• DONATIONS NOW OPEN! TGPF relies on donations to run. If you'd like to donate towards running costs you can find out more HERE
  • Fresh grass and lawn tips to avoid springtime deaths Click here for details

Need Help With Boy/Girl Guinea Mixing!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Annie59
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
A

Annie59

About a month ago I posted a thread about seeing a sad guinea pig in a local pet shop, who has been in there over a year now. My heart breaks for this little piggie. No one wants it because it is full grown. The girl in the store said it was a male. I have a male piggy (Ricky) who is almost 10 months old. A lot of you adivsed me not to mix two grown males. I understand why but I was still sad for this guinea pig. The other day I went in and managed to take the piggie out of his cage and hold him. He snuggled under my chin and rested his head. I was instantly in love. He was much calmer than Ricky. Then I held him up in the air to check his male anatomy and to my surprise....he is a she! I called the girl in the store over who confirmed it was a girl. I was happy, BUT I called Ricky's vet and she said she really advises NOT to neuter Ricky because he's had 5 abscess removed and for the past two months, (knock wood) he has no more problems. She said removal of the testicles can sometimes cause abscesses and because of Ricky's past she really advises against it. I can not cage them together because of babies. I can't keep more guineas (babies) because of limited space. Does anyone have any suggestions? Do they make big cages with a seraration or is that a bad idea to keep them apart, yet in the same cage. I haven't gone back to the store because it hurts to see her, but I know she'll still be there. If I had room, I'd have plenty more piggies. We live in my mom's house and she does not want any more. Once we move out, I will have guinea's till my hearts content! The vet suggested to go to a guinea rescue center and bring home ONLY a baby male, not a grown one. I've checked in to it and there are plenty of baby males in this shelter. But my heart breaks for this little girl. I don't want her to spend her whole life in this little cage with nothing but water and pellets and an wooden house, and no one to love her. I really want her. Any suggestions? Does anyone have a male and female that they keep apart? Can it be done without having two big cages in the house? Any suggestions would be so appreciated!
 
Maybe if you had a large run or something you could maybe divide it somehow so you could still have two but they are seperated but they can still see and sniff eachother.
 
Aww, the poor lil piggy!

I would advise against neutering unless it is absoloutly needed for a medical reason anyway, I wouldnt want to put my piggy through an op they dont need, and its in the best interest of Ricky that you dont have him neutered after suffering with abcesses like the vet said, i have all mine in pairs of either female together/males together so have never had a single male/female who live near each other although another member might.

When Duke's Brother died Duke was 9 months old, and I got a baby
Boar to go with him, they get along fine but i think if you get a grown male and they fight then you need to buy another cage and end up with 2 lonely boars.

I think thats your only option if you want a female is to buy another cage for her, but it might wind him up if you put him next to her! lol they get used to the smell though my 2 boys live under my 2 girls and have only ever had a fight once and even that wasnt a bad one, they know they are there now so dont seem to bother.

Hope that helps!
 
if you had a c&c cage, you can seperate, but keep them in the same cage. or have seperate cages right next to one another. x
 
I think your boy might go stir crazy kept alongside a lovely girly pig... bless him!

Your best bet for your existing fella is to get try a baby boar as you've suggested - most likely to get on but still not guaranteed. My pig Trevor hated every adult boar I tried him with but is now living happily with a baby boar, so far so good!

As for the pet shop girl - she really needs to have a home with another girly pig for company or a neutered boar. If you don't have space then that might be too tricky - easy to say mind over matter but sometimes your heart can rule your head!

Good luck

Sophie
x
 
You may remember I suggested C & C cage on your last thread. They are 10 a penny in the US and target stores do a pack with connectors for about $20, all different colours too so they look really nice! They could live next to each other and maybe later on, once Ricky is clear of abcesses for a few months you could get him neutered but they may be very happy living side by side x)

The correx to go inside the cage can be got from sign shops.
Look at these:

www.cavycages.com

Any questions about c & c cages, just yell. Loads of us have them :))
 
Thank you all for responding so quickly! I may try to get a separation and buy a bigger cage. Lavenderjade, I do remember you telling be about the cage at Target. I looked there but they didn't have it, but I'll bet I can order it on line from Target (or the website you just gave me). I'm going to check it out now! I don't mean to sound stupid, but what is a c&c? I can't figure out what it stands for! I'll let you all know how I make out. Don't laugh, but I'm still considering a baby boy to put with Ricky, along with this beautiful girl side by side with the boys! I could not believe the guinea pigs at the shelter (there must have been about 50). My husband will kick all of us out, but I'll have my beautiful guineas! (joking!)
 
It stands for cube and coroplast (correx)
The cubes are actually storage shelving. At the bottom of the cavy cages site, it lists several suppliers :)
 
Thanks Lavenderjade! I just came from the pet shop and took "Lucy" out of her cage. I call her that because I have a Ricky, and "Lucy" has red hair just like "I Love Lucy". She is beautiful. I can not believe haw sweet she is. So calm and nothing like Ricky. Ricky is all over the place. Biting my shirts. I have holes in all my T-shirts. (I still love him to death!) "Lucy" never moves. She sniffs my face and puts her head on me. She seems happy to be held. Me and my daughter can't get enough of her. I just may get a "C&C" cage but I don't know where I'm going to put it. I don't have to hurry...I don't think anyone is taking her. I just have to figure out some furniture rearranging because I will have to bring them downstairs with me. That is where our big family room is and my bedroom. A bigger cage will not fit in my daughters room which is where Ricky is now. I hope they would be ok side by side. I would take them out together as long as I'm with them. I just don't know when I can get this cage and find a spot. Well, I'll let you all know the outcome!
 
Annie,
a cage side by side for "Lucy" and Ricky seems like the best solution. C & C cages are easily done and are quite cheap. If you can't get the correx you can always use and underbed storage crate without the lid for the base and then the grids around that! Instead of the connectors you can use the cableties.

As for getting another baby boar to go with your boar when you have Lucy living next door to them is a big NO NO, because the boys will instantly fight when there is a girl around. No matter how small the baby boar is.
 
Thanks Mackpossum for the heads up on the baby boar because I was considering that as well. Right now I want to focus on "Lucy". I can't stand to see her all alone in that small cage. I swore never to buy a pet shop guinea pig after Ricky was sick for the first 7 months of his life. I didn't know any better. Ricky was my first guinea pig and if it weren't for the wonderful people on the forum, I would be lost. I'm still not to sharp with information on the cages so all of you have really helped me! I didn't know there were so many types of cages! I really want this to work out. I am so in love with this little girl. I can't get her out of my head!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top