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Celine298

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hey all!

I recently bought a new guinea pig (Sunny) from a well known and respectable pet shop. I'm aware that they are social creatures and like to be kept in pairs or groups. This pet shop adopts that policy and keeps it's piggys in pairs/groups of the same gender. However, when I picked out Sunny, the lady in the shop said that the other piggies picked on him quite a bit because he was quieter/more timid. It resulted in him getting a rather nasty bite above his ear and the staff had to separate him from the others. The lady in the shop said that because of this, he would probably be quite happy on his own... I'm not sure...

He seems bright and energetic and we're bonding well and I'm not sure if I should consider introducing a another playmate for him, given his previous traumatic experience.

Any advice from seasoned guinea pig owners would be very much appreciated!
 
Sounds as though little fella may have been living with other boars ?
My advice would be to find a reputable rescue that will bond another boar so you have a happy couple :) Boar dating means your piggy will be introduced properly under the watchful eyes of rescues to see if they are compatible - many of my piggies have chosen their buddies this way...
Where are you based ?
 
That's more than likely the case. I'm in Ireland (midlands) and I'm not really sure if we have anything like that here. I go to my local rescue shelter often enough (to walk the dogs) but I've never seen any pigs there, after that I'm not sure where else would rehome them/offer me the chance to socialise him. He's still quite young (5 months) so I would like to hope if I do get him a little friend they would bond well!
 
Sadly you hear often that a younger pig has been separated from the herd because of bullying, it isn't always the case though. My little Marmalade was the same, but she was a real runt, however, she successfully bonded with two other pigs and went onto to bond with others as well. All pigs have pigsonalities and it's important to get the right friend. Bonding is the way to go.
 
would you say it's very important to have two or more together? or have you heard of one living a happy healthy life on their own?
 
To be honest I've never known of a piggy who would prefer to be on their own.. They need the interaction from other piggies. :)That's not to say that there's no piggies at all who like to be on their own, but I'd imagine it's rare
 
would you say it's very important to have two or more together? or have you heard of one living a happy healthy life on their own?
It's best to have 2. With boars 2 is the way to go as trios are incredibly unstable and will most likely fall out potentially leaving you with 3 single piggies. I started off with one pig as well, and we grew extremely close but within a month he would be crying for attention if I watched an hour long tv show in the other room. They really do need companionship. The difference in happiness you'll see when your boy has a friend is worth picking up after two little poop machines!
 
To be honest I've never known of a piggy who would prefer to be on their own.. They need the interaction from other piggies. :)That's not to say that there's no piggies at all who like to be on their own, but I'd imagine it's rare

I'm all for the health and happiness of my pets, so if a companion is what he needs then a companion is what he shall have!
 
It's best to have 2. With boars 2 is the way to go as trios are incredibly unstable and will most likely fall out potentially leaving you with 3 single piggies. I started off with one pig as well, and we grew extremely close but within a month he would be crying for attention if I watched an hour long tv show in the other room. They really do need companionship. The difference in happiness you'll see when your boy has a friend is worth picking up after two little poop machines!

I don't have the space for three really. We bought a really big cage for Sunny when I got him because my boyfriend flat out refuses to have an animal in cramped conditions! It could hold two comfortably for what little time they would be in there, I try to let him run around the sitting room/lawn as much as possible each day.
They definitely won't miss us because the cage is parked right in the middle of our sitting room :xd:
 
yeah so definitely just pick up one companion :) dating would be best but its not always an option, so just make sure you know the personality of your pig and do your best
 
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