Help with skinny pig

[Laraine]

I rescued a young skinny pig boar a year ago. After a while I bought another baby boar (Not skinny) to keep him company. The moment I introduced them my skinny started rumblestrutting.
Things gradually got a little bit tense between them and a while after I had introduced them I got up one morning and the guinea pig had bitten the skinny on the backside. I parted them, but because I live in a one bedroomed flat I didn't have the room to keep them separately, so I rehomed the guinea pig.
I am now left with just the skinny and don't really want to introduce another in case the same thing happens again, but then I feel that it is cruel to leave him on his own.

 

[Wiebke]

I rescued a young skinny pig boar a year ago. After a while I bought another baby boar (Not skinny) to keep him company. The moment I introduced them my skinny started rumblestrutting.
Things gradually got a little bit tense between them and a while after I had introduced them I got up one morning and the guinea pig had bitten the skinny on the backside. I parted them, but because I live in a one bedroomed flat I didn't have the room to keep them separately, so I rehomed the guinea pig.
I am now left with just the skinny and don't really want to introduce another in case the same thing happens again, but then I feel that it is cruel to leave him on his own.

Hi!

You can either consider having your boy neutered so he can live a sow after the obligatory 6 weeks post-op wait (cross gender bondings are the most stable of them all) provided you have access to a good vet; this is not a quick or cheap solution, but a very safe one for the long term.

You can take your boy for dating at a good rescue that offers this service to ensure character compatibility and mutual liking. If you rehome a sub-adult, you will however face the same problem re. puberty again. This way depends on access to a good standard rescue that offers a dating service and cover afterwards in case the bond is running into problems at some point. Residential dating during boarding is offered by only a few rescues as it is very time consuming; but boars of all ages can be bonded that way and any resulting bond is as stable as a sow bond.
How big is your cage? Boars need all the space they can get!

Your third option would be next door company in an adjoining cage if the first two possibilities are not an option for you. any piggies would need to be able to see each other with their whole and touch noses through the bars/grids for full-on interaction and stimulation. this is also your fall-back option if any bond is not working out.

Please never rehome any piggy into a single situation just because your home is not working out. They are group animals and really need the company and stimulation of others of their kind.

You can find links to rescues and recommended vets in several countries in the teenage guide; it discusses the various options I have listed above in the last chapter with their pros and cons.
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths And Facts
Companionship
Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
Cage Size Guide