Introducing new guinea pigs

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Yvonne

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I lost my piggy (Rodent) two weeks ago and I have just bought two rescue guinea pigs home (they had to go together - both boys). I want them as cage mates to my existing piggy - Ginger Snaps.

Anybody done this?

Any introduction tips appreciated.

Many thanks.:laluot_05:
 
hello, if ginger snaps is a boy then you will have a long introduction process ahead of you 3 boars rarely work and if they do its likely they will fall out at some point.The best idea would be to get another boar and have pairs as i have only heard of a few people who have ever successfully introduced 3,i hope this helps xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
it would have been better to find a friend for your single pig rather than going out and adopting two boys. did you not know that boys are prone to fighting?
you may want to have a think about this, as if you want your boy to be happy you're going to end up with double the amount of guinea pigs you had before- twice the amount of food, bedding etc. Although it's admirable to rescue pigs it is wise to consider cost beforehand. however if this isn't an issue for you i'd say get your single boy a new friend and enjoy having a herd =]
 
I'm afraid I have to agree with what has already been said. Another problem is that if you introduce Ginger Snaps to the 2 rescue piggies, you may upset the balance between the 2 rescues meaning that you could end up with 3 single boars. I am no way an expert in this as I have never owned boars but I know people on here who have. However, there are also people who have successfully bonded a group BUT it has been a lot of hard work. Good luck in whatever you decide x
 
Thank you so much for your quick replies - it went well to start with and then not so good. I took one of the new arrivals out and just left Ginger with one, they have been together about two hours now and seem fine so I am not sure what to do next probably put Ginger inside overnight and leave the two new boys outside.

It would appear that you are absolutely right about the introductions, pity the rescue are not so clued up. All that was recommended was to put perfume on each of them.
 
Perfume...oh gawd!

All my boars are in pairs. I did have one trio that was a rescue bunch of guys and they were ok but they need extra space so instead of 5x2 fo 3 they would need 5x4 and 3 of everything as well as careful supervision.

It's not impossible to do, but more often than not they will fall out. The key is not to be scared of trying them, lots of people are and seperate for the slightest thing. Be on guard with a water spray incase they do have a bit of a go. If you do bond then keep them together as you'll have to go through the whole process each time!

Good luck with it. :)
 
SunshineAndTwinkle said:
Perfume...oh gawd!

All my boars are in pairs. I did have one trio that was a rescue bunch of guys and they were ok but they need extra space so instead of 5x2 fo 3 they would need 5x4 and 3 of everything as well as careful supervision.

It's not impossible to do, but more often than not they will fall out. The key is not to be scared of trying them, lots of people are and seperate for the slightest thing. Be on guard with a water spray incase they do have a bit of a go. If you do bond then keep them together as you'll have to go through the whole process each time!

Good luck with it. :)
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i've never heard of using perfume =S
and i have to say i don't think i'd ever use water to spray at them. it might be harmless but if they're fighting or giving you cause to take action they'll most likely be stressed/angry/scared, and i would have thought spraying them would only antagonise them/shock them and not do them much good.
however if it works for you, then it's probably a good way of keeping an eye on them.

tbh i'd probably go back to the rescue with the two new pigs, explain your problem and maybe ask if you could look at some lone boars instead. pairs are much more popular than single pigs and they'd probably have no problem finding a new home, whereas you may have overlooked a lone pig desperate for a good home.
 
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Is Purrs a cat forum? I did join a lot of cat forums last year when I was rehoming cats from a friend of mine. :)

Yeah Gracie, its only a last resort I've used it on pigs and bunnies without a problem. Especially the buns as I bonded in an open run and couldn't get to them as they were covered with mesh so the water helped if needed. Nt spray directly at them of course, but away from them, the noise of it soon has them stopping what they are doing. :)
 
^ that makes more sense =]
i've tried clapping before to try and distract from chewing but they got used to it.
i thought you meant actually directly to the face (i think someone mentioned doing that on here a while back and i was pretty appalled) so i apologise for misjudging what you meant =]
 
Yes - Purrs is a cat forum - I take it that you are not posting now then.

Forgot to add that guinea pigs dont come up in rescue very often here.
 
^ have you checked to see if there are any single guinea pigs near you?
guineapigrehome.org.uk is a brilliant resource. would you not be willing to travel?
 
It sounds tricky to travel a couple hours on the ferry with a rescue pig... Are they even allowed?

It may well be worth you (Yvonne) asking around if you know people who have guineas, etc, and the done thing is to pair an older boar with a baby boar.

Good luck
 
No animals are not allowed on the ferry as foot passengers - only in the boot of a car, so you are talking mega expensive if I was to go down that route.

I took one of the new piggies out and left Ginger with just one new piggy and they were absolutely fine for about three hours - I was checking every fifteen minutes. Then on the last check they both had blood around their mouthes, Ginger was also humping which I know is a dominant thing. I took new piggy out and bathed him, he has been bitten on the bum and I put him in with his brother.

Will have to rethink my strategy now and see how it goes tomorrow. My daughter wants me to return them to the rescue but I was hoping that I would last a bit longer than this because I know that it can take time, although I have never had any problems with introductions before.

Is there a spell check on this thing?
 
As other posts have said, 3 boars can work but it is rare and to be honest I wouldn't recommend it for the inexperienced. It's a real shame that the rescue weren't a bit more informative, but there is a lot of good info around. Try www.cavyspirit.com and click on Social Life on the left hand side menu, there is a brilliant load of info on the bonding process.

I honestly would recommend against travelling with piggies in the boot of a car as you would not be able to monitor them and it wouldn't be safe for them as they would likely be rolling around with every turn. It's a shame you are not here in Kent, there are loads of single boys desperately needing homes!

The best thing to do would be to take your single boy to a rescue if they have any single boys and let him choose his own friend, assuming the rescue is happy to let you do this. If they have none in, what about Freeads in your area, would that be an option? And if you managed to find a pal for your single boy, would you still be able to keep the bonded pair as well?
 
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