Male Guinea Pig Living Alone

[Turtz]

Hi! I'm not sure if I'm posting this in the right place, sorry if I've made a mistake.

I've had my male guinea pig for 7 months now, and after some research I've realised that its very recommended to keep guinea pigs in pairs. Although I haven't noticed him acting very lonely, I'm sure his life would be better with a cage mate. I'm not sure if it may be too late to introduce him to a second pig, in case maybe he feels territorial about his cage. I'd also like to get a male as a pairing but I'm worried that they may possibly fight each other, and I currently don't have the space for two seperate cages so I would need to bring him back if anything went wrong.

Also, about a month after I got him, one day he became quite unwell. He wouldn't eat or move. I took him to the vet, but the vet wasn't able to pinpoint was was wrong. He managed to recover quite quickly with medicine the vet provided, however, since then he has had a tilted head. I've read that this can be very serious, and can point to ear infections, but he's been like this ever since so I highly doubt it's that. Does anyone know what this could be, and should I be worried about it?

This is him!

 

[GuineaPigs100]

What a gorgeous piggie! You could maybe try bringing him along to a guinea pig rescue shelter as they usually offer a piggie- dating service where you can find the perfect match for him and they will be introduced to each other at the shelter to see if they get along well. A good combination is an older pig and a younger pig, therefore they won't be going through the teenage hormonal stages at the same time, which is when fighting usually happens. I'm not too sure about the head tilting but someone more experienced will help you out soon.

 

[MerryPip]

Hi and welcome!

For finding a friend, your best option is to visit a good rescue and let them help you find him a buddy. He's at an age where he is at his most hormonal so might not be the easiest to bond so definitely worth getting some help and advice. An older boar (over 2) might be more suitable as they are more steady and settled in their personality. A good pairing is very much to do with personality so not just 'any old piggy' will do. Try using our rescue locator at the top of the page to find a good recommended rescue near you.

If you can add your location to your profile it will help us give you better advice as we have members all over the world and situations can be very different...

As for the head tilt, it may mean that the original illness either left him with some brain damage or inner ear damage but piggies are very adaptable and as long as he is healthy now he will learn to adapt to the fact he has a head tilt just fine.

 

[Turtz]

What a gorgeous piggie! You could maybe try bringing him along to a guinea pig rescue shelter as they usually offer a piggie- dating service where you can find the perfect match for him and they will be introduced to each other at the shelter to see if they get along well. A good combination is an older pig and a younger pig, therefore they won't be going through the teenage hormonal stages at the same time, which is when fighting usually happens. I'm not too sure about the head tilting but someone more experienced will help you out soon.

Thank you! I'll look into some rescue shelters, I didn't realise that piggie dating was possible.

 

[Turtz]

Hi and welcome!

For finding a friend, your best option is to visit a good rescue and let them help you find him a buddy. He's at an age where he is at his most hormonal so might not be the easiest to bond so definitely worth getting some help and advice. An older boar (over 2) might be more suitable as they are more steady and settled in their personality. A good pairing is very much to do with personality so not just 'any old piggy' will do. Try using our rescue locator at the top of the page to find a good recommended rescue near you.

If you can add your location to your profile it will help us give you better advice as we have members all over the world and situations can be very different...

As for the head tilt, it may mean that the original illness either left him with some brain damage or inner ear damage but piggies are very adaptable and as long as he is healthy now he will learn to adapt to the fact he has a head tilt just fine.

Ah yes, I've added my location now.

Thank you for the advice. I don't actually know how old he was when I got him; I got him from a pet shop that gave me very limited information and I didn't think to ask about age.

Phew, it's good to know that he should be okay. He seems perfectly healthy, just needed to make sure. Thanks again for the help.

 

[MerryPip]

There's a few good rescues around London especially if you are prepared to travel a little (and it is definitely worth it, I've dated my boys 6 times now, each time after a bereavement, and travelled for a number of them). It's worth the effort to find the right friend that your little guy will get on with

If you are worried then it's always worth getting him checked out again. Not all vets have a lot of experience with piggies as in veterinary terms they are 'exotic pets'. They can be tricky to diagnose and cover illness very well. It's worth finding a vet that knows what they are doing and that you trust. Our vet locator at the top of the page is made up of vets that members use and are recommended for their knowledge and treatment of guinea pigs.

 

[Turtz]

Yeah I used the tracker and I've found some not too far away. Although I don't think any currently have males above 2 that arent looking for a female.

Thank you again for the vet advice. I'm getting so much information from this forum!

 

[Turtz]

Yeah I used the tracker and I've found some not too far away. Although I don't think any currently have males above 2 that arent looking for a female.

Thank you again for the vet advice. I'm getting so much information from this forum!