Do Guinea Pigs Kill Each Other? Let’s Discover

My guinea pig is very calm and I really enjoy with him, because he likes to play and cuddle, but I am thinking about getting another guinea pig.

The first thought I have is if guinea pigs when they are together can kill each other.

Do guinea pigs kill each other?

Guinea pigs can kill each other if a fight breaks out between them. They want to dominate and protect their territory and can kill each other if a fight breaks out.

It is best if you keep two or more guinea pigs together to keep an eye on them and if a fight breaks out, separate them immediately.

Leaving them to solve the problem themselves could have fatal consequences for one of them.

If the guinea pigs start fighting with each other, the best solution is to put them in a separate cage or, if you don’t have the conditions, then give them to someone close to you.

Why do guinea pigs fight with each other?

There are many reasons why guinea pigs fight with each other and end up killing each other, so let’s learn about each of them in more detail so you know what to do in such moments.

A cage that is too small causes a fight between the guinea pigs

Guinea pigs need to have enough space in their cage to feel comfortable and safe.

If the cage is small and you keep two guinea pigs, this is already a problem that will result in a fight that can end in the death of one of the guinea pigs.

For one guinea pig, the cage should be 7.5 – 10.5 ft squared (27 inches x 41/56 inches). For two guinea pigs, 7.5 square feet with 120 cm x 60 cm is recommended, so that they can be comfortable.

My guinea pig’s cage is about 60 cm x 30 cm, so if I want two guinea pigs I will need twice the size cage.

In order not to fight and kill each other, there will need to have two houses, two water bottles, two bowls for food, and two grates for hay, all this is needed in one big cage.

If you can’t afford a bigger cage then keep just one guinea pig and give the other one to a pet store or a close friend.

Guinea pigs can kill themselves if they are bored

If guinea pigs are bored in their cage they may start fighting and killing each other. In order to avoid such an unwanted situation, they should have enough activities and entertainment.

You need to put enough toys in their cage so that they can have enough fun all the time and not think of killing each other.

If they continue to fight despite having enough toys then obviously you will have to separate them into a separate cage or divide the large cage into two smaller ones with a protective fence.do guinea pigs kill each other

Guinea pigs kill each other if they don’t get along

In order to prevent killing between guinea pigs, it is very important that they match each other.

If they cannot come to an agreement, they will start fighting, hurting each other, and in the end, there may be fatal consequences.

That’s why if you start keeping two or more guinea pigs in the beginning you have to be careful and check if everything is okay with them.

If you notice that they are constantly fighting and clashing, you should separate them into separate cages before it is too late for any of them.

When guinea pigs are stressed they can kill each other

If the guinea pigs are stressed or frightened by something in their environment, it can result in nervousness and a fight to the death between the two guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs can be stressed if they do not have enough space or not enough toys in the cage.

But they can also be stressed if something in their environment scares them, such as:

  • other pets
  • unknown people
  • loud noise

All these factors affect them and can cause a fight that can end fatally for one of the guinea pigs.

Room temperature affects guinea pigs

Room temperature in guinea pigs affects their mood and can cause them to be nervous, and start fighting and one of them can end fatally.

The warmer it is in their environment, the greater the chances that they will start to become more aggressive and kill each other.

If you notice a fight and injuries between the guinea pigs, you should immediately separate them so that there are no fatal consequences for any of them.

Dominance causes killing among guinea pigs

Guinea pigs like to dominate their space, so they will fight among themselves to choose a leader.

There can only be one leader when there are more guinea pigs, and if the other guinea pig does not follow the leader then it will be killed.

Most of the time the weaker guinea pig will give up on the fight and surrender to the leader.

If you notice that the fight is starting to look serious, separate them immediately to prevent fatal consequences.do guinea pigs kill each other

Guinea pigs fight before mating and can be killed

This happens when the female guinea pig needs to choose a mating partner.

Usually, the male guinea pigs want to get the female for mating, and a fight begins and the females bite the males until one wins or dies.

With this behavior, guinea pigs decide and choose a suitable partner for mating.

How to prevent guinea pigs from killing each other?

Apparently, when two or more guinea pigs are together in one cage, they can easily fight and one of them can end fatally, that is, die.

Therefore, here are some tips to prevent such unwanted situations from occurring:

cage – it must always be large enough so that the guinea pigs have enough space and do not fight and kill each other. In the cage, there should be a separate water bottle, food bowl, and everything else for everyone.

gender – do not put two guinea pigs of different genders together as male guinea pigs are more aggressive than females, and a fight may occur.

optimal temperature – in the cage and the environment prevents the guinea pigs from being nervous, thus reducing the chances of fights to death.

familiarization – gradually introduce the guinea pigs to each other so that they can get used to each other.

environment – it should be quiet, without other pets and unknown people, because it causes stress, nervousness, and aggressiveness that results in a fight between the guinea pigs.

Should I let my guinea pigs fight?

If the guinea pigs start fighting with each other, you should separate them.

You should not let them fight because it can easily lead to injuries and fatal consequences, i.e. the death of one of them.

If they fight, you should separate them to live in a separate cage, because they obviously don’t get along, that’s the best solution.

At what age do guinea pigs start fighting?

When the guinea pigs are about 9-12 months old, they start fighting with each other.

This period is teenage for guinea pigs and they then start to fight with other guinea pigs.

When they are younger than 9 months, they usually listen to the other guinea pigs and the leader of the group, but then the problems and the struggle for dominance begin.

Read more: Why Do Guinea Pigs Bite Each Other Bums? Let’s Find Out

Can I put a new guinea pig in with my old one?

You can put an older and a younger guinea pig together, it’s not a bad idea.

The younger guinea pig will respect the older one and it will be known who is in charge in the cage.

However, as time goes by, you will have to pay attention to the younger guinea pig, because when it turns 9-12 months old, it starts to change and may start a fight with the older one over dominance in the cage.

Read more: Do Guinea Pigs Get Jealous Of Each Other? Find Out Now

Conclusion

Guinea pigs can kill each other because they want to be dominant in their territory.

When guinea pigs have a small cage, a lot of noise, and stress in their surroundings, they can start to fight and kill each other.

Guinea pigs, if they don’t have enough toys and entertainment, can kill themselves from boredom.

Guinea pigs are great pets, but also very sensitive, so we need to be very careful with them, especially if we keep two or more.

If you notice that they are fighting and start to hurt themselves, you should immediately separate them so that there are no fatal consequences and killing each other.

Read more: Why Do Guinea Pigs Fight? Let’s Discover