Do you think Guinea pigs grieve?

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Coconut

Coconut

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Pretty says it all in the question: do you think Guinea pigs grieve when their friend dies?
 
Biscuit wouldn't leave Crackers side when he died, very sad :( He's got over his loss, and is back to his cheeky self, trying to woo the ladies, and always chatting away to them :))
If I so much as take one of the Sows out of the room, he cries out for her, I'm sure he's psychic! He lives below their cage, so although alone, he's happy with the current set up, and his toy Panda is very much his 'play' mate these days :)
 
Yes they do. Unfortunately I've lost a piggy to grief before and it's something I'd never wish on a guinea pig to have to go through. I had an old boar that had been paired up with a sow after she had been spayed (through severe illness and had to be inside while she got better and she kept chatting to Oscar so I didn't move her back with the girls, she kept him company). They were the most devoted pair I've ever seen and she would look after him and keep him warm. He passed away and 5 days later she followed him. She completely shut down after he died. They had only been together for about 8 months but in that time she'd become utterly dependent on him and vice versa. We just couldn't get her to come round - she gave up on life after losing him...

That's definitely the worst way grief can manifest, but I've seen how it can affect piggies in groups that have lost one of their members... It's so sad.
 
Guinea pigs grieve no less than we humans. Most often, they will come out of deep mourning sooner, as they have to survive. Occasionally, a piggy will follow its friend to the bridge or never really recover.
 
Yes definitely. I think my little Rosie is still grieving for her friend Alice who died before she came to live with us and I think Nigel was grieving for little Tino for some time.
 
Yes. Poor babies. Now I look at it, I may of lost Zoey to grieving for Lola and alisha
 
They do grieve and they don't forget.

Magenta died in the night - which I had been expecting - and I went in at 4am and removed her body. Columbia never forgot (she was the leader of the herd) and for all of her years afterwards she would make sure all the other piggies were safe inside their sleeping cave part (they run around the conservatory so not actually in a hutch) when I first came in in the mornings and refuse to let them out until she was sure I wasn't going to take one of them away again. She never forgot, never forgave and there was no way I was going to remove another one of her girls!

As a group they mostly have a practical outlook though. Although I have never had to deal with a single piggy left from a pair grieving. It has always been a group of piggies with one gone away.
 
When Farquhar died, Matilda just sat in the middle of the cage for hours and wouldnt move. she became very withdrawn and it was the introduction of another piggie that brought her round again.
 
I nearly lost my Sweetie to grief when Treacle and Piggy Wiggin died. The vet would not believe it was grief at first and then conceded that given I'd had her for two years and she'd never been ill, it was all too much of a coincidence.
 
Noodles grieved when we lost Whisks recently. One night a few days later I was crying, really sobbing, over Whisks, and we heard Noodles just wheeking so so softly and quietly. I still think she was 'crying' too.

She got over it quite well and living with Gizmo now, she actually seems closer to him than she was with Whisks - I think she is leaning on him in much the same way we lean on those close to us when we are grieving.
 
Doeylicious said:
Noodles grieved when we lost Whisks recently. One night a few days later I was crying, really sobbing, over Whisks, and we heard Noodles just wheeking so so softly and quietly. I still think she was 'crying' too.

She got over it quite well and living with Gizmo now, she actually seems closer to him than she was with Whisks - I think she is leaning on him in much the same way we lean on those close to us when we are grieving.
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Oh that is so sad. :(
 
Yes they do grieve. Wally Whiskers hardly ate when Mr M crossed the bridge, he'd just sit quietly in one spot and not move and of course started losing weight. I'm so glad we took him on a boar date and he found Rocket, it made a huge difference. He started living again, I think he would have slipped away not long after Mr M if he'd been left alone.
 
They definately grieve. When Pippy died Merry didn't know what to do with himself. He seemed ok but a bit quiet but as the days went on he got more and more withdrawn. I'm really glad we boar dated him and got Suilven. It was like someone had flicked a switch, Merry became the most loving and attentive uncle pig you've ever seen and he was devoted to Suilven.

Now Merry has passed Suilven is a little lonely. He hates being in his cage alone. He's never really been alone as he went from being with Mum for 3 weeks to a rescue then to us within days so he's a bit lost without Merry. He's been socialising with Hamish & Angus and loves them heaps, he just doesn't understand why he can't live with them. We are hoping to boar date him again in the new year so he can get a new friend.
 
Yes George is definatly grieving the loss of Kreature, he didnt seem to bothered about Dobby though but Kreature deffo was, I'm worried about George now though he really isnt himself poor boy :(
 
Definately as other peoples stories definately prove, so so sad 8...
When I lost Peanut in Feb at the vets, the nurse there advised me to show Fuzzy Peanuts body, so he could accept nature had taken it's course, she'd done it with her dogs after seeing it on nature programme about wolves (apparently they need to see and accept an act of nature has happened as oposed to their pal just disappearing one day, which is more stressful). I showed Peanuts body to fuzzy, he sniffed him then waddled off to get food rolleyes
So whilst it was good he didnt get too upset, i was kinda dishearted he didn't seem bothered! I then dated Fuzzy and he has a very nice relationship with Tyler now, better than with Peanut even but as long as he's happy :)
 
Thanks guys for all your thoughts/ opinions/ experiences, slightly regret asking as some of the stories are really heart breaking 8.... Only asked this as my beliefs that Guinea pigs (among other animals) do grieve was questioned and as I've only had one Piggie pass and she'd been part of a pair I did wonder if my little girl was sad because her friend was gone or because she was alone. Guess I got my answer :).
 
Freddie grieved when Ringo died 8... It was so horrible. He was very affectionate towards Ringo as he gradually got worse, and although Ringo was spending less and less time with him due to illness, when he died I saw a very noticeable change in Freddie's behaviour. He was very sad looking in general, and was not his usual happy, enthusiastic self. He also would not come out of the pigloo when in the run - very unusual for Freddie. It was so horrible to see :( I also noticed that he was 'looking' for Ringo. It made me cry :0
 
Yes without a doubt Sparky was devastated when Prince Harry died, it still breaks my heart the look on his face when he worked out I hadn't brought his pal back, he simply gave up for a while. Just laid in his cage showing none of his usual interest in life. He recovered in time but he'd lost his "fire" the idiotic Sparky I knew so well was gone until I got him a baby to care for and live with and he came back with avengence I honestly believe that without his wee pal Scamp Sparky would not be with me today.
 
Nibbles stopped eating and drinking and just lay there after Nugget died. I was terrified we would lose him too. Fortunately when we got excitable Nutty he perked up. I think he still misses Nugget but he's moved on.

Amy
x
 
Indie grieved when Oreo died :( she still had Eva with her but she was a bit grouchy with Eva for a few days after he went and was just not her normal self
 
one of my mum's guinea pigs recently passed and little dennis is definately grieving 8... they were very close, always snuggled to sleep together, and we think dennis is blind so gnasher was his eyes aswell as his brother. but thanks to bramley rescue, hopefully it wont be long now before he has a new friend :)
 
Doeylicious said:
Noodles grieved when we lost Whisks recently. One night a few days later I was crying, really sobbing, over Whisks, and we heard Noodles just wheeking so so softly and quietly. I still think she was 'crying' too.

She got over it quite well and living with Gizmo now, she actually seems closer to him than she was with Whisks - I think she is leaning on him in much the same way we lean on those close to us when we are grieving.
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Am actually howling over this story :0:0:0

When I had my trio and we lost Rogue, Storm and Misty were subdued and very cuddly for a few days. They bonded a little closer together too. When we then lost Storm a few months later, Misty didn't, and hasn't really changed.

Still debating about taking her dating, OH doesn't want to as she is happy and he is worried about her passing on (she is 5 1/2) and leaving another piggie behind. I'd like to try but won't do it without his agreement. We will see, I often win in the end! @)@)
 
gogoguineas said:
Definately as other peoples stories definately prove, so so sad 8...
When I lost Peanut in Feb at the vets, the nurse there advised me to show Fuzzy Peanuts body, so he could accept nature had taken it's course, she'd done it with her dogs after seeing it on nature programme about wolves (apparently they need to see and accept an act of nature has happened as oposed to their pal just disappearing one day, which is more stressful). I showed Peanuts body to fuzzy, he sniffed him then waddled off to get food rolleyes
So whilst it was good he didnt get too upset, i was kinda dishearted he didn't seem bothered! I then dated Fuzzy and he has a very nice relationship with Tyler now, better than with Peanut even but as long as he's happy :)
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about a year after my partner and i moved in together with his dog bindi and my dog hunni, hunni passed away, she died at home with all of us with her, and bindi seemed to know what had happened and got very upset. but when i came back from taking her body to the crematoriam, bindi was bouncing round like nothing had happened. i started to resent her being so happy, but after a couple of days she realised hunni wasn't coming back and grieved for weeks :( she wouldn't eat, or get out of bed or anything. it was so sad to see, about a month later we took her camping with us, and she perked up after that, but was still looking for hunni when we got home :( i think with animals it takes afew days for them to realise what's happened x
 
I dont think its just other Piggies they grieve for

I had to get my dog put down september there. The vet came to the house to do and all day not one of them made a sound. They didnt even squeak for their veg that night, which in my house you cant put a tap on without them going crazy and they all stayed into their houses. Even my rabbit was very quiet, she usually thumps etc.

When Travis's body was getting taken out the house (we got him cremated), each one slowly came out their houses as if to say their goodbyes to him. I have never seen this behaviour in any of my pets until that awful day.
 
Posiesparkles said:
Am actually howling over this story :0:0:0

When I had my trio and we lost Rogue, Storm and Misty were subdued and very cuddly for a few days. They bonded a little closer together too. When we then lost Storm a few months later, Misty didn't, and hasn't really changed.

Still debating about taking her dating, OH doesn't want to as she is happy and he is worried about her passing on (she is 5 1/2) and leaving another piggie behind. I'd like to try but won't do it without his agreement. We will see, I often win in the end! @)@)
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Oh I didn't mean to make you cry :( I still have your card on my desk at work you know, it cheers me up when I am having a bad day.

We were meant to get a girl to live with Noodles, the plan being as and when Noodles goes to join Whisks at the bridge the girly could be integrated with one of my herds. But now we have Giz, who certainly can't be, it has meant I have had to stop 'planning' what will happen if Noodles goes and just enjoy their bond...which is kinda nice. Practicality is important but since losing Whisks I have been very bad at it!
 
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