New Guinea Pig Owner

[CarlyCoolBeans]

Yesterday I got my first guinea pig. He is a one month short hair. I am a bit concerned because i know that guineas are animals that thrive off of companionship but when i went to the pet store they said that the female guinea that was at the pet shop had fought with him until blood. They said that the best would be to get a boy boy guinea pair or female female pair. I asked if i get another guinea pig after getting him, boy or girl can they live together and they said no. I am so sad and concerned for my new guinea pig because i want him to thrive. I don't want him to be alone. I want him to have companionship but they said he cant live with another guinea pig. What should i do? Maybe i should buy another guinea pig and put him or her in a separate cages so that way they can at least sense and see each other even tough they can live together?. By the way I live in Japan. They told me in Japan they buy single guinea pigs, but I think that's so lonely.

 

[Deleted member 114675]

I agree with you that guinea pigs are best not kept on their own

 

[Lady Kelly]

you have not been told the truth. It is unlikely that he could be paired with the same piggy he was with originally as they would likely fight again. However, this does not mean he cannot live with another guinea pig. He cannot live with a female unless he has been neutered and waited 6 weeks to ensure safety from pregnancy. He can live with another male, if the other male has a compatible personality. Unfortunately it is very hard to see whether they would be compatible without trying it out. In the UK we are very lucky as we have a number of reputable rescues where we can take lonely guinea pigs "dating" to allow them to chose their own friend which is more likely to result in a good bond.

 

[CarlyCoolBeans]

you have not been told the truth. It is unlikely that he could be paired with the same piggy he was with originally as they would likely fight again. However, this does not mean he cannot live with another guinea pig. He cannot live with a female unless he has been neutered and waited 6 weeks to ensure safety from pregnancy. He can live with another male, if the other male has a compatible personality. Unfortunately it is very hard to see whether they would be compatible without trying it out. In the UK we are very lucky as we have a number of reputable rescues where we can take lonely guinea pigs "dating" to allow them to chose their own friend which is more likely to result in a good bond.

Thank you for your reply Lady Kelly. I'm a thinking about getting another one. Maybe not right away because i spent a lot of money to prepare to bring him home and also because i need to prepare a bigger space for two guineas. Sadly i don't know much bout adoption in Japan for guineas. Ill probably try to adopt this nest guinea but I want him to meet the new guinea to see if they'll like each other but adoption for guinea pigs in Japan that I've seen mostly is through meeting the actual person who wants to have it adopted. Maybe i can bring my guinea over to see how he reacts to the other guinea. But for now maybe at least a month I'll bond with him the best I can and prepare for another one and while I wait for a posting of an adoption for a male guinea in my area. So the other guinea must be a male?.... I'm relieved that there is still chance for my guinea to have companionship with other guineas. Thank you. Its a relief

 

[Lady Kelly]

Thank you for your reply Lady Kelly. I'm a thinking bout getting another one. Maybe not right away because i spent a lot of money to prepare to bring hi hoe and also because i need to prepare a bigger space for two guineas. Sadly i don't know much bout adoption in Japan for guineas. Ill probably try to adopt this nest guinea but I want him to meet the new guinea to see if they'll like each other but adoption for guinea pigs in Japan that I've seen mostly is through meeting the actual person who wants to have it adopted. Maybe i can bring my guinea over to see how he reacts to the other guinea.

Thats always a possibility. If you see any for adoption you can only ask the other person if they are happy for you to bring your pig along to "test" the friendship first. Much better than collecting a piggy and getting home to find you have a fight on your hands

 

[Wiebke]

Yesterday I got my first guinea pig. He is a one month short hair. I am a bit concerned because i know that guineas are animals that thrive off of companionship but when i went to the pet store they said that the female guinea that was at the pet shop had fought with him until blood. They said that the best would be to get a boy boy guinea pair or female female pair. I asked if i get another guinea pig after getting him, boy or girl can they live together and they said no. I am so sad and concerned for my new guinea pig because i want him to thrive. I don't want him to be alone. I want him to have companionship but they said he cant live with another guinea pig. What should i do? Maybe i should buy another guinea pig and put him or her in a separate cages so that way they can at least sense and see each other even tough they can live together?. By the way I live in Japan. They told me in Japan they buy single guinea pigs, but I think that's so lonely.

Yesterday I got my first guinea pig. He is a one month short hair. I am a bit concerned because i know that guineas are animals that thrive off of companionship but when i went to the pet store they said that the female guinea that was at the pet shop had fought with him until blood. They said that the best would be to get a boy boy guinea pair or female female pair. I asked if i get another guinea pig after getting him, boy or girl can they live together and they said no. I am so sad and concerned for my new guinea pig because i want him to thrive. I don't want him to be alone. I want him to have companionship but they said he cant live with another guinea pig. What should i do? Maybe i should buy another guinea pig and put him or her in a separate cages so that way they can at least sense and see each other even tough they can live together?. By the way I live in Japan. They told me in Japan they buy single guinea pigs, but I think that's so lonely.

A shop that dumps an stressed unneutered male and a female guinea pig together in a tiny cage that is already the territory of one of the piggies and then are surprised if there is an aggessive reaction? How much do you think they know about guinea pigs?

Boars can live together and can be bonded at any age. I even know of a 6 year old single boar in Australia who has found great happiness in his old age with a younger rescue boar in Australia! My own boar pair has a two year age difference.

However, there are some considerations you need to make:

- cage sizes: Guinea pigs are ground roamers that need much more space than you might expect. Cages that are too small are one of the biggest reasons why guinea pigs fight because they cannot get away from each other as they would normally do. This is especially crucial for hormonal teenage boars. However, I doubt that cage sizes in Japan go beyond what we would call a "small hamster cage" and I also know that flats are often very small, so space is cramped.
Cage Size Guide
Boars: A guide to successful companionship.
Boars: Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

- as much as piggies need company, they are very much like people: they have likes and dislikes and do not necessarily get on. The key to any successful guinea pig bond is mutual liking and character compatibility, not age or being related/litter mates.
Unfortunately, I don't think that you have the option in your country to let your little boy choose his friend at a good rescue unless you look for no longer wanted boars that you and your boy can visit to see whether they get on before you bring one home in order to minimise the risk of ending up with two guinea pigs that do not like each other. However, you run a high risk of ending up with medical bills in case the new guinea pig is neglected and traumatised. it requires experience to bring these guinea pigs out. I have a room full of happily bonded second-hand guinea pigs, but I am lucky to have access to many guinea pig rescues.

Your other realistic option is to get hold of another guinea pig and keep them in next door cages if a same sex bond is not working out. If you have a sow in the next cage, they cannot ever meet unless one of them is de-sexed (or you end up with lots of babies - and a rather high 1:5 risk of a pregnancy going wrong!), but they can still keep each other company through the bars. You need access to a vet that is experienced with small furries/exotics operations for a boar neutering operation to not have a high risk of complications or even fatalities.
Illustrated Bonding / Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
Guinea Pig Facts - A Short Overview

 

[CarlyCoolBeans]

A shop that dumps an stressed unneutered male and a female guinea pig together in a tiny cage that is already the territory of one of the piggies and then are surprised if there is an aggessive reaction? How much do you think they know about guinea pigs?

Boars can live together and can be bonded at any age. I even know of a 6 year old single boar in Australia who has found great happiness in his old age with a younger rescue boar in Australia! My own boar pair has a two year age difference.

However, there are some considerations you need to make:

- cage sizes: Guinea pigs are ground roamers that need much more space than you might expect. Cages that are too small are one of the biggest reasons why guinea pigs fight because they cannot get away from each other as they would normally do. This is especially crucial for hormonal teenage boars. However, I doubt that cage sizes in Japan go beyond what we would call a "small hamster cage" and I also know that flats are often very small, so space is cramped.
Cage Size Guide
Boars: A guide to successful companionship.
Boars: Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

- as much as piggies need company, they are very much like people: they have likes and dislikes and do not necessarily get on. The key to any successful guinea pig bond is mutual liking and character compatibility, not age or being related/litter mates.
Unfortunately, I don't think that you have the option in your country to let your little boy choose his friend at a good rescue unless you look for no longer wanted boars that you and your boy can visit to see whether they get on before you bring one home in order to minimise the risk of ending up with two guinea pigs that do not like each other. However, you run a high risk of ending up with medical bills in case the new guinea pig is neglected and traumatised. it requires experience to bring these guinea pigs out. I have a room full of happily bonded second-hand guinea pigs, but I am lucky to have access to many guinea pig rescues.

Your other realistic option is to get hold of another guinea pig and keep them in next door cages if a same sex bond is not working out. If you have a sow in the next cage, they cannot ever meet unless one of them is de-sexed (or you end up with lots of babies - and a rather high 1:5 risk of a pregnancy going wrong!), but they can still keep each other company through the bars. You need access to a vet that is experienced with small furries/exotics operations for a boar neutering operation to not have a high risk of complications or even fatalities.
Illustrated Bonding / Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
Guinea Pig Facts - A Short Overview

Thank you so much for your reply. When I went to the store they had them in separate cages but i wanted to buy them together so i asked my friend to ask them whether they could live together and they said no because they fight.

Later on today I'm probably going to go to another pet shop and look for a male guinea pig companion for him. I'm nervous because I'm not sure if they will get along but then again here in Japan I'm not sure that even if i brought my guinea along to meet the other guinea pigs there that they would even let me do that. Also my guinea isn't even used to me yet.

I was going to wait a month and see if any adoption come up in my are but that isn't guaranteed. Plus sim really worried that my little guy would get lonely.

I know buying another guinea pig and cage isn't the smartest financially but ill do what i have to do to make sue that my guineas are the happiest and healthiest they can be. I'm working on making a diy bigger cage for two. But in the mean time i bought the biggest cage they had. It isn't a hamster cage its a rabbit cage but yes still too small but a lot more space than i see in some of those youtube videos.

Any advice on choosing this second guinea later on today?

Thankyou

 

[CarlyCoolBeans]

A shop that dumps an stressed unneutered male and a female guinea pig together in a tiny cage that is already the territory of one of the piggies and then are surprised if there is an aggessive reaction? How much do you think they know about guinea pigs?

Boars can live together and can be bonded at any age. I even know of a 6 year old single boar in Australia who has found great happiness in his old age with a younger rescue boar in Australia! My own boar pair has a two year age difference.

However, there are some considerations you need to make:

- cage sizes: Guinea pigs are ground roamers that need much more space than you might expect. Cages that are too small are one of the biggest reasons why guinea pigs fight because they cannot get away from each other as they would normally do. This is especially crucial for hormonal teenage boars. However, I doubt that cage sizes in Japan go beyond what we would call a "small hamster cage" and I also know that flats are often very small, so space is cramped.
Cage Size Guide
Boars: A guide to successful companionship.
Boars: Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

- as much as piggies need company, they are very much like people: they have likes and dislikes and do not necessarily get on. The key to any successful guinea pig bond is mutual liking and character compatibility, not age or being related/litter mates.
Unfortunately, I don't think that you have the option in your country to let your little boy choose his friend at a good rescue unless you look for no longer wanted boars that you and your boy can visit to see whether they get on before you bring one home in order to minimise the risk of ending up with two guinea pigs that do not like each other. However, you run a high risk of ending up with medical bills in case the new guinea pig is neglected and traumatised. it requires experience to bring these guinea pigs out. I have a room full of happily bonded second-hand guinea pigs, but I am lucky to have access to many guinea pig rescues.

Your other realistic option is to get hold of another guinea pig and keep them in next door cages if a same sex bond is not working out. If you have a sow in the next cage, they cannot ever meet unless one of them is de-sexed (or you end up with lots of babies - and a rather high 1:5 risk of a pregnancy going wrong!), but they can still keep each other company through the bars. You need access to a vet that is experienced with small furries/exotics operations for a boar neutering operation to not have a high risk of complications or even fatalities.
Illustrated Bonding / Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
Guinea Pig Facts - A Short Overview

Hello Wiebke
I got another guinea pig today he is a 2 month old fluffy haired boar. I am waiting for both my boys to get accustomed to their new home and each other. Then I would try to see if they will get along. I'm just glad I didn't keep one as a single guinea I'm working on guinea proofing my whole apartment so they can roam around freely and I was thinking to make a ramp for them to climb back in their cage and hidey hut whenever they want to

By the way. Thankyou so much for all the links

 

[CarlyCoolBeans]

I agree with you that guinea pigs are best not kept on their own

Yep that's why I got another male today. Hope they bond well

 

[Julie M]

Congratulations on your new additions.

 

[CarlyCoolBeans]

Congratulations on your new additions.

Awww thank you Julie

 

[Tiamolly123]

Congrats on your beauty

 

[CarlyCoolBeans]

Thank you very much Tiamolly123

 

[flowerfairy]

Well done for doing the right thing for your young male guinea pig. I really hope that your boys bond together well. It would be lovely to see some photographs of them.

 

[CarlyCoolBeans]

Well done for doing the right thing for your young male guinea pig. I really hope that your boys bond together well. It would be lovely to see some photographs of them.

Thank you flowerfairy. Yeah it didn't feel right leaving hi as single guinea. I will post pics of them once they get more comfortable in their new home I really hope they bond. I know one of my guinea is a short hair. The other I'm not sure. His fur is fluffy.