Arguing goos!!!

[Kins]

As some of you may remember 2 of my goos, Dave & Jim, had a major falling out about 2 months ago where blood was drawn and I had to separate them.

Since then I've been trying to re introduce them but they just weren't going to get on again. So yesterday and today we went about splitting the cage left and right, but using mostly mesh so that they still had 'company'.

Between the fall out and now I've been swapping them daily between a small cage and their big cage. The small cage has been inside the big cage the whole time. They'd been 'living together' perfectly happily.

I didn't want to get any more new goos and risk them not getting on and ending up with another separate cage. So we thought dividing the cage and maybe just letting them have playtime together every so often would keep the socialising levels OK.

Now that they cage is divided they seem to be arguing through the bars. They are almost constantly up against the divide trying to get at each other, wagging their tails and 'chukka, chukka-ing'.

They do take a break every so often and go about their own thing, chewing sticks etc, but they soon go back to antagonising each other.

I'm really worried that they are just going to continue stressing each other out which won't be a nice existence for either of them.

I'm hoping they will calm down in a few days but until then does anyone have any advice?!

I'm trying to do the best by them but feel like I'm failing a bit at the moment.

[Bexi87]

Aw Hun, luckily I haven't had any fallin outs so can't give useful advice but don't let it get you down too much, they are spoilt boys and just need to realise that they are very lucky!

Maybe just leave them for a few days with minimal attention and maybe they will crave each others company?

[Kins]

Thank you for the replies.

They seem to have settled down now, I think I was just shocked as they had been living together happily and then it changed when we put them in the divided cage.

Hopefully they will live 'together' happily for now and we can see what the future brings.

I think living in the divided cage and supervised playtime together is the way forward, if young Jimmy goo, the 'devil child' as he is now aptly named, decides they can play together nicely!

I'm a bit happier now, I felt awful all of Sunday night, I was awake for ages thinking about my gooeys!

[deguconvert]

Kins, what are the ages for all of the boys now? My three were in a state of warfare for about 5 months, and it was nerve wracking as well as heart breaking. Then things started to improve, and then suddenly one day, the trouble maker decided to submit. He lay on his back infront of the dominant goo several times over a period of 3-4 days, and they've all been happy ever since. Now . . . that was separate cages, living next to each other, lots of bloody intros, including my blood, a few bloody accidental moments where they managed to reach each other when outside of the cage that WEREN'T supposed to be intro times, and MANY new wrinkles and gray hairs! It isn't easy, especially if the issue is dominance and who is really going to be boss, between two very strong willed goos. But it can still work out. It can take a fair bit of time though. Take heart, love! You are doing good! I would just decide not to worry about them, and leave them be in their divided cage for a good while and see how things go.

[Kins]

Dave & Jim are heading towards approximately 2 years of age now.

Stan & Nige were 1 in February.

It is heartbreaking, especially as before the fight back in February they were best buddies and would make mini goo piles all the time. Sometimes now, in their divided cage, I see them pressing themselves up against the divide almost as though they are trying to snuggle, although they may just be trying to wee on each other, lovely little critters that they are, hehe.

I think like you say I will just leave them as they are for a good few weeks, especially as we're off on holiday again on the 26th March and my brother is getting married at the end of April (same day as Prince Wills and Kate) and I am bridesmaid so have a lot going on at the moment, too much to have to worry about the possibility of fights between the goos.

They can at least talk to each other and I talk to them a lot as they live in the sitting room which is where we spend all of our time. I just wish I could sit down with them and explain it all, that would make it so much easier...they are very strong willed!

Thank you!