Made a Mistake!

C

CRosario

New Born Pup
Joined
Feb 14, 2019
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
20
Hello! so my husband surprised my kids with a guinea pig.... and yes, no research or anything was done! He bought him from a pet store because he doesnt know any better and now i dont know what to do! i know that they cant live by themselves, my question is, should i adopt another one? Or should i return him and get two that have been together? (which i dont want to do becasue my kids are already attached....
 
Did the pet shop have any other pigs that were in the same cage ? Same sex ?
If they do, you may be able to purchase a friend he know's.
How old is your piggy ? and what sex ?
Adopting a young piggy of the same sex, would be the easiest way to bond them as friends.
 
Hello.
I know a bit about the "surprise" of a guinea pig your going through, my first guinea pig was abandoned on my porch and I knew nothing about guinea pigs either.
You definitely should adopt another one, has guinea pigs NEED to live in pairs. You should be able to adopt one from another source and with proper introduction, they should get along fine.
Please make sure you DO NOT purchase a pet store cage as they are terrible options and cannot provide basic adequate space for guinea pigs. I highly recommend a c&c cage or some sort of large pen.
Please make sure you check out these guides, it will tell you everything about guinea pigs: New Owners' Problem Solver And Information Collection
Guinea pigs do make wonderful pets, but they require time, money, space, and dedication. If you are not ready and did not want your husband to make this purchase, you should return him.
 
My reply was rubbish . So edited it out.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
CRosario said:
Hello! so my husband surprised my kids with a guinea pig.... and yes, no research or anything was done! He bought him from a pet store because he doesnt know any better and now i dont know what to do! i know that they cant live by themselves, my question is, should i adopt another one? Or should i return him and get two that have been together? (which i dont want to do becasue my kids are already attached....
Click to expand...

Hi! Yes, please get a same sex companion. If you have access to a good rescue that offers dating/meet and greet at the rescue so that acceptance has happened before you bring another one home, then all to the better, but not everybody sadly has got that option.
Recommended good standard rescues with mandatory quarantine and vet care, pregnancy watch and careful pairing up. The majority of these vetted rescues we can guarantee you are in safe hands also offers rescue dating.
For the UK: Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues
For some other countries: Guinea Lynx :: Rescue Organizations

Please make sure that both piggies are correctly sexed before any introductions and that they have got enough space. As you are dealing with a baby desperate for company, quarantine does not apply; but you will have to treat both piggies if there is a transmittable problem.
If they have come from a group, it would be lovely if you could take your boy to choose his best friend for a stable bond, but that is up to the shop personnel.
What to check and look out for in new guinea pigs (vet checks, sexing, parasites&illness)
Sexing Guide
Cage Size Guide (please take the time for research and do not buy an overpriced small cage in a hurry! if you have a good rescue within their reach, please follow their recommendations and advice before getting anything.)
Getting Guinea Pigs? Items You'll Need To Buy?

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Boars: A guide to successful companionship.

You may find our new owners guide collection helpful as we are addressing in a very practical way all the most often asked questions, concerns and wide-spread misconceptions to help you to as smooth a start as possible. This includes settling in and making friends with your piggies (including a spot of piggy whispering), safe handling, understanding behaviour and instincts, family and daily care advice, a good long term diet, housing and climate care, learning what is normal and not and how to spot illness early on as well as saving up on vet care to avoid any nasty rows and heart-break in an emergency.
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

Since we have members and enquiries from all over the world, you can help us enormously if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your account details (via clicking on your username on the top bar), so we can tailor any advice to what is available and relevant where you are. As you can imagine, climate, background, vet and rescue access, brand names etc. can vary widely. Our default advice is UK based. Having your general corner of the world appearing with every post you make saves everybody time and cuts down on misleading or confusing recommendations. Thank you!
 
Welcome to the forum.
You've already had excellent advice - I can't add to it.
We do like piggy pictures.
Hope you can get everything sorted out to everyone's satisfaction.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top