Lost after piggy death

[Rock-a-Bock]

My daughter (13) and I are first time guinea pig owners. We bought two females last year, both of which turned out to be pregnant and ended up with five. After much negotiation we decided to give the only piggy away for rehoming and were left with two males and two females.
As we live in a small bungalow I had only one room suitable for housing the piggies so gave up my living room for this purpose - they lived in two cages side by side happily. At the beginning there was a lot of rumble strutting and rough and tumble between the boys who were clearly trying to get to the girls but i put a blanket between cages to block the view and they settled right down.
Our long haired boy, Rocky, died yesterday at the vets and we are devastated. What makes it harder is seeing his remaining brother Fudge so lonesome and I know I can't leave him on his own for long which brings me to our questions.
Our choices for Fudge are to either arrange a new pal for him or get him neutered, buy a larger cage and house him in with the girls (his mum & aunt). I have concerns about both options - all advice on google suggests that if I get him neutered it will not stop him mating with the girls and I wonder just how prolific this would be as my daughter is majorly weirded out at the idea of him constantly romancing his own mum! It also means he'll have to spend the next 6-8 weeks on his own.
The other option concerns me because I know the two boys never fought despite the girls' presence as they were together since birth - I am worried that another male piggy coming in to join him will not settle if they can smell the girls in the cage next to them, and that they won't bond but fight.
Also, if the best choice is to get a new male I could do with some advice on how long to wait before introducing him.
I apologise for the length of this post! It was such a shock to lose Rocky and we would greatly appreciate any advice, thank you.

 

[Wiebke]

My daughter (13) and I are first time guinea pig owners. We bought two females last year, both of which turned out to be pregnant and ended up with five. After much negotiation we decided to give the only piggy away for rehoming and were left with two males and two females.
As we live in a small bungalow I had only one room suitable for housing the piggies so gave up my living room for this purpose - they lived in two cages side by side happily. At the beginning there was a lot of rumble strutting and rough and tumble between the boys who were clearly trying to get to the girls but i put a blanket between cages to block the view and they settled right down.
Our long haired boy, Rocky, died yesterday at the vets and we are devastated. What makes it harder is seeing his remaining brother Fudge so lonesome and I know I can't leave him on his own for long which brings me to our questions.
Our choices for Fudge are to either arrange a new pal for him or get him neutered, buy a larger cage and house him in with the girls (his mum & aunt). I have concerns about both options - all advice on google suggests that if I get him neutered it will not stop him mating with the girls and I wonder just how prolific this would be as my daughter is majorly weirded out at the idea of him constantly romancing his own mum! It also means he'll have to spend the next 6-8 weeks on his own.
The other option concerns me because I know the two boys never fought despite the girls' presence as they were together since birth - I am worried that another male piggy coming in to join him will not settle if they can smell the girls in the cage next to them, and that they won't bond but fight.
Also, if the best choice is to get a new male I could do with some advice on how long to wait before introducing him.
I apologise for the length of this post! It was such a shock to lose Rocky and we would greatly appreciate any advice, thank you.

Hi and welcome

I am ever so sorry for your loss. Here is some helpful information for yourself and your daughter: Death, Dying, Terminal Illness, Grieving and Bereaved Companions: Information and Support for Owners and Their Children

If your daughter is really upset by seeing the son mate with his mother (which is not a taboo in guinea pig society the way it is in a human one), then I would recommend that you consider finding a baby boy (ideally of your own boy's choice although that is a lot more difficult in Northern Ireland). Look for a more submissive one; this means that he will grow up around sows as well. If you consider keeping your boys above the girls, the female pheromones are less of a problem and it can also solve your space issue.
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars (see esp. chapters 3&4)

For the time being, your bereaved boy should be fine living alongside your sows with interaction through the bars in order to prevent depression setting in. Hopefully this can also help with getting your daughter a bit more used to the idea of him living with his family. After all, there won't be any more babies. This measure will also give you the time to do your research and weigh up the various pros and cons. There is never just one solution fits all cases; it has to feel right for you.
Please give your boy time to grieve, too; even when it is hard to watch. As long as he is eating and drinking, he will keep. He should be coming out of deep mourning in a few days.

PS: Here is my own solution with the help of an Ikea table, which fits into the footprint of the cage below, just to give you an idea when considering the different options. I lift the table legs just off the ground with my shoulder when cleaning and conduct a deep clean of the whole room twice a year when we carry the table cages into the other half of our lounge.

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum and I am so sorry for your loss.
I can only echo the advice @Wiebke has given you about a way forward.
Please feel free to post a tribute to Rocky on the Rainbow Bridge thread.
Be gentle with yourselves as you grieve.

 

[Rock-a-Bock]

Thank you both so much for your understanding and advice. I am honestly shocked at how emotional it's been and I think having a clear path forward will help us. I really like that idea of housing the males above the girls and I still have the number if the people who sold us our original two - they had a substantial herd so hopefully they can help us out with another boy - thanks so much again.

 

[Claire W]

I’m so sorry for your loss I can only echo the advise given above x

 

[stef.trg]

Just thought I‘d offer some experience on the mother/son relationship - I felt exactly the same when we decided that one of our boys will be living with his mum. We felt a little uncomfortable thinking about them mating as it is such a big taboo in the human world. But I was honestly worried for nothing. Turns out it‘s not weird at all! They’ve been together since the beginning of December now and I‘ve seen them actually mate maybe twice. For us, they don’t feel like mother and son anymore - they have such a deep and loving bond. A much better one than either of them had with their previous cagemates! And it doesn’t consist of constant humping and romancing as one might think. Buttons has turned into such a confident and cheeky pig since she‘s living with Cornelius. They‘re real partners in crime getting up to all kinds of mischief - they are best friends much more than lovers.

However, you‘ve been given great advice above and should definitely do what feels right for you and your piggies! I just thought I‘d offer some insight so you‘re not totally put off by having mother & son together Here‘s a pic of the lovely couple having a snuggle on the sofa.