In Terms Of What Barney Needs, Does He Need A Friend?

[BenjiAndButtons]

We think we may need to get a friend for Barney but we dont know?

Here's the sitch! Barney was bought as a friend for Benji after Buttons died. We love barney we really do, but we only really got him because we know piggies shouldn't live alone, but Benji doesn't like Barney, he's already warned him a few times (we know what we're looking for now after he did the same thing to Buttons before he attacked him, twice.) We really thought maybe it was just a perosnality clash with benji and buttons and maybe benji would get on with barney but he just doesnt like him.

Barney however adores benji. They live in a double cage, with the top and bottom sealed off, and Barney (on the bottom) listens to Benjis movements and follows him around, if he hears Benji being got out he squeaks, if he sees him he gets all excited.

So do you think we need to find a friend for him? Also, He's only 6 months so what aged friend should he have? Adult? baby?

 

[Janice C]

We think we may need to get a friend for Barney but we dont know?

Here's the sitch! Barney was bought as a friend for Benji after Buttons died. We love barney we really do, but we only really got him because we know piggies shouldn't live alone, but Benji doesn't like Barney, he's already warned him a few times (we know what we're looking for now after he did the same thing to Buttons before he attacked him, twice.) We really thought maybe it was just a perosnality clash with benji and buttons and maybe benji would get on with barney but he just doesnt like him.

Barney however adores benji. They live in a double cage, with the top and bottom sealed off, and Barney (on the bottom) listens to Benjis movements and follows him around, if he hears Benji being got out he squeaks, if he sees him he gets all excited.

So do you think we need to find a friend for him? Also, He's only 6 months so what aged friend should he have? Adult? baby?

Depends whether you are having him neutered or not? It's usually suggested that you introduce an older boar if trying that or a sow of any age really if he's neutered. Any rescue centres near you? Some do bonding for you so that takes the worry away from you knowing people that specialise in doing this can help. We all need a friend!

 

[Lady Kelly]

Ideally all piggies need a friend as you are aware. How big is the cage? Did the boys have two of everything and space to get away from each other? This would give them the best chance of getting on. Some "fighting" is normal dominance behaviour and we have a lot of members join here thinking their boys aren't getting on or are fighting when they are just sorting out the hierarchy.

As Janice says, rescues that offer boar bonding would be your best bet. You could take both boys along and if they are allowed to choose their own friend you are much more likely to end up with a solid bond that has a very slim chance of failing.

 

[Wiebke]

Could you get to one of our recommended rescues for some boar dating to make sure that Barney finds a friend he gets on with? As the only good rescue local to you has sadly closed down a couple of years ago, you may have to travel further, but it is still worth it as you won't end up with yet another boar pair not getting along. You'll have the rescue to fall back on if that happens.

The other option is to have him neutered by a good vet, so he can live with a sow or two after a 6 weeks post-op safety wait. He is old enough for that operation now. The presence of a sow is no problem for a single boar, only for a bonded pair.

Guinea Pig Rescue Centre Locator
Guinea Pig Vet Locator

 

[BenjiAndButtons]

Hi thanks for the replies! There are a few rescue centres nearby but none that offer bonding and neither of us drive yet. We've always heard that neutering is dangerous, because any op is dangerous on a little piggie, we've gone through a few vets in blackpool and theres is a lady who owes one of the vets 4 pets banches who we really trust but they're never a guarantee of getting her

They live in a bigg enough cage for them but if we were getting a new friend we'd consider modifications or a new cage. They have two of everything including food, bowls houses and water bottles.

At first Benji just displayed normal dominance, but Barney kept pulling his hair and i think it ticked him off, he gave him a few warnings ( showing him is teeth, snapping at him, hair raised teeth chattering) its what he did to Buttons before they wounded each other.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi thanks for the replies! There are a few rescue centres nearby but none that offer bonding and neither of us drive yet. We've always heard that neutering is dangerous, because any op is dangerous on a little piggie, we've gone through a few vets in blackpool and theres is a lady who owes one of the vets 4 pets banches who we really trust but they're never a guarantee of getting her

They live in a bigg enough cage for them but if we were getting a new friend we'd consider modifications or a new cage. They have two of everything including food, bowls houses and water bottles.

At first Benji just displayed normal dominance, but Barney kept pulling his hair and i think it ticked him off, he gave him a few warnings ( showing him is teeth, snapping at him, hair raised teeth chattering) its what he did to Buttons before they wounded each other.

Would it be possible to arrange the cages in a way that your boys can interact more directly?

And could you get to Kidsgrove by train (for The Potteries Guinea Pig Rescue), for instance? I don't have a car, either, but have dated Tribe piggies there coming up all the way from Coventry, which was about 2 hours train journey each way; Bedo is the result of that trip. My most recent piggies I have picked up by train in Sheffield and on Tuesday in Colwyn Bay; that has been a several hours train journey each way.