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New Piggie

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Jenwah

Junior Guinea Pig
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Jun 5, 2012
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Location
St. Helens, North West
Hello everyone!

Haven't posted in a while. I had two guineas; Agnes & Gertrude. Agnes sadly died few months ago. Still very sad not having her around she was a proper character. Gertrude is getting on fine, she's happy as long as she has her hay!

I went to Pets at Home, I like to see their animals but can't help but feel like I want to rescue them all.

A while ago, me and my mum went to PAH, and I saw the enclosure of guinea males. There was about 8 little ones and a biggish one - not adult size but obviously bigger than the others. He was chasing after the little ones trying to hump them! The little ones would get away and hide and come out when it was quiet but he would stalk them and the whole chase would start all over again. I was saying to the people that the guinea is too big and they just said it was ok..

as I was saying I went in to the store on Saturday, and went over to the adoption section. There was a guinea pig asleep right up against the glass. When you would look at him, he just looked so sad .. I looked at his name and info and he was called Toby, he was needing adopting because he needed special attention.

We asked the staff what they meant and they said he was the one left at the end, when all his litter had been sold. He was bigger than the rest and no one seemed to want him. Well that was it. I said I would take him.

I noticed the staff members started laughing and I asked why? It was because the reason why he was left was really because he was a frisky little piggy - and they actually named him "the pervert!" I said well clearly he's at that age where he's needing loving nothing wrong with that!

I got him and he's now settled in his new home.

I've renamed him to Birt! As the name sounds nice with Gertrude ( GERTIE AND BIRTIE ).

My question after all this babble is, do you think it's wise to let Gertrude and Birt have a run around the living room together but keep an eye on them so they don't breed? They are homed separately. I understand what will happen with a male and female get together. But just wondered if it may cheer Birt up a bit to see another piggy and this time - HE is the smaller out of the two!

Any advice would be great

Thanks xx
 
Please do not be tempted to mix unneutered males and females at any time!

Boars can make babies from 3 weeks onwards and sows never stop being able to get pregnant, but bit with more and more disastrous results the older they get. :(
It only takes seconds; much faster than you can separate, especially as boars have little hooks at the end of their penis to help them get the job done before a sow moves aways again (and which you could damage tearing two piggies apart!).

You can either keep your two side side by side with interaction through the bars for mutual stimulation, or you can think of pairing Birt up with a suitable boar at a rescue (Rainbow Rescue in Southport would be your closest good standard piggy savvy rescue), in which case you need to keep the boys well away from Gertrude or you can consider having Birt neutered by a piggy savvy vet (in order to minimalise the otherwise sadly still common risks of especially post op complications) when he is old enough and after a full 6 weeks post op wait to see whether Gertrude will have him; or whether he could otherwise be paired up with a sow of his own; ideally by dating at a rescue.
https://www.facebook.com/kaylee.rainbowrescue
https://www.facebook.com/kaylee.rainbowrescue?fref=ts

What you witnessed in the shop was simply Birt trying to establish his dominance as the head of the new group of boars. It hasn't got anything to do with randiness, but with trying to create a hierarchy and a functioning boar group. ;)
Please be aware that guinea pigs don't play with each other - when you put them together, they will start to bond and establish a hierarchy; so you will always get dominance behaviour. Whenever you separate, you disrupt a vital component of piggy life and society. You can also not just stick two guinea pigs together and expect them to get on. It is much more complicated than that!
 
Ah wow thank you for your really helpful response - I knew coming on here for help was the best idea! I will keep them separate and I will keep giving them my love instead haha!

Thank you again so much :) wiebke - not ready to have little piggies so I'll keep them away
 
Well done for rescuing Birt. Have a little think about Wiebke's advice as she's suggested a few options.

I must admit - I do like the idea of Gertie and Birtie becoming a pair ! Do you know of any guinea pig savvy vets ?
 
Ah wow thank you for your really helpful response - I knew coming on here for help was the best idea! I will keep them separate and I will keep giving them my love instead haha!

Thank you again so much :) wiebke - not ready to have little piggies so I'll keep them away

Lovely to have you back on-line here, can't wait to hear more about your little ones. Could we see some pigtures?
 
Thank you all for your responses. Here is Birt :)

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