Bereaved boar/ bonding options

Jess565

Jess565

Junior Guinea Pig
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I've started to think of options for our Harold as he lost his best friend Bruno on Monday, it still too soon for us but it's nice to take my mind of it by researching for Harold, it helps make me feel more in control of the situation.
I've been reading though the bonding section on here and feel it could possibly be tricky for him bonding with a new buddy due to him being blind and this might make him feel nervous and defensive?
Has anyone ever bonded a blind piggy, if so how was it?
Another chain of thought was castration and get a sow or a pair for him? Is bonding still the same with boars and sows?
 
I don’t have personal experience of this, but I believe @Wiebke and @furryfriends (TEAS) do have this kind of experience of bonding visually impaired piggies. It would be about finding the right friend to bond with him (as it always is!) whether that be boar or sow.
 
Jess565 said:
I've started to think of options for our Harold as he lost his best friend Bruno on Monday, it still too soon for us but it's nice to take my mind of it by researching for Harold, it helps make me feel more in control of the situation.
I've been reading though the bonding section on here and feel it could possibly be tricky for him bonding with a new buddy due to him being blind and this might make him feel nervous and defensive?
Has anyone ever bonded a blind piggy, if so how was it?
Another chain of thought was castration and get a sow or a pair for him? Is bonding still the same with boars and sows?
Click to expand...

Hi!

The best place to bond a tricky guinea pig is by rescue dating; it is well worth travelling further for finding the perfect companion for a disabled piggy!

Rescues know their piggies' personalities and can therefore choose piggies that they are thinking would make a suitable companion. In the case of impaired piggies, personality comes a long way before age. It also means that acceptance and the rough establishment of the hierarchy happens at the rescue under expert supervision.

Milhaven Guinea Pig Rescue in Keighley/West Yorkshire is now running a residential bonding service; i.e. your piggy stays with them and is introduced to up to three potential candidates to find the right one. The bond is then stress tested to make sure that it survives the transfer back home with a minimum of dominance and disruption. This means that you basically bring your boy and will get him back with a perfectly bonded friend. I am sure that Jo will make allowance for adopting out a bit further than usual because of your special needs boy. ;)

Otherwise, one of The Potteries Guinea Pig Rescue fosterers in the Stoke-on-Trent/South Manchester area is the best alternative if you are in the southern half of Lancashire. Tees Valley Guinea Pig Rescue in Middlesbrough, Gertie's Lonely Guinea Pig Rescue in Newcastle (another rescue with residential bonding) are also all experienced with bonding rescue boars with private singles/bereaved boars that may be better for you if you are located on the northern end of your county.
Contacts for all rescues mentioned: Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues

Guinea pigs, even blind ones, travel surprisingly well. Of the three ladies in my group of cataract sows that failed to fit into the residential rescue herds, highly pregnant Taffy was part of a massive rodent rescue in Gateshead and ended up in a (now defunct) rescue in Gretna Green, Tegyd travelled all the way up from Crawley by Gatwick Airport after she lost her husboar and her eyesight in quick succession while in rescue and 5 year old Mali came here from Milhaven to make space for a large rescue intake in bad state; again after she failed to integrate into the rescue herd after the death of her - ironically - blind companion. Only their gentle seeing husboar Terfel was local - and I went to rescue date him in Rugby with Taffy and Tegyd (who was one of the few piggies I have ever met with real aggression potential); but Tegyd just took to him straight away, unlike with my dominant Tribe boar Hywel. The sows were very closely bonded; blind Taffy was the one licking Tegyd's bad cataract eye when she welcomed her into the Tribe (which didn't work out) and Mali stopped her fear-aggression the moment she realised that the other girls had the same problem as her. Terfel patiently did all the hard bonding and integrating work with her.

When travelling make sure that there is a used cosy that is smelling 'right' and that you can use to transfer the new group scent to the cage after their return:
Travelling with guinea pigs
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars (See tips in chapter III)

Even if boar dating comes with more travel and a waiting list, it is ultimately much safer and cheaper than a neutering operation, which also comes with a 6 weeks post-op safety wait.
However, if you want to go down that way, I would again recommend to rescue date either with a gentle adult sow or with a very young sow that accepts her companion as he is. Crucial is access to a good vet.
Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths, Facts and Post-op Care

Again, I am very sorry for your loss and wish you all the best!
 
I've found bonding blind to sighted guinea pigs, particularly easy. The only problem that I've ever encountered is that a blind piggy tends to lift their head to sniff the air and this can result in the other piggy thinking that they are trying to show dominance, by this raising of the head. Once the rest of the dominance behaviour doesn't happen, things soon settle down.

Sorry you've lost your little man, but hopefully you'll soon be sorted with a new little friend for Harold x
 
How is Freddie today? No rush to reply, hope he's ok 🙂.

My apologies, wrong thread 😒
 
Hi guys
I have started to look around at rescues for potential friends, I've registered with the RSPCA and been looking at the rescues slightly further away as well as close to home, I'm not sure if I'm being my usual flappy self but I'm not finding it easy.
The recommended ones on here are a good hour plus drive away and Harold hates traveling he goes flat like a pancake and looks very sorry for a good while after, this is why I'm not jumping over to these guys straight away. I just spoke to my local rescue center where I got Harold and was told they won't re-home males to go live with males because they fight 🤔 but she remembers me and that I have now bonded X2 pairs of boys and said they would allow me to adopt but no dates I have to use my Cilla Black skills when picking which boy we want! (sorry British dating show reference) also they are not happy that Harold is blind and that would make it impossible to bond 😞 what would you guys do? They have X2 boys both about 2yrs old and both have lost their companions. I said I would go and meet them on Saturday but I don't want to mess this up for Harold. I'm not wanting to adopt two there is a choice of two to pick from. I feel like my confidence has gone with this and I don't want to panic and end up in upsetting Harold.
 
As you know two boys won’t fight if they are correctly paired, not sure what the rescue are talking about there....
It also isn’t impossible to bond with a blind piggy....again is just a case of finding the right friend.

It’s risky bringing home piggies without dating first, but plenty of people do it on the proviso that the rescue allow you to return a piggy and try another if the bonding doesn’t work out when you get the new piggy home. Have you asked them about that possibility?
I know you say Harold doesn’t like travelling but do the ones that are further away allow dating?
 
Yes the ones further away will allow dating, I just worry if he's too afraid of the traveling it won't be a true representation of Harold in his own stomping ground.
When we adopted Harold two years ago, she never said that they don't adopt males as companions she just said it can't be done, and that I could return him if I wanted. This was not mentioned today but now I feel if I do mention it I'm proving her right about bonding. 😵 They are just a general rescue center not a specialist, they mainly do cats and dogs but it's sad that they are promoting guineas living alone 😢 especially as they are a prominent charity in our local area.
 
Jess565 said:
Yes the ones further away will allow dating, I just worry if he's too afraid of the traveling it won't be a true representation of Harold in his own stomping ground.
When we adopted Harold two years ago, she never said that they don't adopt males as companions she just said it can't be done, and that I could return him if I wanted. This was not mentioned today but now I feel if I do mention it I'm proving her right about bonding. 😵 They are just a general rescue center not a specialist, they mainly do cats and dogs but it's sad that they are promoting guineas living alone 😢 especially as they are a prominent charity in our local area.
Click to expand...

Yes I get your concern about travelling with him and then it not being accurate. hopefully somebody else who has travelled a distance for bonding can advise on that.

That is very sad and totally wrong as we know. It sounds like they need re-educating but I am not sure quite how you would go about that without offending....perhaps pointing someone within the rescue to this site...?
 
It seems like only one lady who deals with the small animal side, she has her own guineas and claims to know them inside and out, she's been there years.
I always name drop this forum to anyone who listens! With everyones wealth of info on here it's amazing how many guineas life's have been improved and helped. Even my own knowledge has been changed and improved and I would rather be wrong and learn than never be corrected and keep doing something wrong.
 
We have just been to our local rescue and selected a lone male we are collecting him tomorrow with the agreement that if he is un suitable we can return him, it breaks my heart visiting these places and talking about them like objects and hearing their stories. Wish us luck. Also we have the fun task of separating Harold house into two 😩
 
We have a slight delay in collecting our new companion, our c&c was missing corex as I forgot I cut the last lot up so we had to delay his arrival until this Friday. My other half will have to collect him as I can't take time off work but I will keep you all posted.
I sad but also happy for the extra time to prepare. 🤞
 
Jess565 said:
We have a slight delay in collecting our new companion, our c&c was missing corex as I forgot I cut the last lot up so we had to delay his arrival until this Friday. My other half will have to collect him as I can't take time off work but I will keep you all posted.
I sad but also happy for the extra time to prepare. 🤞
Click to expand...

All the best!

Here is our very detailed bonding guide: Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

Most piggies are generally rather kind and caring once they realise that their companion is blind. At some point I ran a cataract group with bereaved cataract sows that failed to integrate into the rescue herd because of their fear-aggression. As soon as they realised that their mates had exactly the same problem, they became instant friends and were a very tight-knit group of feisty personalities with a gentle seeing husboar to keep the peace and hide behind them if there was any danger. :D
 
Well we have adopted Maurice, he's two and a half. He has been in the rescue since June 18 so he was well over due adoption. His brother died six months after he arrived at the rescue so he's been on his own a while and he is not used to being handled. But he is massive! Which scared me but Harold met him and made it clear he's running the operations in our house and all has gone very well and they have been together all last night and today, I am at work so I hope they are behaving 😬 sadly he might have health issues as I felt a large lump on his hip area on Saturday pm so we need to get this checked out asap, but he seems healthy enough and moves ok not what I wanted so soon from a new guy but Harold's made his mind up so he's staying. I did call the rescue and they were unaware of the lump 🤨 and were quite defensive but I was only checking to see if they knew what it was. I don't want this to shadow his arrival so I won't go on. Harold is the fuzzy ginger one. Also his lack of sight has not stopped him he's really come alive again and got his sassy pants on!
 

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Aw congrats on your new addition I'm sorry to hear he came with possible health problems, paws crossed its nothing serious x
 
This is the quickest bonding ever, he came to us Friday and moved in with Harold on Sunday! Lots of humping from Harold but Maurice is ok with it, 80% of the time they are sat chilling together and snoozing. I still feel dead inside from loosing Bruno but I know this is the best thing for Harold and even Maurice.
We have the vets booked for Thursday, I was offered today but I am aware he's barley settled in and don't want to bundle him off so soon. He seems ok and not in any discomfort. As you all know I'm not shy of out of hours vets but I didnt think it needed a same day appointment. He's probably had this lump a while
 

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