Bonding a bereaved piggie

[Jon880]

I'm hoping to bond recently-bereaved Sandie with a new partner from the local rescue this weekend.

Until recently Sandie was the junior sow in a long-standing herd of three, but we sadly lost Artemis and then Apricot in quick succession between July and October.

I'm hopeful that we'll find Sandie a new friend, but I'm wondering how thorough a cage clean do we need to do in order to ensure it's seen as neutral space when the new pig comes home? Clean the fleeces obviously, but replace all the tunnels and carrot houses too?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I'm sorry for your losses

Is this going to be a speed dating at the rescue ie she is there for just a few hours to find out compatibility?

If so then they need to go into fully neutral territory for several more hours (with no hides, just hay and water) to complete the bonding at home.
Speed dating only allows them to check compatibility but it doesn’t usually give enough time for them to get through the later stages of bonding.
You can do this in the main cage but it would have to be fully neutralised first.
You can only add in hides after the several hours (all day even) have elapsed and once they are settled.

A carrot cottage, being a single entrance hide, would not be advised to be used unless you can cut another door into it.

If they are cardboard tunnels then it would be safer to replace - you don’t want any reason for any territorial behaviour over any item she may view as her own

Good luck for the bonding

 

[Jon880]

Thanks - Sandie's staying at the rescue for a couple of days for bonding. I'm hoping the pair will be formed at the rescue, just wondering how to treat the cage and furnishings back here when we bring the newly-bonded pair home.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Ok then they should be well into the bonding process before they come home.

In terms of territory post bonding, you either want it to smell of none of them or of both of them.
So with that in mind you can rub new piggy with a towel or fleece and then rub the cage items which you can’t wash with that towel to help transfer her scent into the territory. Put a towel in the bottom of the carrier you are using to bring them home, and then put that towel into the cage for a day or two.

I would still remove or cut another door into the carrot cottage.