about a month ago one of my guinea pigs passed away and my remaining girl is recently not eating much at all but pooping ALOT and just sitting in the corner. she has always been the quietest and shyest and the other one louder and confident. she is 4 yrs old so I don't really want to introduce a new younger mate to her. pls help I'm worried about her
Hi and welcome!
Could you please add your country, state/province or UK county to your details, so we can help you better? We have got members ffrom all over the world. Your options in your specific case depend very much on what is available and doable where you are. Please click on your username on the top bar, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. thank you!
Guinea pigs are group animals. Some struggle really badly without company. It is called pining. The most extreme form is for a bereaved companion to just give up when their friend has died. In the case of acute pining, the best thing you can do is finding a new friend, ideally of the pining piggy's choice and ideally at one of our recommended rescues under expert supervision, so you do not have to worry about quarantine or what happens if they don't take to each other. Age and gender (sow or neutered boar) are less important than mutual liking in my own experience. With a pining piggy, you should see an instant transformance - they pretty much come alive as soon as they hear other piggies and get their sparkle back once they have a new friend.
In your case, it may be worth speaking with a good rescue anyway to see whether they have got a suitable companion, are willing to rehome a younger piggy (that will return to them afterwards) for the duration of your girl's life or if they can offer her a space in their residential golden oldies herd (which most rescues have).
Recommended UK rescues:
Guinea Pig Rescue Centre Locator
Rescues in other countries:
Guinea Lynx :: Rescue Organizations
Alternatively, you can consider finding another older piggy as a live alongside companion with interaction/constant stimulation through bars; this can then be any gender if they are not in physical contact. If you get a non-rescue piggy, you would need to conduct a quarantine, though, to make sure that your girl with a stress lowered immune system is not catching anything.
Importance Of Quarantine
It is quite possible that your remaining girl is pining for her lost friend. In this situation, the best thing you can do for her (if you don't want to give her up) is take her to a rescue, where they may be able to find a suitable companion of a similar age. You may find a good rescue near you in the Rescuer Locator at the top of the page. Good luck! 
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