Problem w/ Guinea Pigs & Girlfriend. :( HELP

[semiunbalanced]

This is long but PLEASE I need help!!

So yesterday I got two new guinea pigs. I was so excited because I was only allowed to get one and then I begged and was able to get two! My girlfriend really wanted to name one and I did too so we were both super excited! Charlotte and Shae and it seemed SO perfect. They loved their cage and they went exploring and then all of a sudden, Charlotte got violent. It's gotten worse over time and she keeps attacking poor Shae. I've tried everything to distract them and yet Char keeps Shae away from food or water. She traps Shae in the igloo and won't let her come out and for the entire morning she managed to keep Shae in the corner where she couldn't explore at all. I played with them both and they both love me and the cage and everything they just don't like each other at all. I'm scared about how violent they're becoming and the pet store said I could return them if something happened. Char's the one that's being violent so I'm thinking I'm going to keep Shae... The only problem is that Charlotte is the one that my girlfriend named and we had a fight previously that hinted that I didn't like the name Char originally. The fight was tiny but it upset us both and we apologized and got over it but now that it may come to me getting rid of Charlotte, my girlfriend's upset again.

I have no idea what to do at all. I can't keep Char and Shae in the same cage or they'll tear each other apart but I don't have money or room to get separate cages. I have to take one back and it only makes sense to keep Shae the way they've been reacting. My girlfriend thinks I'm not trying and we got in a disagreement about that too. This is the first time we've ever fought about anything and these guinea pigs were one of the ways we were going to bond over long distance since I never get to see her. I'd be able to tell her her how her guinea pig was doing and how our guinea pigs were playing together and she'd get all excited instead of down about how she wishes she had one and how her mom's a jerk for not letting her come see me and it'd basically pre-occupy her. PLEASE help. Any advice is appreciated. This morning when I found out it was an issue I had a panic attack. I'm freaking out!

[semiunbalanced]

I really need help! Please??

[Maloo]

If your girlfriend us going to get mad over you bringing the guinea pig back, then she's being ridiculous. Just bring it back.

[Dr.Bobby]

Kimmi, it's never easy, huh?

FWIW, parents disagree a lot over the kids, I wish I could say you'd get used to it. It's all that emotion that dependence bring out.

Listen, arguing over names is a lot different than this, you're now talking about the possible maiming/death of one. So, you should be able to set aside those other things (if only b/c those issues are not relevant now and they interfere with the larger goal of protection), and just decide which one goes back, flip a coin if you have to.

As an FYI, guinea pigs can become aggressive towards each other, sadly this is the case. The remaining one (regardless of which one it is) will be just fine with you, so it's really irrelevant in terms of their being pets to you which one you keep, although if you keep the aggressive one, it makes adoption of another one more complicated.

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

Since you said it's a long-distance relationship, as cruel as it may be, record Char attacking Shae on a few occasions. Send the video to your girlfriend because any semi-rational person would place more importance on the injury or death of the guinea pig versus a petty name. Decide which one goes, or decide with her, such as through playing rock-paper-scissors, a chess match, or flipping a coin, and the victor decides which guinea pig stays and which goes.

Also, once you bring one of the pigs back, you can ask your girlfriend to get a guinea pig, and you each take care of each others pig so the workload is even.

[semiunbalanced]

Well it's not a long distance relationship I just can never see her so there would be no way to send her any type of video.

I am not putting any of them up for adoption, Char is simply going back to the store. So neither of them would be put in any harm it's just that they wouldn't be given a gracious home right away. My girlfriend seems to be understanding right now but I think she is a little upset that I had to give her guinea pig back.

[MegaMadness]

Why don't you ask her if she wants to keep Char? That way you guys could still bond over the guinea pigs and none of the guinea pigs would have to be taken back to the store so she shouldn't be hurt this way (not that she should be in the first place. She's completely over reacting honestly) as you both get what you want and she gets a gift of sorts aswell.

[semiunbalanced]

She's not over-reacting, it's kind of a difficult circumstance to explain but I think her feelings are justified. She realizes that I tried everything I could and it's all okay now. I just really wish I hadn't had to give Char back.

(And my girlfriend has a bunny so there was no way she could have kept Char.)

[Samrz]

Just keep the guinea pigs in separate cages. If Charlotte is violent toward you too, return her or give it to the girlfriend. If the girlfriend gets mad if you return it, who cares! She obviously isn't that great then.

[escape_thereal_world]

"A dominant guinea pig can also bully by not allowing the under piggy to use the food bowl or water sourse. One possible solution is provide two food bowls and 2 water sources, in separate areas of the cage. A dominant guinea pig cannot guard both areas at the same time. Of course there are always little quarrels amongst guinea pigs that do break out, even in an established pair or group but it rarely turns into anything nasty. Its just part of herd life."

I think you will benefit from this site. It gives you cage suggestions that can be split into two, as well as several ideas on how to resolve bullying, etc.

[semiunbalanced]

This can be closed. It has already been resolved and the guinea pig was taken back.