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Mirrors

nlkiser198343

Junior Guinea Pig
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Chat gpt recommended putting a mirror or a stuffed animal in the cage with my guinea pig since his friend just died? Could a mirror by his hay help him feel less lonely and maybe promote eating?
 
Do guineas recognise themselves in mirrors? I don't think mine ever did. A mirror doesn't smell like guinea and doesn't feel like one either, and it doesn't make guinea noises.

If the death of his friend was very recent, your current guinea may not be eating due to grieving. Maybe you could tide him over with syringe-feeding. But really, guineas need a companion guinea, so when you can manage you need to start looking for a companion for him.

I think some people on the forum do put in stuffies with their recently bereaved guineas, but it's not a permanent solution.
 
He is eating I just wanted to do everything I possibly can now to make sure he keeps at it though and doesn't get depressed. After looking more online though it sounds like mirrors might stress them out more than anything. Ai is dumb sometimes.
 
I'm glad he's eating!

This link probably contains better info than Ai: Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig

Even if you're at work all day, I'm sure that one of the best comforts you can give your bereaved piggie is to pay attention to him when you're home and have time - be there in the room, talk to him, feed him e.g. strand by strand of hay (I had ones who liked that kind of attention, despite the huge hay pile in their cage).
 
I’m sorry for the loss of your piggy.

Mirrors and stuffed toys don’t serve any purpose in comforting a bereaved piggy. They don’t offer any communication or interaction.
All you can do is be with him when you can and then look to get him a new friend.
If your piggy isn’t eating following the bereavement then that is an emergency situation requiring you go step in with syringe feeding and it then also makes getting a new friend urgent.
 
Chat gpt recommended putting a mirror or a stuffed animal in the cage with my guinea pig since his friend just died? Could a mirror by his hay help him feel less lonely and maybe promote eating?

Hi

I am very sorry for your loss.

Mirrors in my own experience work only very shortly because unlike us humans or some birds, guinea pigs rely much more on smell and hearing than on sight. They may be captivated by a very short while but since the mirror image is lacking the more important sensory feedback, it is soon simply ignored.

Guinea pig sized stuff animals can work with some piggies (but often do not), but please wash them on a low heat with the bedding so it looses its manufacturing smell and takes on a faint smell of the scent marks and gives off the right vibes.
Piggies who eat and drink and get on with their lives will generally ignore them.

It is in fact much more effective to leave the deceased piggy's preferred cosy or mat in the cage and not clean it for several days to allow the scent to fade naturally and gradually but to give them the option to snuggle into their friend's scent for a while longer. ;)
 
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