Is it true that it's not devastating to be alone for male piggies?

M

mastrocastro

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Dec 2, 2019
Messages
8
Reaction score
1
Points
55
Location
Greece
I just read this article: Is it Okay to Have Only One Guinea Pig? | Pocket Pet Central
Quote: "One less-spoken fact is that female guinea pigs are the ones that need to be grown in a group of 2 to 4. Male guinea pigs do just okay being alone. Yet, you have to remember that getting a companion for your male guinea pig can increase his life expectancy by a factor of 10! Let’s face it, nobody wants their pet to die earlier. Especially in this case where you not only get to enjoy your pet longer but also get double the happiness of owning just one! "
I thought that all guinea pigs, when raised without a companion, would most likely develop depression and stress. This is the first time I read that this applies to males only. Also even in this article, it is unclear whether the editor is refering to female piggies only... Could someone clue me in?
 
No, neither sex should be kept alone. A Male on his own will still get lonely.
The difference is that females are programmed to live in large groups with other females. It’s different for males in that they don’t live in large groups (unless a bachelor herd is formed) but they should still not be kept alone - they should be with either one other Male, or be neutered and live with a group of females
 
Males get lonely too, and a guinea pig should always have the chance to have a compatible companion.
Honestly articles like this annoy me.
Their source is listed as 'Wikipedia' - the source that anyone can add to, and is rarely controlled.
They never actually come to a conclusion - you have quoted them out of context, as their 'conclusions' change in every section. In one section they say males do ok being alone, and in the next they say the opposite. It's all fairly wishy washy.

And based on my own personal expereince my boys have always been the ones who really need companionship. I have dealt with several feisty hormonal females in my time, and in general the boys just want to hang out and rumble strut at anyone who is interested.
 
The need for companionship applies to both genders. There is sadly so much bad and unchecked advice out there. :(


Our boar guide contains a chapter on companionship: A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

Here is an article about single guinea pigs I have written for Guinea Pig Magazine: Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities

Companionship is at the core of guinea pig society; sadly boars are all too often the victims of human ignorance, selfishness, money making and misinformation. Even those piggies who prefer their own territory (in my experience this is more older sows than boars to be honest) are in most cases still a lot happier with the stimulation and interaction from neighbours - it can be truly life prolonging. And it wouldn't be that if companionhip was as unimportant as the writer of your quotation makes out! There are some big constradictions and logical holes in that text! :(
 
Trolls edit those Wikipedia just for fun, I've seen a few like it..
 
For guinea pigs, males need companionship just as much as females. There is unfortunately a lot of bad advice about pet ownership out there... the myth that no male animal will tolerate a same-sex friend is one I've run into pretty frequently. Generally, if an animal lives with others in the wild, they will be happier with others. Animals that are naturally solitary in the wild will do fine alone.
 
Beware what you read on the Internet, lots of articles are not written by experts and not accurate
 
The problem with the internet is that anyone can write what they want, factual or not. All piggies need companionship of their kind.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top