Maddykins
Junior Guinea Pig
So we had to take the heartbreaking decision to put our poorly piggy to sleep yesterday evening. So I need to find a friend for my remaining boy.
My boy is about 5, he's a fairly chunky fella weighing a little over a kilo (although will probably go down a bit as he was only that heavy because of eating lots of food meant for poorly guinea pig!). He is quite bossy and used to boss his brother around sometimes and rumble at him sometimes etc, he was definitely the dominant pig. He is pretty confident, travels well, fine getting cuddles from strangers etc and just a generally bolshy pig. He does have a softer side, he likes a cuddle and he did used to cuddle sometimes with his brother and sometimes groom him etc, they were very close. He is neutered.
My question mainly is about ages and things moving forwards. I am thinking it would be easiest for everyone to try and find him a female or two for company instead as less likely to fall out etc and I don't know how well I'd cope with possibility of repeated failed attempts at boar bonding, we are so exhausted after the traumatic time we've had with our poorly boy, and I'm pregnant too. I also don't really want to commit to an endless cycle of pigs so would be happiest fostering if somewhere would let me do that and then if I didn't want to keep the other pig(s) after ours passes I could return him/her/them. I hope that doesn't sound cold I think there's somewhere in the north east that does that? We have limited options for transport though as neither of us drive. Would it be best to try and find pig(s) with similar age(s) to ours? If we went boar dating I'd be worried that a bolshy pig like mine would end up in fights, but also worried in case a shy one would end up being bullied by mine. He didn't bully his shy brother but then they were together since birth I think so it's a bit different.
My boy is about 5, he's a fairly chunky fella weighing a little over a kilo (although will probably go down a bit as he was only that heavy because of eating lots of food meant for poorly guinea pig!). He is quite bossy and used to boss his brother around sometimes and rumble at him sometimes etc, he was definitely the dominant pig. He is pretty confident, travels well, fine getting cuddles from strangers etc and just a generally bolshy pig. He does have a softer side, he likes a cuddle and he did used to cuddle sometimes with his brother and sometimes groom him etc, they were very close. He is neutered.
My question mainly is about ages and things moving forwards. I am thinking it would be easiest for everyone to try and find him a female or two for company instead as less likely to fall out etc and I don't know how well I'd cope with possibility of repeated failed attempts at boar bonding, we are so exhausted after the traumatic time we've had with our poorly boy, and I'm pregnant too. I also don't really want to commit to an endless cycle of pigs so would be happiest fostering if somewhere would let me do that and then if I didn't want to keep the other pig(s) after ours passes I could return him/her/them. I hope that doesn't sound cold I think there's somewhere in the north east that does that? We have limited options for transport though as neither of us drive. Would it be best to try and find pig(s) with similar age(s) to ours? If we went boar dating I'd be worried that a bolshy pig like mine would end up in fights, but also worried in case a shy one would end up being bullied by mine. He didn't bully his shy brother but then they were together since birth I think so it's a bit different.
