Companion advice for shy senior sow

twisey

twisey

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi, my 9 year old sow was put to sleep yesterday. It's been devastating for me, but especially for her friend. My 6 year old sow is now alone, and she's not doing well. The 9 y/o was super curious and confident, and the 6 y/o is incredibly shy, she came from a bad home. She'd never go anywhere without the oldest leading the way, and now that she's gone she's been hiding in a corner, scared to even go to her familiar food bowl.

I've discussed the situation with my vet, and she said that bonding with a younger piggie could be very stressful for her at her age. She's been with the 9 y/o pretty much all her life, and I don’t feel she’ll cope well alone — she’s always relied on a more confident pig to lead the way.

My questions are:
- Do I wait a few days, see if she gets more confident to actually go out and about, and then assess the situation?
- The rescues around me advise a (young) castrated boar for an older female, but I've read on a popular rescue's site that this is because they have so many boars . Then there's also the 6 (?) week wait after castration. Would you advise me to get a young female or male? Or even an older female or male?

She's shy and the older piggie was the boss between the two, but she did have her dominant moments. She does eat some veg when I hand feed her, eats her hay and treats and I'll be closely watching her weight. I've got RodiCare if she loses weight. I'll be home lots the upcoming month. I just want to do what's best for her.
Thanks so much.
 
Hi I'm so sorry for your loss. I am no expert at all but didn't want to read this and not respond. As you say keep a close eye on her weight and maybe scatter her food close to where she is hiding so she can reach it without stressing herself too much.
My limited understanding is that no matter the age,/sex of any pair it's down to whether they will accept eachother or not and no other factor matters. I am sure someone will be along soon with words of wisdom. Look after eachother 💐
 
Hi there, I am so very sorry for your loss. I am no expert but others will advise. I would just add that I have a bereaved sow (5-6) and she has a heart condition and is considered quite vulnerable and in need of as little stress as possible. So our vets advised us not to try bonding as the chasing etc could be a bit much for her. However, thinking about this with a rescue and the vet, we are now considering getting her a friend through the bars, a neighbour rather than housemate. That way she can still see and interact with them but she doesn't have so worry about being chased around or humped etc or the hierarchy. And they can get away from each other if they want their own space. Not saying that is the answer for you of course, but I wanted to point it out as a possible middle ground.
 
CTWC said:
Hi I'm so sorry for your loss. I am no expert at all but didn't want to read this and not respond. As you say keep a close eye on her weight and maybe scatter her food close to where she is hiding so she can reach it without stressing herself too much.
My limited understanding is that no matter the age,/sex of any pair it's down to whether they will accept eachother or not and no other factor matters. I am sure someone will be along soon with words of wisdom. Look after eachother 💐
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Thank you so much for your kind words❤️ I've put down some veggies as well, trying to make her as comfy as possible.


LucyP said:
Hi there, I am so very sorry for your loss. I am no expert but others will advise. I would just add that I have a bereaved sow (5-6) and she has a heart condition and is considered quite vulnerable and in need of as little stress as possible. So our vets advised us not to try bonding as the chasing etc could be a bit much for her. However, thinking about this with a rescue and the vet, we are now considering getting her a friend through the bars, a neighbour rather than housemate. That way she can still see and interact with them but she doesn't have so worry about being chased around or humped etc or the hierarchy. And they can get away from each other if they want their own space. Not saying that is the answer for you of course, but I wanted to point it out as a possible middle ground.
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Thank you so much🫶 That's a very good point, thank you for mentioning it, every bit of info and every option helps me tons! I worry that a neighbour won't be enough for her and won't give her the confidence her to go out of her corner, but I'll absolutely consider it.
 
So sorry for your loss.
I think the advice you have been given is very good.
I like the idea of a neighbour which could be less stressful for your girl.
Welcome to the forum
 
Merab said:
So sorry for your loss.
I think the advice you have been given is very good.
I like the idea of a neighbour which could be less stressful for your girl.
Welcome to the forum
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Thank you so much🫶🫶
Although I've realised another problem with the idea of a neighbour: I don't have a C&C cage or a cage with bars, I built my own, similar to this one from Little Adventures: wood & plexiglass walls. I do think that replacing the entire cage right now would be too much stress, as the hideys are partly built in and custom to the cage, and she's lived in this cage nearly her entire life. I might be overseeing an easy solution in my stress, so if anyone has ideas for how to fix that, I'm open to suggestions!
And of course considering the fact that she might need someone with her inside, she's too scared to even sniff anything foreign if it's outside her comfort corner.
 
I’m so sorry for your loss.

In terms of her immediate care, as you know
- put hay right beside her so she doesn’t have to go anywhere for it if she doesn’t want to
- switch to daily weight checks so you can more closely monitor her hay intake and step in quickly with syringe feeding

It’s not possible to give a straightforward answer to your questions: Older sows and those who are bereaved from a lifelong friend can be less tolerant of any new company and instead have to have a neighbour; some miss their old companion too deeply to accept anyone else; others are so desperate for a new friend that they will have no problems bonding regardless of sex or age of new companion; Some Sows once past pup bearing age find it hard to accept a boar (of any age) but others will happily accept a boar (of any age).
Also if the new companion is an older sow then its also a possibility that she won’t accept your sow even if your sow likes her.
So really there is no right answer here - it comes purely down to compatibility and you simply have to try her with another piggy and see whether it’s a match.

How quickly you have to act in getting a new friend depends very much on her. If she struggles being alone, loses weight etc, then she needs a new friend quickly. Acute pining is rare but can happen.

And yes it is six weeks post neuter before a boar is safe to be with a sow

Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig
 
Piggies&buns said:
I’m so sorry for your loss.

In terms of her immediate care, as you know
- put hay right beside her so she doesn’t have to go anywhere for it if she doesn’t want to
- switch to daily weight checks so you can more closely monitor her hay intake and step in quickly with syringe feeding

It’s not possible to give a straightforward answer to your questions: Older sows and those who are bereaved from a lifelong friend can be less tolerant of any new company and instead have to have a neighbour; some miss their old companion too deeply to accept anyone else; others are so desperate for a new friend that they will have no problems bonding regardless of sex or age of new companion; Some Sows once past pup bearing age find it hard to accept a boar (of any age) but others will happily accept a boar (of any age).
Also if the new companion is an older sow then its also a possibility that she won’t accept your sow even if your sow likes her.
So really there is no right answer here - it comes purely down to compatibility and you simply have to try her with another piggy and see whether it’s a match.

How quickly you have to act in getting a new friend depends very much on her. If she struggles being alone, loses weight etc, then she needs a new friend quickly. Acute pining is rare but can happen.

And yes it is six weeks post neuter before a boar is safe to be with a sow

Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig
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Thanks so much, this is super clear. I'll contact the rescue near me tomorrow, see if I can bring back the pig if it doesn't match and look for another one. They prefer to match boars with sows, so I'll see which non-shy neutered boars they have available. I'll see how she does in the upcoming days, her appetite and weight loss are closely watched, and base my course of action on how she's doing.
 
twisey said:
Thanks so much, this is super clear. I'll contact the rescue near me tomorrow, see if I can bring back the pig if it doesn't match and look for another one. They prefer to match boars with sows, so I'll see which non-shy neutered boars they have available. I'll see how she does in the upcoming days, her appetite and weight loss are closely watched, and base my course of action on how she's doing.
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Just to add to what Piggies andbuns wrote, in my quite long experience of neutered boars and sows, a very young boar e.g. under 1 year can have a bit too much energy for an older sow. They may be compatible character-wise but the zoomies the young boar goes in for can be something else. Sometimes I felt sorry for the young boar - all that pent up energy and nobody to zoom around with. Unfortunately in the last couple of years that i had senior sows, my local rescue would only give me very young 'boars on loan' to keep an elderly sow company till she passed. I think 2-4yo would have been better. For you, it will also depend on whether you want to keep on with guineas or end after your 6yo passes. Which you may not know yet and she could live another 3 years too.

I had 'palaces' like yours, though the use of C&C is on the rise here too.

Good luck with the Rescue and with matching your sow and a new neutered boar.
 
I’m sorry to read of your loss but what an amazing age your piggy was.
She was clearly living her best life with you all
Look after yourself too
You have been given great advice !
I have 2 boars - the 3 year old is full of energy is often ‘told off’ by my older boar ( he’s 6 years old) but older boars are very gentle calm piggies and if you could find an older boar then that might be a better friend for her
Good luck 🥰
 
Mrs Tiggy Winkle said:
Just to add to what Piggies andbuns wrote, in my quite long experience of neutered boars and sows, a very young boar e.g. under 1 year can have a bit too much energy for an older sow. They may be compatible character-wise but the zoomies the young boar goes in for can be something else. Sometimes I felt sorry for the young boar - all that pent up energy and nobody to zoom around with. Unfortunately in the last couple of years that i had senior sows, my local rescue would only give me very young 'boars on loan' to keep an elderly sow company till she passed. I think 2-4yo would have been better. For you, it will also depend on whether you want to keep on with guineas or end after your 6yo passes. Which you may not know yet and she could live another 3 years too.

I had 'palaces' like yours, though the use of C&C is on the rise here too.

Good luck with the Rescue and with matching your sow and a new neutered boar.
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CTWC said:
Would an older neutered boy be an idea 🤔
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Very good point, I will be looking for an older neutered boar. Thank you so much!
Roselina said:
I’m sorry to read of your loss but what an amazing age your piggy was.
She was clearly living her best life with you all
Look after yourself too
You have been given great advice !
I have 2 boars - the 3 year old is full of energy is often ‘told off’ by my older boar ( he’s 6 years old) but older boars are very gentle calm piggies and if you could find an older boar then that might be a better friend for her
Good luck 🥰
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Thank you so much🫶 Everyone's kind words mean so much to me, it sometimes feels like I'm being a little dramatic in how I'm feeling, but she truly was my heart piggie and I did have her for nearly a decade. Everyone being so understanding helps so much. But the search for a new pig to make my six year old happier is a good distraction😅
She seems to be doing a bit better.

This might be an overkill question, but I need to clean her cage & wash all the fleece soon, is it better to clean all the wood with vinegar so the smell of her friend is gone, or should I not try to deodorize intensely yet? I will do so when I get her a friend of course.
I also have one very clean fleece hidey that still smells like the nine year old, should I leave that in the cage when I've cleaned everything?
 
Yes I agree … her friend’s scent will naturally fade
I’m glad she seems a little better ❤️
Make sure you look after you too ❤️
 
CTWC said:
No if anything you don't want to remove her scent but rather let it fade naturally I would leave some things unwashed so she slowly adjusts to her scent fading 😥🌈
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Roselina said:
Yes I agree … her friend’s scent will naturally fade
I’m glad she seems a little better ❤️
Make sure you look after you too ❤️
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Will do! That's what I had in mind, just wanted to double check. Thank you so so much🫶🫶
 
Update: I've adopted and picked up a boy, Benno! A very sweet boar who loves to cuddle but comes from a bad home as well, but his character seems more relaxed than my girl. The rescue said he's a chill guy, his background just makes him spook at things. I think my girl always was going to be a shy piggie, even if she had a better background.
I've put him in my spare cage, sewn some hidies and given some veg. He's been too frightened to eat anything, but I'll see how he's doing in the morning. I'm planning to wait to introduce them until he's a little more relaxed and less frozen, probably the day after tomorrow. They don't know how old he is (poor thing), but I'd guess around 3-4 years based on his nails/feet. Definitely under 5, and above 2.

There's also been a shift with my girl. I was feeding her while she was chilling on my lap, and when I put her back it was like a switch had flipped. She's much more relaxed now, walking around her cage again and eating in more exposed bits of the cage. So so glad, and I don't know what happened, she was different when I picked her up and then I put her back and boom. It literally clicked. So odd but so happy! Huge relief.

I've read everything on bonding on here, and the rescue was great at giving me advice. If anyone thinks of anything specific to my situation, I'd of course love to know.
 
twisey said:
Update: I've adopted and picked up a boy, Benno! A very sweet boar who loves to cuddle but comes from a bad home as well, but his character seems more relaxed than my girl. The rescue said he's a chill guy, his background just makes him spook at things. I think my girl always was going to be a shy piggie, even if she had a better background.
I've put him in my spare cage, sewn some hidies and given some veg. He's been too frightened to eat anything, but I'll see how he's doing in the morning. I'm planning to wait to introduce them until he's a little more relaxed and less frozen, probably the day after tomorrow. They don't know how old he is (poor thing), but I'd guess around 3-4 years based on his nails/feet. Definitely under 5, and above 2.

There's also been a shift with my girl. I was feeding her while she was chilling on my lap, and when I put her back it was like a switch had flipped. She's much more relaxed now, walking around her cage again and eating in more exposed bits of the cage. So so glad, and I don't know what happened, she was different when I picked her up and then I put her back and boom. It literally clicked. So odd but so happy! Huge relief.

I've read everything on bonding on here, and the rescue was great at giving me advice. If anyone thinks of anything specific to my situation, I'd of course love to know.
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Ah what lovely news @twisey - good luck
I’m so pleased to read that your girl is showing her character again
There is excellent info on here for bonding and introducing a new piggy
I hope it helps 🥰

Behaviour, Bonding & Bereavement Guides
 
I hope he settles in well

Don’t rush to bond them and instead do make sure he is fully relaxed before you try - the last thing you want to try is bonding a scared piggy as it can cause them to overreact and that can have an adverse effect on the bonding. It’s fine if they have to be side by side for a week or so before you try to bond.
Ira just something you have to play it by ear

Fingers crossed for a great bonding. Keep us posted
 
That's great! Both that your girl has suddenly shifted and that Benno has come into your life and is an appropriate age.
 
The bonding went so so well! They're sleeping next to each other in their cage right now. They had two teeth chattering stand offs, but that was it. They spent most of their bonding time grooming, eating, walking and sleeping together, I think they're an even better match than my previous girls were. And Benno has settled in beautifully this past week, and especially now that he's in the big cage. He's shown his happiness with lots of popcorning and he's checking everything thoroughly. My girl is obviously so much happier, and they switch between going first to conquer the scary parts of life.
Thank you all so much again for all the advice and support in losing my oldest girl. It's meant so much to me.
 
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