How To Bond 2 Piggies

[piggys rox]

hi, i recently lost a piggy so now i have one. she seems really lonely and has been acting differently. she used to always come over to greet me and purred when i stroke her but now she runs away when i approach the cage. she is eating, sleeping and has shown no signs of illness luckily but she isnt the same old guinea pig. when she had her friend they were just popcorning whenever but now she just lies around. i'm really worried and am thinking about getting a friend but i'm not sure how you bond piggies. i phoned up the local shelter, and they said our cage isn't big enough for 2 piggies (when actually it is quite big) i then went to a pet shop and they said because of her age she might fight, but i think if i bond her the correct way then they will get along. people have told me, it might be easier if the new piggy is a baby instead of the same age.

what i really need answering is :
should i get a new piggy?
if so,
should the new piggy be the same age or younger?
and most importantly
how do you bond them?

 

[Wiebke]

The safest way to bond a bereaved guinea pig with a new cmpanion is by dating her under expert supervision at one of our recommended good standard rescues with either another sow or a neutered boar. That will make sure that both piggies like each other; you also don't have to worry about potential pregnancy or illness like in the case of shop piggies. Guinea pigs of any age can be rebonded that way; the key is character compatibility and mutual liking. You only come home with a new piggy if there has been success, so you will not be in any danger of ending up with two piggies that don't get on.

I have gone down that way several times with bonding bereaved sows of mine with both sows and neutered rescue boars. So far, I have always got a very loving relationship out of every successful bond!

You have got one of our recommended rescues just outside Southampton, so it may be worth contacting Wheek and Squeak rescue: http://wheekandsqueak.webs.com/
other rescues are a bit further away; you can find them via our rescue locator on the bar at the top.

 

[piggys rox]

thanks wiebke