How To Find A New Friend For My Guinea Pig?

Perkypanda

Perkypanda

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I know this sounds rushed but Bella is in the vets it is looking highly unlikely she will be coming home. Grace her friend is ok but looking very lost, wheeking a lot and generally not her normal self. I can never replace Bella but don't want Grace to suffer either. I looked at rescues and there are no sows on their own. There are a few boars including one neutured one. Any suggestions? Is a boar sow combo good? I don't know how else to get a friend for Grace. I got them from Pets at Home which isn't ideal but there are not many rescues here and the only one there was said I couldn't rescue any because my cage is 119cm instead of 120cm.
 
I am so sorry. I have been following your thread on Bella. Please have a huge hug.

All cages are actually 119cm not 120cm as they taper down... but are still called 120cm cages,... shocking. If you measure the inside of a ferplast it is 119cm - jolly poor show on the rescues front there. Just say you have a ferplast 120 or something like that in future... that is being picky on their part :(

You have to do what you have to do, if you cant go rescue then go pet shop. You have tried rescue but Grace welfare is important here so please don't feel pressured all the time to rescue. Everyone here understands rescue isn't always possible, piggy trains aren't always possible. Travelling miles isn't always possible. No one will judge you.

I would advise getting a baby sow if needed as the young ones tend to fit into the bottom of the hierarchy,

And have a hug, I am sorry you are going through this.

Spend lots of time with Grace help her through it, I know this sounds awful... and I dont want to upset you but If you lose Bella please pop her body in with Grace. Grace will understand then her friend has passed. This reall hurts I know and I have been through it far too many times to count now but it helps them.

Have a huge hug, we are here for you x
 
Perkypanda said:
I know this sounds rushed but Bella is in the vets it is looking highly unlikely she will be coming home. Grace her friend is ok but looking very lost, wheeking a lot and generally not her normal self. I can never replace Bella but don't want Grace to suffer either. I looked at rescues and there are no sows on their own. There are a few boars including one neutured one. Any suggestions? Is a boar sow combo good? I don't know how else to get a friend for Grace. I got them from Pets at Home which isn't ideal but there are not many rescues here and the only one there was said I couldn't rescue any because my cage is 119cm instead of 120cm.
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I’m so sorry to read here that you are expecting poor Bella not to recover. It’s not a cruel thing to worry how to cope with her loss but to also worry about Graces life afterwards. As @sport_billy has said, a young sow would be ideal company for Grace should the worst happen to Bella. Sending a hug. Xx
 
Perkypanda said:
I know this sounds rushed but Bella is in the vets it is looking highly unlikely she will be coming home. Grace her friend is ok but looking very lost, wheeking a lot and generally not her normal self. I can never replace Bella but don't want Grace to suffer either. I looked at rescues and there are no sows on their own. There are a few boars including one neutured one. Any suggestions? Is a boar sow combo good? I don't know how else to get a friend for Grace. I got them from Pets at Home which isn't ideal but there are not many rescues here and the only one there was said I couldn't rescue any because my cage is 119cm instead of 120cm.
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Neutered boars and sows - provided initial acceptance happens - are the most stable of piggy bonds.
PS: Can you get a hamster cage from the free-ads and create a hay tray in it to extend your existing cage? You can join traditional cages into a larger one (see my temporary solution before I went C&C at a time when you had to source the grids yourself). Sadly some rescues can be too inflexible when it comes to welfare standards even when it is the difference between a traditional cage and a C&C grid cage.
Cage Size Guide

I am very sorry for your situation. Please give Grace time to grieve for a few days unless she stops eating altogether (acute pining), but of course you can look around now and contact any suitable places so you have your ducks lined up when it becomes necessary! With a bereavement, you very much depend what is around at the time. I have several times gone down the neutered boar route because there weren't any sows in rescue at the time.
Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
Guinea Pig Rescue Centre Locator
 
That's such a shame. If you could get a neutered boar from a rescue (I know you're having problems in the rescue department) that would be another alternative, but I agree that, it you can't get a piggy from a rescue, then a pet shop it has to be.....unless there's someone near you on the forum with babies getting to the right age and wanting to rehome them?
 
Sending you hugs, this is such a horrible time for you. I was devastated when I couldn't go down the rescue route last year but sometimes it's just not possible. The rescues that did bonding had very long waiting lists at that time. We were prepared to travel as far as it took but the rescues felt the distance was too great for the piggys. I ended up going to a shop for a baby, the last thing I wanted to do but Bracken's welfare had to come first in the end. Now of course I wouldn't be without Rusty he has fitted in very well.
 
Grace was looking very sorry for herself in her run tonight. So I put a teddy in with her. She seemed to like it. Ran about a bit, ate all her food and kept going over to it. Looking for a small teddy to go in her cage now. So cute.
 
Sadly we lost Bella today. I knew in my heart that she wouldn't be coming home. Doesn't make it any easier though. Grace still seems a little lost - she is eating but just sitting really. I want to get a friend for her. Basically I'm after advice - there is a neutered boar from a rescue (only one) but no rescue sows. So my options are getting this boar, if he is still available, or getting a baby sow. Having never bonded piggies before (I brought Bella and Grace together). I was after some guidance. Which is more likely to work out?
 
I'd say it depends on the personality of your pig if she is dominant then a baby is the better option but if she is calm and layer back then a neutered boar would work. If you are getting the pig which ever you choose then couldn't you see if they can bond them into a pair. But I'm not really experienced. So sorry for your loss
 
She is quite dominant in terms of with me but it was actually Bella who was the dominant piggy.
 
Any more experience of bonding either sow with neutered boars or baby sows? I am also aware that if I got the boar and then he is the surviving guinea pig down the line I would then have to try and find a sow which would probably have to be a baby as there are hardly ever any older rescue single sows. Any experience or advice gratefully received!
 
Hi, so sorry to hear about Bella.

For Grace would it be an option to take her to the rescue to meet the neutered boar?some rescues will offer a bonding service where the piggies can meet there and decide if they like each other before you bring them home together. If

If this is not an option or the rescue is far away then a female baby piggie would a great option. Grace is likely to welcome the baby with open paws as she won’t see it as a threat. I’ve always had boars but even grumpy Wilbur was over the moon when joined by a baby piggie after losing his original pal.

There are some great sticky threads in this section especially the ‘looking after a bereaved piggie’ and the bonding ones - all worth a read if you’ve not already.

For long term if you plan to keep piggies in the future... if you have room for 3 you could keep an eye out at rescues if another female piggie ever comes available and introduce the third piggie to your pair. (This is an option whether you go for a boar or baby female now) That way you shouldn’t ever be left with one lonely piggie.

Hope this helps. Sending hugs.

Natalie
 
OK so I stupidly rang around and happened to find a sow in the rescue part of pets at home. She is about 5-6 months. Went in and had a look. She is so cute and much bigger than a baby. Argh now not sure what to do. I can't replace Bella and don't want to rush in but this cutie has been there for 3 months due to no fault of her own. I was in there talking to the lady and stroking her for about 20mins. She was very cute and seemed healthy and well handled too which helps.
 
Yeah, they said to give them a ring in the morning. If I still want her they can't reserve her but can 'put people off'. Then I could pick her up tomorrow, put her in a cage next to Grace and then do the actual bonding at the weekend when I am at home and they have had chance to get used to the sounds, smells etc.
They did also say that if she didn't get on - as in could not be bonded, that they would accept her back. She has never had a home yet due to being on pregnancy watch (no pregnancies just scares). She doesn't even have a name, despite being there for at least 3 months :(
 
So I rang back yesterday and they had her. I brought her home yesterday. She is in a small cage at the moment next to Grace on the floor so they can smell each other etc. Almost straight away Grace was smelling the air, going to that side of the cage, running around and talking. Then after a bit she lay down with her legs stretched out - something she hasn't done since Bella went on Wednesday. I will be bonding them on Sunday as I have the whole day free. I am really nervous that they won't get on but fingers crossed. They are both certainly interested in each other. The newbie has had a cuddle too and is out and about and isn't too weary which is good. Plus on a side note Grace's loose poops are back to normal now - still cutting down the veg though.
IMG_9918.webp IMG_9941.webp IMG_9945.webp IMG_9927.webp
 
They are both still very interested in each other. Newbie (not naming her until I know I can keep her and they've not killed each other during bonding) has learnt some tricks from Grace such as standing by the front of the cage screaming in the morning. She seems to like to make herself heard. Is eating out of my hand already and had a few cuddles. Grace is still looking happy - even saw a popcorn today which I haven't seen since Bella went. The newbie seems well but has some big chunks missing from her ears so think she may have been picked on when she was a baby. Just keeping everything crossed that the bonding session goes ok on Sunday and I can finally tell people about her (and officially name her).
 
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