Guinea Pig Alone after Death

[Kelskels73]

Hello!

My pig, Hoagie passed away this morning. He seemed fine last night but when I got home, he was already gone. I now have a 3 year old lonely Charlie.

I have gone through animals who need companions before but not guinea pigs. My understanding is that he really needs a friend but I want to make sure it's still recommended given some more details.

1. Charlie was very close to Hoagie. Charlie is blind and relied on Hoagie to make sure the treats I put in were actually treats and not fingers.

2. Charlie is not very human friendly. This probably has to do with the blindness. He is very skittish and does not accept petting like Hoagie did.

3. I developed an allergy to them in the last 6 months. It may be there hay but when I pick one up, my arms and neck get very red and itchy. I also cough a bit.

Any tips? I'd rather not get a baby as then I would be in a cycle and the allergic part is just not great. If I found a 3 or 4 year old rescue to introduce, would that be okay?

 

[Free Ranger]

You are in a tricky situation, especially with that allergy on top. I used George's alone time to build our relationship while we waited to find him a friend and physical contact was a big part of building that trust. Do any of these one-a-day hayfever tablets help?

The most ideal situation is if a rescue had a few different pigs they could try him with but I don't know how covid will be affecting that in your area. It is definitely worth ringing one or two to see what can be arranged. One forum member has managed to bond her blind elderly boar recently with another old boar but the process was rather fraught for everyone concerned. @Little Ones do you have any advice here?

 

[Wiebke]

Hello!

My pig, Hoagie passed away this morning. He seemed fine last night but when I got home, he was already gone. I now have a 3 year old lonely Charlie.

I have gone through animals who need companions before but not guinea pigs. My understanding is that he really needs a friend but I want to make sure it's still recommended given some more details.

1. Charlie was very close to Hoagie. Charlie is blind and relied on Hoagie to make sure the treats I put in were actually treats and not fingers.

2. Charlie is not very human friendly. This probably has to do with the blindness. He is very skittish and does not accept petting like Hoagie did.

3. I developed an allergy to them in the last 6 months. It may be there hay but when I pick one up, my arms and neck get very red and itchy. I also cough a bit.

Any tips? I'd rather not get a baby as then I would be in a cycle and the allergic part is just not great. If I found a 3 or 4 year old rescue to introduce, would that be okay?

Hi and welcome

I am very sorry for your loss. Please give Charlie a few days' time to grieve unless he is stopping to eat and drink (acute pining). Guinea pigs profit from company but they also need to time to mourn. Once they are no longer withdrawn and pick up their normal life again, they are open for a new companion.

When you are getting a new piggy on spec and cannot rescue date Charlie under expert supervision to allow him to have a say who he gets on with please be aware that a bonding may fail. Unfortunately rescue access is very haphazard in the current volatile conditions.

The key to any successful piggy bond is mutual liking and character compatibility. The longer I have guinea pigs and the more bondings (successful and failed ones) I am doing, the more the more complex personalities they are - equalling humans easily, who need company, too; but again not at any price. An arranged marriage in either species is always a risk.
You need to put in a plan B in the form of a divided cage with interaction through the bars or two adjoining cages (depending on your current cage and cage size) into place before you can proceed. This especially with the blindness and the allergy in play.

Could you arrange for the two boars to meet on neutral ground to see how they get on before you bring another boar home?

You can try normal antihistamine tablets from a supermarket or pharmacy (they thankfully do the trick for me for both my hayfever and the hives I get when in contact with guinea pigs for a longer term) and cover your bare skin when handling your boy. The allergen usually sits in the pee fragments on the skin and hairs of guinea pigs.

Please take the time to read the guide links for more in-depth information:
Death, Dying, Terminal Illness, Grieving and Bereaved Companions: Information and Support for Owners and Their Children

Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars (also contains a chapter on companionship)

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

Cage Size Guide
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs (the little brindle aby in many of these pictures is actually another of my blind cataract piggies)