ben is definatly not himself :(

[n.moore]

after jerry passed away suddenly yesterday, ben has been acting so strangley, he was always the boystros ( dont think iv spelt that right) one, always on the run somewhere never still very squeeky and just craved loads of attention. stright after jerry passed he basicaly turned his cage upidedown, chucked his hay all over the place, knocked all his food out the bowl turned his cosy bed thing upside down and then sat under it. hes been soooo quiet since, n iv had him out last night for few hours on my lap, n he just lay and went to sleep on me, now this is the 1st time he has ever done that usualy he just wants to investigate but he just sat there, in silence1 this behaviour realy is concerning me, as he is still very quiet this mornin, i didnt get my morning squeek when i came down stairs, n he seems to be off his food, is this normal behaviour for a piggy thats lost his mate?

 

[Wiebke]

It is normal for a guinea pig to withdraw and grieve for a time. The best thing you can do for him is either find a rescue within your reach that allow you to bring him for some "board dating", so he can choose his new friend himself, or if that is not possible, find him a baby friend.

Here is a list of rescues; you may profit from ringing up all rescues within your possible reach and sta rt with the most promising one. Sadly, the list is a bit out of date, so ringing up is the best way to find out. http://www.guineapigrehome.org.uk/gp/centres.asp

You can also post in our "rescue - wanted" section for the rescues that are active on the forum. Your nearest would be RSPCA Wallsall or clairelove in Stoke-on-Trent. Hopper Haven in Redditch are scaling down and are only rehoming to people they have rehomed before.

It is not easy to look for a new piggy when you yourself are emotionally not ready for it; but I have found that the excitement of finding my grieving piggy a new friend has helped me as well. A new piggy does not take away from your grieving, as each piggy forges its very own bond with you.

 

[n.moore]

i think i may wait a while before i get another, this has affected me more than i thought it would, i may wait get ben nutered, which isnt soethink i can afford atm so it will have to wait a month or so, set up a c&c cage, then go on the look for a friend or 2 for him, will ben be ok as a only pig for a few months, i means we have him out alot trough out the day and he is an indoor pig so has alot of company from us,

 

[chocdonuty]

Hello,
Sorry to hear about little jerry
Hopefully with lots of cuddles and attention ben will be feeling better soon and then you can think about what to do with finding him a friend
I'm just wondering, if it's just the cost of getting ben nutured there is an excellent vet not too far away from you (redditch area) who is very good and recommended to me by a local rescue centre as she does all of their piggys. She's very good plus only charges £25, cheaper than anywhere else I've found. I'll pm the details to you if I can

 

[chocdonuty]

Hmm I don't seem to be able to send pm's but just let me know if you would like the details

 

[n.moore]

yea it is the cost, iv rang around n it ranges from 45 to 61 n i justcant aford this with out some big saving lol. how come she is so cheap ? i would be prepared to travel if it helped ben get a friend n be happy he just seems so withdrawn. hes been eating since this morning, so thats a plus, but hes been quiet,
[email protected] thts my address if you could send me her details and il give her a ring, what a star you are lol

 

[Wiebke]

Hmm I don't seem to be able to send pm's but just let me know if you would like the details

New members can only pm after a minimum of 50 posts. This change was introduced after we had a nasty incident of somebody registering with the only objective to harass a member.

However, if you could get Ben to the recommended vets that would be great - not just for the costs but also for the vet's experience. It will boost the success of any operation immensely!

My Llewelyn was rehomed from Hopper Haven in Redditch who have a policy of only rehoming neutered boars (usually bonded with one or two sows).

 

[n.moore]

i just want whats best for ben he just seems so misrable, dont get me wrong I'm definalty not ready to start looking for any new piggies just yet, i think i need it to all sink in, but if ican make preperation for the ossibilty of a friend for him all the better, i think I'm gonna get him done and sort a c& c cage set everythink up, and when the time is right il find him the perfect friend, just i think its too much at the moment to get another,