I've had my too males for more than a month and they got pretty much used to me - they allow me to stroke them, only sometimes run away when I come, but really hate beign taken out of the cage, so I do it just when it's required. But I want to buy more piggies in the future, because as I know guinea pigs are very social animals and beign in a herd would make them even happier. So I'm asking you guys: is having 4-5 pigs a much bigger responsibility than 2? Of course I know I'll have to clean the cage more often, but I'd like to know if there is some danger of not adapting to the new cage or new piggies? For sure I'll need to buy a bigger cage, but I don't know how it should look like? Just let the current pigs and the new ones go into the cage at the same time, or first put there current and the new ones later? And is it a big deal for guinea pigs to build relations with new pigs?
Buying more piggies
- Thread starter Roky
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Tiamolly123
Senior Guinea Pig
Whoa, hang on there, breathe. Lol you say you have only had them for a month, that's a very short time. Are your boys neutered? Trouble is your piggies may be fine for now then 6months down the road, one of your piggies could end up VERY ill, the bill could be £450 the more tests x rays, scan. Definately £1,000 at least. Quite often more than one piggy will be ill at, the same time.
Everyone on this forum, would want to have more piggies but can't.
Make sure you have a lot of savings then go for it.
What if guinea pigs in my country cost about 16 pounds for one? I imagine the prices in the UK may be pretty big, but in Poland piggies are cheap. Treating them probably too. I've had a hamster and one visit at the vet costed like 10 pounds.
Lady Kelly
Senior Guinea Pig
Hi and good to hear you have the bug and want to adopt all the piggies 
Unfortunately, with having two males it is extremely unlikely that you will be able to expand your numbers as it is rare for more than two males to get on. Also we usually hear of people trying a trio of boars and then ending up with a big fall out and keeping 3 separate boars because they have then decided that they no longer want to get along.
The most stable relationship is a neutered male with a female or multiple females, following my female pairings/groups and finally males. Even with female groups its not guaranteed to be able to add another one without issue as it all comes down to compatible personalities.
If you were keen to have larger groups I would suggest neuter the males and then after 6 weeks separate and get them a female friend each and then you can consider expanding from there.
Vets bills can be problematic. No issue if its just the visit and a pain relief but when it can involve xrays, ultrasound scans, and operations the cost can quickly spiral. Some medications are very expensive, I needed itrafungol recently and my vets would charge £120 but I brought he prescription from them and purchased online, still cost over £70 with the visit and prescription cost included - this was after another £30+ on a treatment that didn't control the infection. I would recommend starting to build a "piggy" pot ready for these kinds of situation as, in my experience, its rarely one piggy that will develop an illness at one time (cos they don't like to make these things easy)
Unfortunately, with having two males it is extremely unlikely that you will be able to expand your numbers as it is rare for more than two males to get on. Also we usually hear of people trying a trio of boars and then ending up with a big fall out and keeping 3 separate boars because they have then decided that they no longer want to get along.
The most stable relationship is a neutered male with a female or multiple females, following my female pairings/groups and finally males. Even with female groups its not guaranteed to be able to add another one without issue as it all comes down to compatible personalities.
If you were keen to have larger groups I would suggest neuter the males and then after 6 weeks separate and get them a female friend each and then you can consider expanding from there.
Vets bills can be problematic. No issue if its just the visit and a pain relief but when it can involve xrays, ultrasound scans, and operations the cost can quickly spiral. Some medications are very expensive, I needed itrafungol recently and my vets would charge £120 but I brought he prescription from them and purchased online, still cost over £70 with the visit and prescription cost included - this was after another £30+ on a treatment that didn't control the infection. I would recommend starting to build a "piggy" pot ready for these kinds of situation as, in my experience, its rarely one piggy that will develop an illness at one time (cos they don't like to make these things easy
)
Reenie
Adult Guinea Pig
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Hi, so glad you're enjoying your piggies! I think the advice you have had has been great, but there is another thing you have to consider (I found this one out the hard way). If you're ever going away on holiday, it's usually easy enough to get someone to look after a couple of piggies for you, but more is more work, and it's not so easy to get someone willing to take it on. I now have two people looking after my two groups when I go on holiday, and much as I'd like to have more, I know that it would be the end of holidays if I did.
Cavy Kung-Fu
Adult Guinea Pig
Piggies may be “cheap” but I’m not sure that’s a reason to get more... I’ve currently got 5 and have spent at least £2,000 in vet bills in the last year alone. Not to mention the amount the little devils eat and poo!
Looking into getting more piggies is a huge responsibility, I would certainly recommend continuing to bond with the piggies you have already
It will be an extra responsibility as you couldn’t house any extra pigs together etc too.
I love all 5 of my pigs but when 2 needed an operation so close together it was a £500+ expense, I’d imagine it’s not too dissimilar to other vets/countries.
Looking into getting more piggies is a huge responsibility, I would certainly recommend continuing to bond with the piggies you have already
It will be an extra responsibility as you couldn’t house any extra pigs together etc too.I love all 5 of my pigs but when 2 needed an operation so close together it was a £500+ expense, I’d imagine it’s not too dissimilar to other vets/countries.
I didn't think it's that big thing. Thanks for answer, after all I'm not going to expand the herd for now, didn't now the medical expenses are that big and that males are that problematic. And is it sure they gonne get ill?
anyar.dris
Forum Buddy
Every pet has the risk of being ill during their lifetime. All my pigs that passed away was because of poor health as they aged (we currently have another one that has been sick since February and we don't know if she'll get better). We have spent thousands of pounds for all of them just for the vet bills alone. Just like humans, they are prone to get ill during old age, or even at a very young age. So you must have the funds for these pets. Just because you got them cheap it doesn't mean they are cheap to keep. My husband's cousin who has a dog doesn't even spend £100 in vet bills!
Lady Kelly
Senior Guinea Pig
It's never guaranteed that they are going to get ill but it's a possibility and obviously the higher number of pigs you have the more likely you'll have one that gets ill.
As an example I had Jemima from 6 weeks old through to 5.5 years when she passed in her sleep. She had one UTI in her life which needed two lots of antibiotics as it wouldn't shift and then towards the end she had a check up and her teeth done (while conscious) and overall this did not cost a lot at all (maybe £100-150 in her entire life). Donald on the other hand I have had only one year and he's already had two rounds of ringworm and an abscess in his chin which needed an operation and the operation alone cost be £300. In total I reckon Donald has cost me £450-500 in the space of one year so very much hoping he doesn't get ill again.
As an example I had Jemima from 6 weeks old through to 5.5 years when she passed in her sleep. She had one UTI in her life which needed two lots of antibiotics as it wouldn't shift and then towards the end she had a check up and her teeth done (while conscious) and overall this did not cost a lot at all (maybe £100-150 in her entire life). Donald on the other hand I have had only one year and he's already had two rounds of ringworm and an abscess in his chin which needed an operation and the operation alone cost be £300. In total I reckon Donald has cost me £450-500 in the space of one year so very much hoping he doesn't get ill again.