Bereaved Piggie

[XMariex]

I'm new to the site and looking for some advice. A few days ago I had to make the heartbreaking decision to have one of my beloved guinea pigs put to sleep due to problems with her spine. I'm heartbroken about it and my other guinea pig ,who was her sister ,is just walking up and down sniffing and squeaking and keeps looking for her it's so sad to watch. I have been giving her lots of cuddles. My question is should I get her a new cage mate and how soon after loosing her sister should I reintroduce her to another one?. She is 2 years old and quite bossy so not sure if she would be better with another sow her own age or a younger baby ? Any suggestions would be appreciated x

 

[Freela]

I'm really sorry for your loss. I've been in this position a few times (had half of a bonded pair pass away and a distressed piggie left behind) and in all cases they have benefited from having another friend introduced. The age of a newcomer is less important than personality in terms of getting along... if the pig you have now is a dominant personality, it would probably be better to look for a pig who is on the meek side so there will be no conflict. If you are able to go to a rescue they should have some idea of the temperament of the pigs in their care and if you are going to a pet store, try to observe the dynamics of the pigs there for a bit before making a choice, as you probably will not want to introduce the top pig in that cage to your dominant girl back home. There are some guides to making positive introductions in the stickies at the top of the page, so read those prior to introducing so you have an idea of what to expect.

 

[XMariex]

Great, thanks for the advice I will contact some rescue shelters soon and see what girls they have that they think might be a good match