Advice: My boar lost his brother

[Tiptojht]

Looking for some advice and help with my boar, he lost his brother who he's been with since birth less than a week ago.
I just had the 2 of them and they were very close, since he passed he's still eating and drinking and I have had him close by as I work from home.
In the evenings he's been happy to sit with me to have a cuddle and run around.

Going forward I don't want him to be lonely and worry he may start to get depressed and go down hill himself.

Curious on how long should I wait before introducing another pig, what are peoples experiences with bonding with another boar?
I've thought about getting him neutered so that I can introduce a girlfriend to him in case a boar is harder to introduce.
Only worry is putting him through the stress of the operation so soon after the loss of his brother.

He's just over a year old and he was definitely the more dominant one out of him and his brother so not sure on whether he'd take well to another boar.

I'd definitely like to adopt, if anyone knows of any good agencies in Bristol UK, please let me know!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Welcome and I’m sorry for your loss.

They are usually ok on their own for a few weeks while you look into your options. If he stops eating though then it becomes a more urgent situation and he would need a friend much sooner. Luckily this kind of acute pining is rare.

The guide below explains how to look after him

Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig

It would be best to contact rescue centres to see what single boars they have available. Don’t rely on looking at websites, as rescues don’t tend to advertise single piggies online.
Boars tend to get left behind and with the current situation in rescues where they are desperate for good homes to come forward, they often have lots of boars.
He may be a dominant one but it doesn’t mean he won’t find a boar friend - he just needs to find a submissive boar.

You can of course get him neutered to open up his options.
He won’t be able to be introduced to sows until six weeks after he is neutered and with such a long wait it would be wise to continue looking for a boar friend for him in the meantime.

This is our recommended rescue list - Guinea-pig-forum-recommended-rescues

Good luck.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome

I am very sorry for your loss.

With an eating and drinking bereaved companion that is not clearly struggling with being on their own you can ideally wait 1-4 weeks but in the case of a 6 weeks neutering post-op wait it is also well worth taking that bit longer for the future gain.

Please consider adopting rather than buying. Rescues are full with no longer wanted boars of all ages.
You may find these guide links here also very helpful in addition to the ones in the first post:
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars (contains a chapter on companionship and how to go about it)

Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs (discusses the various pros, cons and pitfalls with all the places you can get guinea pigs from)

Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths, Facts and Post-op Care

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities (contains a chapter for spotting the signs of your single - in whatever situation - starting to transfer their social species needs onto you as a help when to know that your piggy really needs a new friend)

Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs (enrichment has many forms, not just lap time; you can find some ideas in this link)

Key to any happy bond is mutual liking and character compabitlity, which is never a given. If you can rescue date, you can take that important hurdle before you bring home a new piggy on spec. Otherwise you will have to have a plan B at the ready in case things are not going to plan (next door companionship with interaction through the bars).
The links in this thread discuss all these aspects in more practical depth to help you with your search and research.

Please give yourself time to look around and think things through. And please look after yourself, too. Grieving is not species specific but depends on the bond you have shared. We grieve as much as we love, and you sound like a very caring owner.
This guide is for yourself: Human Bereavement: Grieving, Processing and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children