Newbie to piggies - advice please! :)

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Hannah8881

Hannah8881

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Hey everybody,
As the title says I am new to owning a guinea pig and there are a few questions I have that I hope you can answer for me. So I apologise now if * have posted in the wrong place.

I got my guinea pig on Sunday and only got the 1 as I thought the owners were trying to fob me off saying they needed to be in pairs. Well after researching I now know they do need to be in pairs. So is it best to let him ( i say him but I actually don't know the sex ) settle in his new home first before I get another one? Or should I go back to the same place, take him as well to get him sexed and get one if the same sex of the same litter?

Sorry if this does not make sense :$ also if I do get another from the same litter, can I just put them together straight away? I am new to this and don't really have a clue.

Thank you fir your help hannah and Marley the alpaca :)
 
Hello and welcome to the forum. :)p

Guinea pigs are happiest with company of their own kind. First thing to do is find out the sex of the guinea pig you have. I'm surprised the owners didn't tell you- as they haven't I suspect that they don't know so I would be wary of relying on them to tell you now. This is a useful link. If you post a photo of your guinea pig's bits then someone might be able to help you on the forum.
http://www.cavyspirit.com/sexing.htm

How old is the guinea pig you have? If it turns out to be a boy then you might be better looking for an older rescue guinea pig to avoid any falling out when he hits his stroppy teenage phase. You might be able to take him to a rescue to bond with another pig. If it's a girl things are usually a bit more straightforward but not always.

It will be easier to give you advice once you know whether you have a boy or a girl. :)
 
Hi! Welocme to the forum!

Guinea pigs should be in company indeed - I am a bit astonished that his previous owners did let you go away with only one unsexed one after making their point!

If you are still not sure after looking up cavy spirit (which IS the best website for sexing), you can contact a reputable guinea pigs rescue near you - they can sex your piggy for you and help finding him/her a suitable companion. These rescues will also give you support and advice during the settling in period, which is another big advantage for a new owner.
Here is a link to a list of rescues in Britain:
http://www.guineapigrehome.org.uk/gp/centres.asp

Alternatively, a piggy savvy vet can sex your piggy for you as well.

You need a minimum of 2x4 ft space for two guinea pigs (not much more than a single piggy should have, actually). Have a look in our hutch/cage gallery for ideas - best by starting from the end with the most recent cages.

We have a lot of information for new owners in our reference section and at the top of each section. It is worth browsing through it!

Please do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have.

PS: Here is a link on how to settle a new guinea pig:
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=36239
 
Thank you to you both and he is definately a boy. I have been speaking to a friend of a friend who has a few guineas who need homes and she said it would be best to put in a younger male rather than an older one. Marley is about 10 weeks old. Do you think she is right?

Thanks again

Hannah and Marley :)
 
10 weeks is pretty young. I think it would be safer and more stable to introduce an older male who has already gone through adolescence whereas your boar hasn't. When two boars are going through their teenage years, it is not unusual for them to fallout, which is why I am suggesting an older boar.
 
Marely is about on edge of when you still can pair him up with an older boy; so you still have both possibilities. He will hit the "stroppy months" between 3-4 months old and they will last until he is a fully grown adult whose hormones have settled at 12-15 months old.

Pairing him with an older boar has the advantage that you only have one "teenager" on testosterone overload to deal with. On the other hand, a younger boar will follow Marley around until his hormones wake up as well. Whether the two boars make it in any combination is down to how their characters complement each other.

It would be good if you could have an arrangement just in case your two boars do fall out at some point or other - which is why a rescue is useful. The majority of boar pairs make it, though.
 
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Thanks again guys. I think i am going to take Marley to see a younger boar and see how they get along. I will be prepared if they decide not to get along but hopefully that won't happen.

Hannah and Marley
 
Both of them threads were very helpful and i am sure i will keep having to refer to them. How much space would you say they need? I am sorry for all the questions and thank you so much for all your time and help.
 
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