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jenniferanneharris

jenniferanneharris

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Hi everyone,

I wanted to ask peoples opinion on something i have been pondering for the last few weeks. About 5/6 weeks ago i contacted my local rescue to ask if they had any sows/neutered males to be bonded with my two single sows who have both lost partners a number of months ago.

My name is down on a contact list and was told possibly at the end of September/October time they may be getting some neutered males. Well since then Haven has been diagnosed with kidney failure, as some of you may know... She is doing really well...shes eating/drinking and i couldn't be happier with how well she is doing. Even though i have noticed she dose sleep allot more these days (but she still has quite a bit of energy)

My question is...if the rescue contacts me in a few weeks to say they have males to come and visit.... is it fair to let Honor get a friend and bring a new piggie home while Haven is living alone?

Would it be better to wait and see how things go with Haven...and get a friend for Honor at a later point..when things take a turn for the worse for Haven (gosh i hate saying this....it makes me sound so cold..so please excuse how this comes across)... :(, or even though Haven has kidney failure try and see if she can be bonded as well with a male...but i then face a lone male when Havens time comes..when ever that may be... :( or will Haven be OK with me getting Honor a friend. I don't want either to be unhappy or depressed.

I don't want to upset/stress Haven unnecessarily...even though she is doing so well (or upset Honor ).I just don't know if their is a right or wrong answer...i have never faced anything like this before. I guess i just need someone to talk to and weigh things out with.

Thanks for anyone who answers. I have been struggling with this for weeks...but just didnt know what to say or how to say it. I really hope i dont come across cold and uncaring. I love Honor and Haven so much..i would give anything to make Haven well again...

Love Jenny (Honor and Haven) x x x
 
With the amount of thought you have obviously put in to it I don't think that anyone could accuse you of being cold and uncaring.

Would Honor and Haven not be able to live together?
 
AbiS said:
With the amount of thought you have obviously put in to it I don't think that anyone could accuse you of being cold and uncaring.

Would Honor and Haven not be able to live together?
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Thank you. No, unfortunately, i have tried mixing them a few months back and blood was drawn after a few intros, so was advised not to try again.
 
You are certainly not cold and uncaring and no one could ever think that about you. We all know how much you love your girls. You are, as we did with Treacle when we found out she had Lymphoma planning ahead for Honor.

Do Haven and Honor have floor time together at the moment?
 
sport_billy said:
You are certainly not cold and uncaring and no one could ever think that about you. We all know how much you love your girls. You are, as we did with Treacle when we found out she had Lymphoma planning ahead for Honor.


Do Haven and Honor have floor time together at the moment?
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Thank you. No i give them seperate floor time. I did toy with trying it...but didnt want to stress them out...do you think its worth trying floor time together? x
 
jenniferanneharris said:
Thank you. No, unfortunately, i have tried mixing them a few months back and blood was drawn after a few intros, so was advised not to try again.
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What a shame.

Are you happy having 2 sets of piggies? If so I would be tempted to get them a friend each. It does mean that you would then have to find a new friend for one of them when the time comes. However, if you feel you can only have 2 piggies in the long run I would consider getting a friend just for Honor.

However, I am not an experienced piggy mummy and so would advise waiting for more advice from the other forum members.
 
I probably wouldn't put the cat amongst the pigeons so to speak. Personally as long as it works out for Honor and a Huspig and they get on then it won't impact on Haven as they do not live together. Are their cages next to each other? So you could have a duo and a Haven as she is.
 
Thanks everyone. I would be happy having two pairs of piggies, i just didnt know with Havens health if it would be cruel to introduce Haven to a boy only for them to loose each other quickly if the worse did happen.

Haven and Honor live in 2 stacked cages...Honors cage on Havens. Although i have been trying to think of a way to have them next to each other..but have limmited space in my bedroom. I live at home so cant have the piggies in any other room ~(not that we have the space anywhere else as we only have a small house..). They can see each other through the cages during floortime...and they oftern "talk" to each other. They both are very curious of one and other...and when one squeaks the other dose. To be honest i think it was my fault they didnt work out as i realised the pen i used to introduce them to each other was a pen that Honor had used before with her old cage-mates before they passed away....so i have guilt there :(

A quick side note...how small would be the minimum cage size for Honor and a piggie-friend and then joined a second c&c....how big would the minimum size for each piggies c&c be? Depending on how big it would have to be...i may be able to make space...hmmm
 
Thanks everyone. Hmm i think the biggest space i would have available would be 2x5 at a push..so will have to scarp that idea i think...hmmm I will keep thinking.
 
you could stack two c&cs Youtube shows you how Would be more expensive but would mean you could have two 2x4 in space that would fit one Good luck and sorry about your troubles
 
Mr. Bailee Boy said:
If I may ask... how did you know that Haven had was in kidney failure?
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My vet tested her. She showed symptoms...weight loss...drunk a huge amount a day....urinates an excess amount and also on examination she has a tiny kidney :-( we have since (unrelated) found a lump under her chin...on her throat x
 
Thanks. I see the vet again next week for a few things so will know more then... Poor Little Haven...shes such a spirited piggie and the sweetest temperament.
 
As you know in not experienced so don't want to give an answer on friend but..

JENNIFER! You are the best mum they could ever ask for especially haven while she's poorly! No-one will ever say your cold or uncaring! You are doing the best by them!
 
xkellyx said:
As you know in not experienced so don't want to give an answer on friend but..

JENNIFER! You are the best mum they could ever ask for especially haven while she's poorly! No-one will ever say your cold or uncaring! You are doing the best by them!
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Thanks Kelly x
 
No one could ever say you were cold or unncaring, you clearly very much care for your piggies. Please let me offer up my experience. I am in no way saying this is the right or wrong way to do it. It is very much down to you and you should go with your gut feeling I think.

This is with boys though, so maybe slightly different. I lost my oldest boy Nibbles very suddenly and was left reeling. Nutty was grieving and I made the decision to get him a friend. Shortly after his new friend, Nacho, arrived Nutty fell ill and despite everything we did for him and battling for him, a few weeks later he passed away. Leaving us again with a piggy alone. Nacho was very small, very frightened and grieving as well. I have since gotten him another friend, Noah, from a lady who I had the misfortune to be introduced to and though I love him very much and would not have been in a position to help had I not lost them, I am still aching from losing Nutty and Nibbles, so much so I am crying again thinking about them. If I had my time again, even though I love Nacho and Noah, I probably would not have agreed to introduce Nutty to a baby and maybe not considered getting him a friend at all. It put Nacho through a hell of a lot at a very young age and in a new environment. It was awful and stressful for us and him. I may sound cold and unfeeling but Nutty was very much loved and I feel awful for wishing away the one thing that gave him comfort in his last days but for those left behind it is hard.

Maybe you should get Honor a friend and put them alongside Haven to give her the company of having other piggies to talk to? Another idea would be to see if Honor and Haven get along with another piggy in the mix. I know a woman who had two girl that didn't get along and then she added a neutered boar and now there are no arguments. If anything starts he puts a stop to it.

I think it would be best if you ask the rescue what they advise.

Hope everything works out for you

Amy
x
 
*Nibbles&Nugget* said:
No one could ever say you were cold or unncaring, you clearly very much care for your piggies. Please let me offer up my experience. I am in no way saying this is the right or wrong way to do it. It is very much down to you and you should go with your gut feeling I think.

This is with boys though, so maybe slightly different. I lost my oldest boy Nibbles very suddenly and was left reeling. Nutty was grieving and I made the decision to get him a friend. Shortly after his new friend, Nacho, arrived Nutty fell ill and despite everything we did for him and battling for him, a few weeks later he passed away. Leaving us again with a piggy alone. Nacho was very small, very frightened and grieving as well. I have since gotten him another friend, Noah, from a lady who I had the misfortune to be introduced to and though I love him very much and would not have been in a position to help had I not lost them, I am still aching from losing Nutty and Nibbles, so much so I am crying again thinking about them. If I had my time again, even though I love Nacho and Noah, I probably would not have agreed to introduce Nutty to a baby and maybe not considered getting him a friend at all. It put Nacho through a hell of a lot at a very young age and in a new environment. It was awful and stressful for us and him. I may sound cold and unfeeling but Nutty was very much loved and I feel awful for wishing away the one thing that gave him comfort in his last days but for those left behind it is hard.

Maybe you should get Honor a friend and put them alongside Haven to give her the company of having other piggies to talk to? Another idea would be to see if Honor and Haven get along with another piggy in the mix. I know a woman who had two girl that didn't get along and then she added a neutered boar and now there are no arguments. If anything starts he puts a stop to it.

I think it would be best if you ask the rescue what they advise.

Hope everything works out for you

Amy
x
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Thanks Amy. As you say i will discuss with the rescue if or when they call. But i think i will go ahead for Honor and see if i can find a way of making the cages next to one and other.
Thanks everyone :) x
 
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