Introducing new guinea pigs

Guinea pigs love social interactions between humans and other guinea pigs! Introducing guinea pigs is something that is not often talked about. Guinea Pigs can be aggressive towards people and to other animals. Having guinea pigs separated is an important step to make sure that they are introduced properly to one another. Reactions from guinea pigs do not always happen right away. As a rule of thumb, it is best to introduce your guinea pigs in an area where both guinea pigs have not been. This creates an equal field for both guinea pigs to interact with one another and not have one smell overpowering the other. When introducing guinea pigs, it is important that the first week they are watched closely. Read my blog post about guinea pig sounds to know what to look out for.

How to introduce your guinea pigs
When introducing guinea pigs, a common area that I pic is on the ground. I put down fabric or a pad so when they mark their territory it does not get on my floor having them in a cage where you can easily put a divider is also something that I highly recommend. If guinea pigs start getting aggressive it is best to separate them quickly before one get injured. I do not recommend sticking you hand between them because out of a fear response they tend to bite if you try to pick on up. Take it from personal experience…. Having a piece of cardboard or anything that is a solid “wall” is going to be needed when introducing them. Continue to introduce them in a common area about three times a day for three days. Doing so will create a bond between them without overwhelming them.

My guinea pigs are not getting along.
Not all guinea pigs will get along. There is one more way that is a safe way to introduce them. If you have a big enough cage you can split the cage temporarily. For two guinea pigs you can split a 2×4 cage for a few weeks and it not be too chaotic. I do not recommend it for a long term solution but for introducing one another and to give them alone time it is reasonable. When splitting the cage for introducing them there are dividers that you can buy online and some even have them in store. I have a Guinea Habitat Cage and there are dividers that you can buy on Amazon. Dividing them so they can still see and smell one another but not attack can help build trust between them.