Help! Guinea pig grieving

[Tara0725]

Hello,
I need some help for my guinea Bailey. Yesterday his buddy Bear sadly passed away. Bailey is almost 2 years old and was the dominant one and did nip bear once but they got along well. He is grieving (laying where bear was found, not moving much and generally not being his squeaky self!). My problem is whether to get him a buddy - because if I did I feel he would just be too dominant and hurt it if it was a baby? And if it was an adult they would fight for dominance ? Getting him neutered and getting him a female is NOT an option as I’ve had bad experiences with guinea neutering before and am not willing to do this. Please help us!
Lots of love,
Tara and Bailey xx

 

[Claire W]

I’m so sorry for your loss I hope that Bailey is ok. As he is only two years old, I strongly advise you get him a friend by taking him to one of our recommended rescues who offer boar dating so he can choose his own friend.

In the meantime, you may find this thread helpful Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig

 

[Merab]

So sorry for your loss.
I admire you for thinking of Bailey’s welfare when you are grieving too.
I really can’t improve on the advice @Claire W has given about a companion

 

[Wiebke]

Hello,
I need some help for my guinea Bailey. Yesterday his buddy Bear sadly passed away. Bailey is almost 2 years old and was the dominant one and did nip bear once but they got along well. He is grieving (laying where bear was found, not moving much and generally not being his squeaky self!). My problem is whether to get him a buddy - because if I did I feel he would just be too dominant and hurt it if it was a baby? And if it was an adult they would fight for dominance ? Getting him neutered and getting him a female is NOT an option as I’ve had bad experiences with guinea neutering before and am not willing to do this. Please help us!
Lots of love,
Tara and Bailey xx

Hi and welcome!

I am very sorry for your loss. You are welcome to post a tribute to Bear in our Rainbow Bridge section if you would like to and whenever it feels right for you.

Please take the time to read our bereavement guide; it tells you in detail what you can do/need to look out for right now and in the medium term, including when your boy is ready for another mate. @Claire W has given you the link.

By far the best and safest place to find a companion of Bailey's choice is boar dating at a good rescue. Most of our recommended rescues offer boar dating in some form or other. It means that you come home with a new friend only if acceptance has happened, so you maximise your chances of finding 'Mr Right' while minimising the risk of ending up with incompatible piggies.
The roll royce option is residential bonding, where a single/bereaved boar is introduced to up to three suitable boars over the course of a week. Any resulting bond is then tested for stability so it is basically as stable as a sow bond when you bring the boys home. As you can imagine, this is very time consuming so only a few rescues are able to offer this service and there are usually waiting lists.

Recommended rescues:
UK Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues
Some other countries: Guinea Lynx :: Rescue Organizations

PS: Since we have members and enquiries from all over the world, we find it very helpful if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details, so we can tailor any advice and recommendations straight aways to what is relevant and available where you are. Click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal datilas and scroll down to location. This will make it appear with every post you make and ensure that you get the information and where possible local tips that you need. Thank you!