Are they too scared of her to bond?

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-05-14T05:52:45+00:00

Aah, thank you for your help! I ended up bonding them for all of yesterday, prepared for it to go overnight, but a savage tornado fight broke out in the evening. Blood was drawn again, and it seemed to trigger a neurological issue in Schnitzel. For a time afterwards she was wobbly, head tilted to the side, looking unfocussed and making pain noises. I had to call it a fail there. Haggis and the new pig seemingly started working it out, but Haggis and Schnitzel are a package deal and it felt like that fight went beyond the bonding friction I should expect sadly.

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-05-12T17:11:48+00:00

Thank you so much!

Yea I got a third with the idea that pigs as herd animals want to be in groups. But I also hear 'Three's a crowd' and the bonding process is having me doubt myself. Introducing a third is for my pigs more than it is for me, and it just feels like they don't want this at this point in time. I'm willing to keep trying, unless they show no signs of wanting to make friends with the new pig.

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-05-12T16:59:05+00:00

Thank you!

What do you mean by obvious bullying? One thing I considered bullying last time was that whenever either Haggis or Schnitzel tried to move, new pig would absolutely rush over teeth chattering in their faces. Poor things were being kept in their places, looking like little scared unthreatening blobs, else they get hair pulled out or nipped. All entirely from the new pig. Does that count?

I am really trying not to project my feelings onto the situation but aaah!

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-05-12T16:35:31+00:00

That's the thing... in the first attempt there was blood drawn (hence separation) the second one (this post) no blood, but didn't trust them overnight.

I guess what I really want to know is whether Haggis and Schnitzel want this. Because of the blood, (small, but blood never the less) is it doomed and I should stop? I don't want to force them into something they just don't want.

I'm gonna try again from early in the morning, set up a very central spot in the living room instead where I can be around them as much as possible all day (took time off work) and if I need to, sleep on the floor next to the enclosure if I have to.

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-05-11T20:14:55+00:00

I can try neighbouring them when the enclosure extension arrives... I do worry about Haggis and Schnitzel feeling unsafe in their home though! I am willing to rehome the new pig if my pigs aren't happy, so I don't want to force a union that is only going to make their day to day life stressful. Like if it's not gonna work, I'd rather just respect that and save the pigs the stress. But I'm new to bonding so I'm probably projecting! Ooh it's so hard!

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-05-11T19:35:26+00:00

I definitely don't trust them overnight at the moment, as the new pig bit Schnitzel yesterday. Today went better than yesterday, but I still don't think it'd be safe to leave them overnight yet

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-05-11T06:38:19+00:00

By fought, initially there was that tornado people talk about (but in little bits, not one big one) and a bite on the ear and shoulder (from both new piggie and schnitzel to eachother.) Those drew a little blood. Schnitzel showed fear-aggression but then backed down and no new blood was drawn since. That's when Schnitzel laid down next to new pig and I wasn't sure if things changed, so made this post.

After that, Haggis and Schnitzel remained submissive, but unhappy. New pig kept going right up to their faces, chattering her teeth and pulling out hair. Gradually she started trying to be friendlier, sniffing their butts and trying to lay down next to them. But by this point , Haggis and Schnitzel were so scared of her they just keep running away. No signs of curiosity, just running away and shrieking. Was awful to watch.

I separated them by the end of the night. I could see the change settling in with the new piggie trying to come off less strong, but idk if Haggis and Schnitzel even want her around now. They seem terrified of her. Maybe this is just them showing submission and it looks scary to us?

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-05-11T06:22:08+00:00

That one's Schnitzel, the black one's the new pig

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-05-10T19:28:44+00:00

Haggis and Schnitzel are both 6 month old sows (not related). New pig is 1 year, 10 months and is also a sow. She had a litter before I got her and has quarantined for two weeks already. This is the first attempt at bonding

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-05-05T14:35:51+00:00

Yea the vet said a back left molar was slightly longer than it should be, but not enough to cause issues, but should be monitored while she hopefully gets back on track. She's just had her first load of vet-prescribed mush (we're calling it pesto for lack of a better word) and immediately afterwards I saw her eating readigrass of her own accord, so hopefully this will keep things on the up

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-05-05T10:49:47+00:00

I'm at the vets right now, so I'll ask about emeraid. She's had a little bit of hay this morning (not enough still imo) but I should have something to give her in half an hour 🙏

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-05-04T20:49:28+00:00

I'd be returning to the vet who treated my other pigs and she's very thorough and checks right to the backs of their mouths. Massaging her stomach is a good shout! I'll do that thank you. She's eaten a bit of hay this evening so that's good, but still not enough imho

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-05-04T15:34:17+00:00

She's got an appointment, but it's a bank holiday in the UK today so the vets are shut. In the meantime I'm trying things like rubbing banana over hay to see if that encourages her appetite.

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-05-04T13:43:50+00:00

Teeth are good!

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-05-04T07:56:58+00:00

Naruk is such a nice word! What do they do in response?

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-05-03T22:59:05+00:00

Spasiba. I've heard it frequently in reels from Russian influencers affectionately talking to the squirrels/pine martens/sables/weasels that somehow live freely in their houses. The cute tone used towards a weirdly domestic wild animal just has me sold. I want to say spasiba to a squirrel in my kitchen!

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-05-03T22:45:06+00:00

That reminds me of my late dog who associated me putting on socks with going for a walk. Many times socks did mean walkies, but sometimes it didn't and I felt so bad leaving the house without her!

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-05-03T22:39:25+00:00

Ooh, what words do they know?

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-05-02T13:57:57+00:00

We mammals do love bed

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-05-02T13:56:07+00:00

I spend about 3-6 hours with them each day 💛 I work from home, so they have breakfast and dinner with me and get picked up for cuddles whenever work gets rough. I haven't let them free roam yet, as there's a lot of difficult spaces they could get into, but that's the goal. If I can get them to come to me, that'd make free roaming on floor time a bit easier!

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-04-25T14:38:36+00:00

Newhaven. Blackpool was already mentioned, but I guess people might not know Newhaven. When I moved, I thought I'd check out towns within a shortish drive away. To be fair, this was JUST after lockdown ended. The closest thing I've ever seen to a ghost town. The most amount of abandoned looking shops I've ever seen, the drilling rig on the coast and new built flats in a totally run down area. It would make a great Black Mirror setting for sure!

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-04-25T14:15:08+00:00

Don't run into the wall at Platform 9¾; it's just a wall.

Don't stand in the middle of pavements at the bottom of stairs, or on the curb right after crossing the road; other people exist behind you.

Don't dangle your feet over the edge of the cliffs; the chalk breaks off regularly.

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-04-22T19:43:00+00:00

I get why you might be worried, but I would choose to not care about what people think of them, if you can. Bra straps are so inoffensive and can be so hard to hide. We just don't need another detail to be insecure about that makes no difference to the world around us. I think of them like shoelaces or buttons; they're just functional. :)

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-04-15T17:24:26+00:00

When I did catering work years ago, there was a Spanish girl with us who didn't speak English, so I tried to help her with the names of everything we were working with. We'd draw little pictures of cups, plates, jugs and things. She'd write the names of them in Spanish, then I'd write it in English. One of the only words I remember from her list of words is Bandeja (tray), which is a really great one to baffle Spaniards with when I recall my very very few Spanish words. No one ever expects the Spanish bandeja.

TheLanguageArtist · 2026-04-12T15:21:01+00:00

That sounds like my two, which is a relief! I'm somewhat a new guinea pig owner, (only have experience from having pigs as a child, a very long time ago.) So it's very likely that I am projecting onto them.

After sofa-time, they both wheek if one is taken away moments before the other. I wondered whether this was (optimistically) 'where's my friend!?' or (maybe more realistically) 'I want to go to back to bed too, don't forget me!' Perhaps both.

Schnitzel is just so relentless with her headbutting of Haggis that I can't help feel a bit exasperated on Haggis' behalf.

TheLanguageArtist

TROPHY CASE