Hello! Soon to be mommy of 2 little piggies. I’m not sure if I should get 2 males or 2 females though. Until recently I’ve only looked thought about males, but there are actually females available near me. I have a 2x4 c and c cage ready. I was thinking it may be better for females because I’ve heard they don’t need quite as much space as boars? I’ve also heard they’re more likely to get along. Also I have a pet store cage for a travel cage. But when we would get to the destination, which is always the same place, there would be another c and c cage. I was a little concerned about boars fighting for territory in it, are sows less likely too? Also overall? Pros and cons of each? Personal faves? Inform me : D
Hi and welcome!
Either is lovable for their own reasons. And if you can't decide but can get a rescue bonded cross gender sow-neutered boar (the opposite spayed sow-full boar or both de-sexed is a lot rarer), then go for that!
There are pros and cons on either side. You may find this guide here helpful as it discusses them in detail.
Boars, sows or mixed pairs; babies or adults?
By far the safest way to get guinea pigs without nasty surprises is by adopting from a good standard rescue with mandatory quarantine and vet care, pregnancy watch, reliable baby sexing and careful matching up of personalities (key to any successful piggy bond) in order to only rehome stably bonded piggies. That means that for a little extra effort you get a worry-free start and can neatly avoid all the usual pitfalls that await the unwary!
I would also like to add that if you want piggies that function as cuddly pets right from the beginning, then looking for a rescue pair that is used to a home environment is most definitely the way to go rather than getting wiggly babies from a pet shop or breeder where neither they or their mother has ever had anything in the way of friendly human interaction and where you have to do all the work yourself.
Piggies are prey animals woth prey animal instincts. They are cute babies only for a few weeks, teenagers for quite a few months and adults for most of their lives. There are plenty of people who lose interest once their piggies reach the teenage months or adulthood, or are just never prepared to put in the work (or any work) in the first place once they realise that their pets are not instant living cuddly toys...
Here are links to rescues we can guarantee that you are in safe and experienced hands:
Recommended good standard UK rescues:
Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues
Recommended rescues in some other countries:
Guinea Lynx :: Rescue Organizations
You may find our wannabe and new owners' guide collections helpful and interesting because they also address many issues that new owners are not necessarily aware of when they get their piggies:
Wannabe, New Owners & Childrens' Pets Guides
It is great that you are doing your research beforehand.
PS: Since we have members and enquiries from all over the world, we find it helpful if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details, so we can always tailor any recommendations straight away to what is relevant and available where you are, including rescue/vet access, brands and climate issues. Please click on your username on the top bar, then go to account details and scroll down to location. This makes it visible with every post you make. Thank you!
PS my boys generally don’t smell, but they need a bum clean now 
