How to care for an alone female guinea pig

Abby tannetta

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi all, I recently got a Guinea pig and I was planning on buying a second female as a friend, the store only had one left. But the next day all stores have stopped selling pets due to lockdown. I really want to keep her as happy as possible. Any advice on that? Toys or games? she has a few wooden sticks and some wooden balls hanging but doesn’t seem to play with them, she is still very shy. Hope someone can help. I want the best for her- her name is penelope. 3F9F2D39-ED94-4C97-8BE9-74FCBBC5D7BF.webp
 
Hello - Penelope is lovely! If you have any cardboard boxes you can cut windows and doors in them so she can use them as hideys and it will add some interest for her. Do you have any tunnels for her as guinea pigs like running through tunnels (if not you could buy online though there might be a bit of a delay for non-essential orders at the moment). Apparently hiding food or hay in paper bags or scrunched up newspaper is popular with other guinea pigs, but my two are a bit daft bless them and don't understand it!

When the lockdown period is over you might want to approach a local rescue about finding a friend for her as they may offer a bonding service. If you put your location in your profile we can maybe help advise you about rescues there may be in your area and if you are in the UK there is a rescue locator at the top of the page.
 
Love that you're trying to keep her entertained! This is a difficult situation since it's always best for them to have a pier, but I understand why that can't happen just yet. I would say just give her as much enrichment as possible. There are many YouTube tutorials on homemade toys made using things around the house. I use things like cardboard tissue boxes, newspaper, cardboard from toilet paper/paper towel roll, etc.

The other thing you'll want to do is give her floor time so she can exercise and explore. There are also lots of tutorials on how you can do this without ruining your carpet, hardwood, or tile (guinea pigs can be quite destructive and need to use the bathroom too). But since she is very new I would let her adjust to her main environment a little while longer before doing this.

Finally, when you are able to fetch Penelope a partner, please try to avoid stores. They try to cover this up, but when you buy a live animal from a pet store it is basically a guarantee that that animal was born in a dirty mill which will be further supported by your purchase. It sucks, I know, and I would recommend doing more research on this topic unless you're quite faint of heart because it really is disturbing. Shelters might be few and far between but usually, they will offer the option of a 'playdate' so that you can see if your two pigs are a true match for each other—which will be VERY important later. You do not want to get stuck with piggies that resent each other, and bringing a random pig home from the pet store increases those odds.

Hope you and P can entertain yourselves inside!
 
Hi all, I recently got a Guinea pig and I was planning on buying a second female as a friend, the store only had one left. But the next day all stores have stopped selling pets due to lockdown. I really want to keep her as happy as possible. Any advice on that? Toys or games? she has a few wooden sticks and some wooden balls hanging but doesn’t seem to play with them, she is still very shy. Hope someone can help. I want the best for her- her name is penelope. View attachment 136489

Hi!

I am very sorry!

Here is information on single pets and what they expect from us: Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities

Piggy whispering tips and social interaction based on guinea social behaviour:
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
Who is the boss - your guinea pig or you?

Enrichment:
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs
 
All the ideas for enrichment here are fantastic. If you do want to get her a friend, though I know shelters around here are really trying to get rid of their animals due to not having volunteers to care for them. I always see young piggies at the ones around here. I know in the US you can use petfinder to find just about any type of animal and look into the shelter to see if they are still trying to adopt out. It would be worth checking into. Look on their facebook pages and blog pages to see if they are.
 
Unfortunate I live in Cardiff in wales and all of the shelters are closed! but thankyou!:(
 
Unfortunate I live in Cardiff in wales and all of the shelters are closed! but thankyou!:(

If possible contact Suzy at Glynneath Guinea Pig Rescue (which is the best rescue in your neck of the woods) for tips and to be put on her adoption/rescue dating list so you can get a character compatible healthy (i.e. fully quarantined and guarantined not pregnant sow or safely neutered boar) companion for a smooth start as soon as she reopens again; and avoid all the usual pitfalls that await the unwary into the bargain. You and your little girl are in good hands there.
Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues

If it is any consolation, my adoption of a rescue sow on a 10 weeks pregnancy watch has been suspended for the time being. I've had her reserved since January and was supposed to pick her up Saturday after next... :(
It's not fun for the rescues either as their fundraising avenues have mostly dried up and they have to still feed and care for all the piggies in the rescue.
 
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