New piggy for our boy

E

Eeyore&tigger21

New Born Pup
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Hey as you can prob see or seen my
Other post we lost tigger on Sunday. We had to put him To sleep as he became very poorly.

This post is to ask for advice really- so eeyore is really lonely and is not really eating and is always in his bed and never really comes out so I’m guessing he’s struggling to be honest. ( which breaks my heart!)
We are looking for another piggy, well actually going out tomorrow to get him a friend.

What’s your takes on this? We are gonna look for a female as we think he will accept instead of a male, he is neauted so no babies.

Would really appreciate your in out, thank you 😘
 
I’m sorry for your loss.

A neutered boar/sow bonding does tend to be more stable for the long term, but it still comes down to initial acceptance and character compatibility. In the case of sow/boar bondings, it is actually the sow who needs to accept the boar, not the other way round, but if the sow is young, then they are usually desperate for companionship and guidance and bondings have a good chance

You don’t say how you are getting him a new friend, Its safest to use the help of a rescue centre to find a new friend so you can be sure of a good bond, health of the new piggy and ensuring the sow isn’t pregnant, but if Eeyore is struggling being alone, you need to do put his needs first and it may be that you can’t wait the process for rescue dating.

A Closer Look At Pairs (Boars - Sows - Mixed)
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
 
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Hi!

I am very sorry for your loss. It can really whack you; watching their mate grieving makes it even harder. If necessary, offer Tigger a little support feed to get him through the roughest first days.

Here is what you can do for Tigger and yourself as you go through the grieving process:
Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children

Here are things that you want to consider when looking for a new friend for Tigger.
Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs
Rescue Locator

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars (has a chapter about various companionship options for single or bereaved boars)
Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths, Facts and Post-op Care

Please take the time to read, think things through, ask around for your best options within your reach and sleep over it while your gut is processing it all. Then go with your heart without rushing into it; what you are looking are longer term options. You have this time because Tigger (as long as he is eating and drinking) will have to do his own grieving, which takes less time than yours but will still take a few days.

Thinking of you.
 
Thank you for all comments, we are looking at getting a female baby from a shop. We think he will accept her better what do you think?
 
Eeyore&tigger21 said:
Thank you for all comments, we are looking at getting a female baby from a shop. We think he will accept her better what do you think?
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Hi!

Please be aware that any newly neutered boar needs to be 6 weeks post-op to be safe to go with sows (the little baby in my avatar, Tegan, was the legacy of a supposedly safe over 5 weeks post-op boar - not one of mine I hasten to add; but just to make the point that it can really happen).

Personally, I would recommend to date Tigger at one of our carefully vetted recommended good welfare standard rescues if you can get to one so he has got a say in who he wants to be with and you do not have to worry about the usual pitfalls like ringworm, mange mites, mis-sexing or surprise babies that can come with pet shop, for sale or free-ads piggies. Key to any successful bond is mutual liking and a personality match, long before gender or age.
We have seen a clear rise in cases with these issues on here over the last 2-3 years.
New Guinea Pig Problems: Sexing & Pregnancy; URI, Ringworm & Parasites; Vet Checks & Customer Rights
 
Eeyore&tigger21 said:
Thank you for all comments, we are looking at getting a female baby from a shop. We think he will accept her better what do you think?
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He may or may not. The only way you will know is to try them together. Please be careful with going for shop piggies as females can sometimes end up being pregnant.

It would be better if you could take him to a rescue where he can choose his own friend. If you go down the route of just getting a piggy then you need a plan b in case things don’t work out. If you do go the pet shop route, please make sure you bond straight away as she is likely to be younger than four months. Also have her booked in for a vet check in a weeks’ time.
 
We just worried that he’s gonna struggle and he’s gonna die of a broken heart as they were asdslly close. I feel like we haven’t got much time.
 
Eeyore&tigger21 said:
We just worried that he’s gonna struggle and he’s gonna die of a broken heart as they were asdslly close. I feel like we haven’t got much time.
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You need to do what you feel is best for him if he is really struggling to be alone but using the help of a rescue is still the best way to find a new friend. If you called some and explain the urgency they may be able to help you quickly.
If you do get a sow from a shop, do just keep in mind the potential issues of illness, the fact she may already be pregnant and the fact that Eeyore and the new sow may not get on.
 
Eeyore&tigger21 said:
We just worried that he’s gonna struggle and he’s gonna die of a broken heart as they were asdslly close. I feel like we haven’t got much time.
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Have you tried looking if there is a rescue close by.
There is a list of approved rescues in the bar at the top of this page.

If you contact them and explain it is urgent they may be able to help come up with a solution quickly.

However if you feel a pet shop is the only option then just be aware of the things to look out for (signs of injury/ill health/skin conditions, etc).
Whatever route you go it is important to make sure he is introduced to his new friend on neutral territory.

Please let us know how you get on - we are here to support you and it is wonderful you are getting him a new friend.
 
We got him two girlfriends today as you had to have two not one. We have put them together and he’s in love. He’s really attached himself to one defentially which is the more shy one and the other is a more confident girl who he’s not that close to atm.
We had them out for a long time together this afternoon and I think he’s got tired but now having cuddles.

These are our new fur babies

Lily and Tinkerbrll
 

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Did you double check to make sure they are both girls?

They are absolutely gorgeous. The brown and black reminds me of my Toffee. I love the hairstyle on the other one.

Do give them time to settle in before handling and consider booking them in with the vet next Friday.

Enjoy! 😍😍
 
Siikibam said:
Did you double check to make sure they are both girls?

They are absolutely gorgeous. The brown and black reminds me of my Toffee. I love the hairstyle on the other one.

Do give them time to settle in before handling and consider booking them in with the vet next Friday.

Enjoy! 😍😍
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Haha yeah both girls. Made sure of that!

Aren’t they gorgeous they are both very good. One is more confident than other one. We have handled them and they are good wasn’t at beginning but are now. We have put them in a separate cage to eeyore for tonight and will start bonding them properly Tomorrow! 😍😍
 
They are absolutely beautiful, so nice for him after his sadness, he’s a lucky little man x
 
I’m so pleased. Hopefully the bonding will go well. Keep us posted.
 
If you put them together they shouldn’t have them been ‘put to bed’ separately. That stops the bonding in its tracks and means they’ll have to start again today. Good luck hope all goes well.
 
Glad it went well. Were they outside today? I’m not sure where you are but it’s too cold (and damp) for them to be outside.
 
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