1.floor space for a guinea pig who pees everywhere 2.finding my little dude a friend

[mylittlefarm<3]

Ok I have two topics/questions

1. i want to let my guinea pig, Mr Pigglesworth, run around on my floor but he pees EVERYWHERE! any ideas for how to let him run around more? I got him a play pen but he hates it i think because of its bright colors or feeling locked in. When i hold him in my lap he always wants to explore my floor, but i dont want pee on my rug

2. He had a companion, Ollie, but due to sickness and Ollie being a tiny runt, Ollie is no longer with us anymore. I want to find him a buddy, but when I got a guinea pig his size that seemed sweet, they immediately attacked each other, and i wa forced to bring the new piggy back to the store. I want a way to get him a friend, but I dont know how to do it safely. Advice please!

3. ok, i guess I'm doing three now. He and my cat are best friends now and he wasnt afraid of her at all, but then Mr Piggle bit her nose, and my Sasha's afraid of him. If Sasha stops being afriad, is it safe to let them interact? My cat is definitely a hunter and she brings in dead birds and lizards all the time.

sorry this is a lot, but please help with even just one issue! Thanks!

 

[Lady Kelly]

Hi, I notice that you have two accounts on the forum. Please let us know which one you will be using going forward so that the other account can be deleted. We only allow one account per member on here.

1. I'm doubtful bright colours are what are preventing him wanting to explore. Have you put items in there for enrichment so he has something to explore? Can you share photos of what you have done so that members can make suggestions?

2. The best way is to find a rescue offering boar dating so you can be sure of a compatible companion with less chance of fighting. Guinea Lynx :: US Guinea Pig Rescue and Shelter Organizations

3. It is absolutely not safe to put a predatory animal like a cat or a dog with a prey animal like a guinea pig. No matter how much you feel you can trust a pet you cannot control their natural instincts and I can think of a number of reported occasions on here where an animal has accidentally got to the guinea pigs or been considered safe with the guinea pigs and the poor piggies have been severely injured or even died.

 

[Betsy]

3. It is absolutely not safe to put a predatory animal like a cat or a dog with a prey animal like a guinea pig. No matter how much you feel you can trust a pet you cannot control their natural instincts and I can think of a number of reported occasions on here where an animal has accidentally got to the guinea pigs or been considered safe with the guinea pigs and the poor piggies have been severely injured or even died.

I agree with Kelly. My late Mum's partner told me that when he lived in the country and had a cat, the cat went next door and actually killed and ate their neighbour's guinea pig. I wouldn't trust a predator near a prey animal in any way, shape or form.

 

[Wiebke]

Ok I have two topics/questions

1. i want to let my guinea pig, Mr Pigglesworth, run around on my floor but he pees EVERYWHERE! any ideas for how to let him run around more? I got him a play pen but he hates it i think because of its bright colors or feeling locked in. When i hold him in my lap he always wants to explore my floor, but i dont want pee on my rug

2. He had a companion, Ollie, but due to sickness and Ollie being a tiny runt, Ollie is no longer with us anymore. I want to find him a buddy, but when I got a guinea pig his size that seemed sweet, they immediately attacked each other, and i wa forced to bring the new piggy back to the store. I want a way to get him a friend, but I dont know how to do it safely. Advice please!

3. ok, i guess I'm doing three now. He and my cat are best friends now and he wasnt afraid of her at all, but then Mr Piggle bit her nose, and my Sasha's afraid of him. If Sasha stops being afriad, is it safe to let them interact? My cat is definitely a hunter and she brings in dead birds and lizards all the time.

sorry this is a lot, but please help with even just one issue! Thanks!

Hi and welcome!

1. Your boy won't scared by bright colours, but he may be happier in the run if you provide him with enrichment to explore - expecially things he can investigate and happily destroy! The cheapest homemade toys are actually the ones they like best while they are very good at ignoring shop toys.
Guinea pigs are territorial and will mark any territory with their scent glands. Some piggies also like to pee everywhere. Unfortunately, toilet training is not something that guinea pigs can learn. Free roaming in rented accommodation is not a good idea; guinea pig will also investigate their surroundings and will gnaw any cables, wooden furniture and can also tear down wallpaper if they find the glue attractive.
Guinea Pig Toys
Potentially Dangerous Cage Accessories And Toys

2. The best way to find a friend your boy likes is by dating at a good rescue that offers this service so you come home with a companion only if acceptance has happened.
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Other possible options are listed at the end of this guide here:
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

3. Mixing prey animals and predators is NEVER a good idea!
It only takes seconds; too fast for you to intervene for things to go horribly wrong. In the end it is always the guinea pig that pays with their life. Too many piggies die from sudden attacks of supposedly friendly dogs and cats. All it takes is you rushing and leaving a door or cage open or your piggy on the floor and being distracted by a call or message for a moment...
Please make sure that the cage is cat-proof (and so is the run) and that you never leave your guinea pig roam unsupervised in a room that you haven't made sure and checked your cat doesn't have access to.

 

[Chettsgenie]

Just a suggestion for the first thing as I think others have given as much advice as you need for the other two. While it seems impossible to toilet train piggies, you could always try placing newspaper in the area of the cage he uses to go pee and then see if you can place newspaper somewhere on the floor to try and get him to go on there instead of all over the place. This is how I trained one of my pigs for laptime and he always runs down from his favourite perch on my shoulder to pee on the paper. I haven't been able to train my other pig though so I think it depends on the personality of the piggy. Good luck with it all