any guinea pigs you have together properly. They have to have compatible personalities and well…actually like each other to avoid fights.
6. Provide a clean, healthy environment for your piggies. That means there’s an appropriate amount of food, water, and enrichment items. A lack of any of these items can lead to fights.

As you can see, there’s a lot to think about when it comes to guinea pigs fighting. But don’t worry, as long as you’re paying attention and taking the necessary precautions, everything will be just fine.

Do you have any tips on how to prevent guinea pigs from fighting? Share them in the comments below.