Male or female for a lone guinea?

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Ananda

Ananda

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Hi there

I have had 3 single boars over the years and now I am going to adopt a guinea from the shelter, but I am not quite sure yet what to do. I have found a gorgeous 6 month old american rex boar and a one year old lilac satin female with albino eyes.

The boar was a bit nervous but I managed to stroke him and he seemed to like it and didnt shy away. He was "seized", probably after his owner went into custody I am told, and doesnt have a name. He is neutered.

The sow is rather a big girl, quite shy but I managed to tempt her curiosity by playing with her crunchies and hay. She is called Squeak but I dont think I asked where she came from. She is not spayed.

I quite fancy a change from my previous boys and would fancy adopting the sow, but as I have never had lone females before I dont know what to expect. Having read a lot today, I understand that sows can develop gynae problems and I am concerned about her albino eyes and potential cataract. I also read that sows prefer to live in pairs at least so wouldnt want her to be lonely when we arent there.

But then I am so used to boars, the relationship, their language and behaviour etc. I am also accustomed to the whole "poop sack" thing and the smell.

So what shall I do? Any help or comments would be much appreciated. As you can see, this is not a beginner's question but more a "personality" thing.

Thanks!
 
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If the girl accepts the boy (not every sow does), have both, as he is already neutered!

Piggy "marriages" are very stable and often very loving - it is the ultimate dream come true for any boy! My Tribe has started out that way and I started adding only when it became clear that my old lady wouldn't live for much longer. You will enjoy the shenanigans - having only one single piggy, you miss out on the lively interaction that makes piggies so unique.

Usually, any rescue worth its salt will only rehome single guinea pigs as companions to bereaved or otherwise single piggies, but never to go alone.

With patience and persistence, virtually every piggy will come round, and there is no greater moment than when a piggy discovers the joys of being a pet. It is that which makes rehoming rescues so rewarding! As to whether boys or girls - I prefer to have one each if I had the choice! I love them all!

Here are a couple of insightful articles about companionship which will address some of your concerns:
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=37654
http://www.guinealynx.info/companionship.html
 
I have indeed always heard that they prefer to live as a couple and the guy at the JSPCA suggested twice that I take both, but my landlord will not allow it anyway. Only limited to the one - it's actually in the lease!

My previous boars have never shown any signs of loneliness, not that its easy to see (!) but they never seem to have suffered from it because we talk with them whilst working in the office, take them out in a "getaway" tray to spend the evening in the lounge with us...

Also, the boars have always bonded really well with us and very quickly.

Hmmm I guess its going to be a tough one! @)
 
I totally agree with Wiebke, if you like them both then take them both as guinea pigs are group animals and need the company of each other. I also have a herd (two actually) and i love to watch their interaction with each other. Let us know what you decide xx
 
Now that I have read those 2 links (thanks mucho btw), I am seriously getting concerned about loneliness!

If I were to adopt 2 guineas, I would have to:

- get hubby's approval as he shares the cleaning
- get a bigger indoor cage (do I really have the space?)
- get my landlord's approval as the JSPCA will only rehome on written approval - and I guess I already know the answer to that!

Although it would be so much fun... (already considered this morning!)

?/?/?/
 
I think you can talk your hubby round when you show him the links!

Would it be possible to ask for your landlord's permission by saying that you have been strongly advised by the SPCA to rehome two guinea pigs together and that you would gladly supply a written statement from them that confirms this and also guarantees that guinea pigs rehomed by them are guaranteed not to have babies.

As to cage size, the RSPCA minimum recommendation is 2x4 ft for two guinea pigs and they would insist on that. You could look for second hand cages on ebay or order new cages from this website if you get the go ahead:
http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hutches_cages/guinea_pig_cages/120_cm_cages/83034
I have bought this cage when I rehomed a couple of piggies from the RSPCA Walsall; it was recommended by them. This is the cheapest new cage available and it is much cheaper than you find in shops.

Best of luck! I hope that this is a case of who dares wins! ;)
 
PS: To your other question. No, a lone piggy will not lead a desperately unhappy life. If possible, it will closely bond with a human. However, there will always be something missing to its life, as we are another species that simply cannot fill the needs as well as 24/7 companion can.

Once you have seen two piggies together, you will never go back to single, as much as you know that all previous piggies have been loved and spoiled; you do not need to have a bad conscience about that!
 
If you are able to take both, why not? Not sure how strict your landlord would be, but there's not much different between two pigs and one- not much difference in terms of mess either. They do thrive in pairs, and the relationship between the pair is fun to see. I'm really amazed at how pigs learn from other pigs- my older sow, Linney, managed to potty train my younger sow for me! Thanks Linney- you're the best! LOL!

As for cataracts, I'm not sure that pink-eyed pigs are more prone to eye problems than dark-eyed pigs. It makes sense that they might be more prone to cataracts if they are often exposed to bright sunlight, but this isn't too likely to be a problem with indoor pigs or pigs that have access to shelter while outside (mine will seek out the shade all on their own- who wants to swelter needlessly?) I haven't run into the infirmities of old age with pink-eyed pigs yet- my current pink-eyed girl is only a year old, and my previous pink-eyed girl unfortunately died before the age of two from severe dental issues leading to major bone infection in her jaw. But I have owned several other pink-eyed animals (mice, hedgehogs) and never had any eye issues with any of them, even in old age. HTH a bit! Good luck with your decision!
 
Good news! I finally managed to get hubby to read the links that Wiebke you provided me with about companionship and whoopee! He has agreed :(|)

Regarding the cage, I am going to look into fleece or vetbed and therefore going to think about a whole new cage.

Last step is to convince the landlord (housing laws in Jersey give full control to the landlord to impose whatever rules he wants) but I think that I have found a way to negotiate...

Will keep you all posted! *hyper excited mode on*

Thanks for all your advice so far x>>
 
Great news! All fingers and claws firmly crossed here! ^)
 
Wow good luck and i hope the negotiation with the landlord goes well xx
 
Exciting news: I may be onto a new house with garden! The guineas could run around in the grass, so much nicer than the roof terrace, and hubby even said I could have as many guineas as I like! Eek! Fingers crossed!

We went to the shelter and hubby met the 2 guineas that I have on hold. I love them already so really hope things are going to work out either way. They were even tamer than last time and we stoked them for a good while. Hubby even thought that the lilac satin red eyed girl was lovely!

Still looking into building my own C&C cage and using fleece instead of sawdust...

More to follow! Oh and by the way, I am so glad I have found this forum, there is so much advice and great pics, thank you GPF!

x>>
 
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Exciting news indeed! Although you hub may come to rue his promise of you having as many piggies as you'd like! rolleyes

I really hope that it all works out for you and your piggies!
 
I'm back with great news!

Hi there!

Great news: not only am I on the right track to getting the house with garden for the guineas after Christmas, BUT...

the landlord said yes to 2 guineas!!

I am so excited I can barely wait. The JSPCA did the home visit yesterday and I went and cuddled them today, and we are collecting them tomorrow afternoon!

So photos to follow very soon :)p

Now I need to work on building a super duper indoors cage for the autumn...
 
Ooo congratulations! 2 piggies are no more hard work than one, the cage won't be a huge difference either.

As for piggies with pink eyes, I had a PEW Abby for 4 years & she was fine, I was told she would lose her sight but sadly she died from heart failure instead first. The best thing is you could add another sow to your herd at a later date too!

P.S. I am so jealous, Jersey is one of my favourite places, lucky you for living there! :))
 
Congratulations!

You must have the magic touch to convert so many stony hearts with the light of reason! :))

I can't wait to see pictures of the couple once they have settled in!
 
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Poppy's Mum, is it easy to add a sow to an existing couple? (I don't know if they will be an item yet, but the Shelter thinks they should bond pretty easily).

Oh and Jersey is indeed a wonderful place to live (politics aside!), and its a safe place where animals are protected (cats don't get run over on purpose by hunters like in the South of France where I come from for ex!) :)

OH and I have found a lovely garden/field to bury my dear Marcello who has been kept by the vet because I didnt have the heart to cremate him. So things couldn't be any better piggy-wise! :(|)
 
All going well with Bally and Maceo (yep, that's their names now). The Shelter handed them over together in a wire cage and so I didn't want to separate them and it seems to be going really well. They are both shy and stay hidden for the mo but they are snuggling up together so hopefully bonding step 1 is working. Bally gave a few squeaks after my alarm clock beeped this morning and they are eating just a bit but its looking good!

Pics to follow - when they start coming out a bit!
8)
 
Great news! Give them time to settle in and be patient while you establish a regular routine. There will probably a bit more dominance once they get more sure of themselves, but it looks very much like they have accepted each other. It may help if you picked them up in a cuddle cup or cosy and cuddled them together snuggled in a blanket. Give them lots of encouragement and praise.

I like the names. Where are they from?

PS: Here is a collection of tips on how to settle skittish new piggies:
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=36239
 
Maceo was chosen by hubby because of Maceo Parker, a great trumpettist who played with James Brown. Bally came to me when I was thinking of her and it is actually a make of shoes which has a family history there ...

They are sooo soft and silky, quite different from my previous boars. Also, I am surprised to see that they dont really like cucmber because all of my boys practically lived off cucumber!

Knowing that we are moving in the next year, we splashed out on - now don't laugh - a lovely wooden hutch that we have put indoors for now. And once we have moved I will build a proper settled C and C cage, because I struggled to find the proper material in Jersey.

Thanks for the tips Wiebke, I will try cuddling them together. Maceo is definitely humping Bally regularly but apart from that, they seem to have taken to each other.

:))
 
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