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Lonely male pig

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Brodiexox

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Hi everyone,

i need some help so any advice is appreciated.

i have 3 male pigs, but one had to be separated from the other two due to aggression.
I know pigs arent supposed to be alone but i didnt want to rehome him.
For the first month everything was fine, hes been eating and drinking and behaving normally and i let him free roam around a bigish room for an hour or two a day for exercise and i give him a lot of cuddles and attention but ive noticed hes started to behave a bit differently than usual, not anything dramatic but i do think hes started to get a bit lonely.
I'm not really sure what to do as I'm not sure how hed react to the other 2 pigs again after a month apart and i cant get another guineapig right now, especially with the risk that they might not get along.
should i try to re introduce him to the other pigs? What would be the best course of action here?
 
Brodiexox said:
Hi everyone,

i need some help so any advice is appreciated.

i have 3 male pigs, but one had to be separated from the other two due to aggression.
I know pigs arent supposed to be alone but i didnt want to rehome him.
For the first month everything was fine, hes been eating and drinking and behaving normally and i let him free roam around a bigish room for an hour or two a day for exercise and i give him a lot of cuddles and attention but ive noticed hes started to behave a bit differently than usual, not anything dramatic but i do think hes started to get a bit lonely.
I'm not really sure what to do as I'm not sure how hed react to the other 2 pigs again after a month apart and i cant get another guineapig right now, especially with the risk that they might not get along.
should i try to re introduce him to the other pigs? What would be the best course of action here?
Click to expand...
Hi and welcome!

It is great that you care so much.

The vast majority of same age baby boar trios don't make it through through teenage months together; three boys hit by massive hormone spikes at the same time is just too much when their personalities are all in flux. Getting a pair through teenage can be tough, but more pairs than not will make it. With 3-4 same age boys teenage is generally too much of a challenge unless you have oodles of space so each boar can have his own territory and get away from the others. :(
If you cannot afford a companion, please arrange that he can live right next door to the pair with interaction through the bars for constant stimulation and company. This will do the same trick - combining him having his own territory but still having the necessary company. They can do all the boarly measuring up and the usual teenage macho stuff through the bars without getting into fights. ;)

Ensure that they can see and sniff each other because guinea pig interact by scent and body language just as much as by sound only and they very much depend on not being alone. The next door interaction should prevent depression but not lead to any fights.

Once piggies have decided that they don't like each other, you have had it; they are not going to change their mind so a re-intro after a fall-out usually fails rather spectacularly. If they had a fight with bites, there is far too much aggro between them.

We have quite a number of members with next-door boar companions; it also works with fallen-out trios.

Here is more practical and helpful information:
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars (see chapter IV about companionship options)
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities (See chapter about fallen-out singles)
Moody guinea pigs: Depression, Bullying, Aggression, Stress, Fear and Antisocial Behaviour
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
 
Please also consider contacting a local rescue group and asking them about the options.
In the UK there are places that offer a 'boar dating' service where you could take him along and allow him to choose his own companion.
Depending on where you are based would this be an option?

You clearly sound like a very caring owner with his best interests at heart, so I hope you can find a solution.
 
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