Is my boy lonely?

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lincolnsmommy

lincolnsmommy

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Hi,

Thanks so much for all the advice you've all given me so far.

I have one piggy boy about 8 or 9 months old now. He seems fine on his own but i've seen so many photos on here with piggys with friends and they seem so happy. I would like to get a friend for Lincoln but as his so spoilt i don't think he would like another piggy getting my attention. (If I'm on the laptop he goes and sits on it so i cant type :P ) Anyway do you think getting another piggy is a good idea? If so what do i do? how do i introduce then or pick a piggy perfect for him? Does age make a difference?
My main fear is getting him a friend and them not getting on. I don't want see my boy or any other piggy hurt (obviously). I also don't have room for two cages so if they don't get on i would be stuck.

Any advice would be great :)

Thankyou
 
Has he always been on his own? If so, I guess he's used to it by now and as you say, he seems quite happy. On the other hand though, piggies are herd animals by nature so do love company of their own kind. It can be difficult to bond boys and I'd imagine Lincoln is coming out of the teenage stage. In my experience, a baby boy would be the best option - some rescues would allow Lincoln to go along and pick his own friend. My bonding experience is limited, but I put a baby boy with Benjamin and, touch wood, things have gone OK. Ben is a dominant piggy and has so far taught Dave all he knows! :smitten: Other than that, perhaps wait until Lincoln is a little older so his hormones have settled a bit. I'm by no means an expert and I'm sure someone with better knowledge will be along soon!

It can be a risky business trying to bond piggies, but with time and thought, the rewards are immense!
 
My boy Basil now lives on his own. He came to me alone, but I'd also read that they must have company, so when his son was old enough to leave mum, he came here too. They lived together for a while but in the end Basil made it clear he did NOT like company, so son went back to his previous home (breaking my heart) and Basil now enjoys his own company. They are meant to be group animals, certainly, but I suppose there are exceptions to all the rules, and (this is just my opinion) if your boy seems happy, and you say he is well loved and spoiled, perhaps he is also one who would be content on his own?
 
I have always kept boars in pairs which has worked for me and them ( thankgoodness ) but they have always either been together from a very young age or if one of a pair died after a cooling off period I'd assess the remaining ones behaviour and ultimately end up pairing him with a baby because he showed signs of loneliness etc and touchwood I've never had a fight on my hands however I have read your other posts and Lincoln indeed sounds like a lovely spoilt boy who is happy and accepts you as his best friend . If he is jealous enough to try and deflect your attention from the laptop you have to wonder what he might feel seeing you mummying another piggie. There are always exceptions to the rule and what with you not having the room to seperate them if necessary I can't help thinking If it's not broke don't fix it
 
I would echo most of the others posts, and say if you can find a rescue close by who will let you take him along to choose his own friend, that would have a good chance of a lasting bond. Altenatively if you get construct a setup with a mesh divider, if you do find him a baby boar and they fall out later on, they can often live side by side very happily. Our pig Dylan was badly bullied in a massive group of boars before he came to us and now he won't have another pig anywhere near him, and we can't get him neutered as he had a stoke through the stress of it all - however he likes to snuggle up at the divider with one of our other single boys and the two chat away and interact :)

Alternatively he's a good age to be neutered if you want to go down that route, but I would ring all the vets in the area to see how guinea savvy they are if you don't already have one, or perhaps someone can help on here who is in your area with a recommendation :)
 
I'm just slowly trying to pair my 1.5 year old boar with a new 3 month old boar and so far so good. Syd was getting real lonely after falling out with his last mate and being separated. But he's been really fed up although very cuddley with me.

It takes patience and doesn't always work, but I think your little man would love a friend!
 
I have just had to separate 2 boars I was trying to introduce cos they were fighting not given up altogether but it isn't looking hopefull.I have introduced 2 in the past and its been ok but as I'm finding out this time it doesn't always work.I have had to get another cageand I too don't have much room but i'v squeezed it in.So you do need to be prepared for this happening
 
Thanks everyone for your advice.
I think the main issue is the fact i don't have room for another cage if this doesn't work. I wouldn't want to rehome a new piggy for him to go straight back, it would break my heart. Your advice has put my mind at rest though as i was worried i was not being a good mommy to him by not getting him a friend. Some sites are really against having guinea pigs on there own but as long as there loved and happy it shouldn't matter. i suppose like you all say it depends on the guinea pig.

Maybe when his alittle older i will try. The idea of taking him to a rehoming centre to pick his own friend is a great idea! Or when my brother moves out i could try fostering guinea pigs and seeing how he finds it. plenty of room then :)

Thanks again everyone :)
 
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