Age difference question

[MAAS412]

Hi there,
I've only just registered, so I apologise if this question is in the wrong place - perhaps it should be under care?

I will adopting my first 2 guinea pigs next week from our local rescue (home visit all being well!) and will be speaking to them about this query when I go and visit the 2 girls this weekend, but as everyone here will be very guinea specific in their knowledge, perhaps you could help too.

The 2 girls we have reserved came in to rescue separately, but have been living together so are now fairly bonded.
One of them is only approx 9 months old, but the other is an older lady at around 4.
I believe the average life span to be somewhere between 4 and 7? In which case she could go on to live for years, or could only have a few months left.
This is now leading me to worry about the other girl - if I'm in the situation 6 months down the line of the other dying, then will I have problems introducing a new friend?
I wouldn't think she would be happy on her own at all, but I have no experience with guinea pigs so not sure what's best.
Would the rescue re-home a single guinea with me to pair up, or would I need a baby, or would she be best on her own?

I have kept rats until 2 years ago when we lost our last boy, and introduced many times with no problems - but obviously guineas are not rats!

My OH tells me I'm thinking too much and am condemning the old lady to death before we've even got her! But I want to make sure taking them both as a pair is the right thing, or if really the rescue should be waiting to re-pair them with more age matched partners?

Hope that makes sense!
Thanks.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi! Welcome to the forum!

It is great that you are prepared to give an older piggy a loving home; you will find that they usually make up for their age by bags of character!

The strange thing with guinea pigs is that your old lady can happily live another three years and her young friend can die before her.... You simply never know!

Thankfully, with sows, age difference is not a problem as long as the ladies like each other. I have had my three year old sow bond happily with a girl of exactly the same age. I have also had a 3 1/2 year old sow fall in love with a 12 month old neutered boar - that is always another possiblity!

I have always taken my lonely piggies to a local rescue that had the widest selection of possible candidates available at the time and let my piggies make their choice of which new companion they wanted. I have had very loving relationships every time!

 

[MAAS412]

Thank you Wiebke, that's very reassuring.
I was sure the rescue knew what they were doing, but I'm one of life's worriers and just always want to do the right thing, even if it mean't not actually rehoming these two.

The older girl is especially lovely - very cuddly. The young one is a little skitty, they don't think she's been handled much, but that just needs patience right?

We missed out on a slot for home visiting this week as our cage and run still hadn't arrived so have to wait til next Wednesday, and then can pick them up Friday if we pass. The suspense is killing me!
I've asked if we can pop in and visit them this Saturday though which should keep me going