One of my boars passed away, now what should I do? Advice

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midomido

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Hello everyone,

I have lost one of my boars (Pepe) at age of 3 on Tuesday due to a rapidly developed URI, took away my baby overnight :( I'm devastated, but I need to think about my other piggy now, whose name is Teddy (3 and half years)

So Teddy is taking his cage-mates death very calmly, he is active and eating - although he is more scared than usual, I guess that's natural because Pepe was the outgoing one

Now, I'm seeking your advice about what I should do... Unfortunately, I don't live in the UK (I live in Warsaw) and there are not many pig rescues here where I can take him for dating, also Covid is not making things easier for such interactions
So the options I'm thinking of are
1. I can keep Teddy as a single guinea pig. Considering he is not suffering from his cagemate's loss, I assume this is an option?
Teddy and Pepe never had a huge fight but they were never so 'close' either, they both were single guinea pigs before I adopted them and paired them. Although they are definitely more active and social in pairs that's for sure

2. Find a new friend for Teddy. But this raises a lot of questions, should I look for a younger boar? or maybe again a boar around his age (which is much harder than finding a young one)? Or try neutering him and get a female (although this is my least preferred option due to cost)? What do you think based on experience?
I searched these questions online but everyone is saying something else, one person says it's dangerous to pair young and adult boars another one says young and adult boars have the highest success change in bonding... I don't know what to believe :/


This forum has always provided me with great advice, so thank you in advance!
 
I'm sorry for your loss.

In answer to question 1, no keeping him single is not an option. He may be appearing to be fine, but his survival instincts kick in and he just gets on with life because he has no choice but to do so. This of course isn’t the same thing as living a fulfilled and happy life. Companionship is one of the five rights of social animals, so finding him a friend to spend the rest of his life with (and at three years of age, he has got a lot of life left) is very important.

As you have identified, you have two options
1 - neuter him. Have the six week post op wait for him to become infertile and then bond him with a sow.
2 - bond him with another boar.

Ultimately it’s character compatibility which makes a successful bond, not age. For a bond to work they need to accept each other (and this also goes for cross gender bonding) one needs to be submissive and one needs to be dominant. When both accept their positions, then they will get on well. Its normal for them to not appear to be ‘close’, it’s normal for them to not sit in hideys together etc, but when they have a functioning hierarchy and want to be together, then they are in fact close.
If you decide to bond him with another boar, then without the ability to date, it can be better to bond with a young boar. That way, the newcomer will not challenge him for hierarchy and babies are often (not always) accepted by older piggies. Provided the new baby accepts his position as submissive when he hits his teens, then they will be fine together.
If you had the ability to date, then he would be able to pick his own new friend - he may even choose to have an adult friend which is absolutely fine - their relationship would work because they chose each other, liked each other and formed a functioning hierarchy.

If you get him a baby friend, then you must not quarantine a youngster. The social needs of babies is paramount and you must follow the correct bonding procedure straight away when bringing a young piggy home.

The guides below will offer further information

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig

Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities
 
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I am so very sorry for your loss. Please take the time you need to grieve.

I was in the same position as you. I lost one of my boys, however his cage mate seemed Ok, quite content and just getting on with things as if nothing was wrong. We planned to keep him as a single pig, as he didn't seem to be sad or missing his former companion. then we were told about an unplanned litter, and so off I went to meet them. I can home with a tiny little fellow, and my existing 4.5 year old boar was born again. He has been a different piggy ever since. We were very lucky, as he was very placid anyway and took to his new friend instantly, plus his new friend was only a few weeks old.

I would wholeheartedly recommend getting him a new friend, when the time is right for both him and you.
 
Two_Wheeks said:
I am so very sorry for your loss. Please take the time you need to grieve.

I was in the same position as you. I lost one of my boys, however his cage mate seemed Ok, quite content and just getting on with things as if nothing was wrong. We planned to keep him as a single pig, as he didn't seem to be sad or missing his former companion. then we were told about an unplanned litter, and so off I went to meet them. I can home with a tiny little fellow, and my existing 4.5 year old boar was born again. He has been a different piggy ever since. We were very lucky, as he was very placid anyway and took to his new friend instantly, plus his new friend was only a few weeks old.

I would wholeheartedly recommend getting him a new friend, when the time is right for both him and you.
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing this.
 
I am so sorry for your loss.
I know that not everyone has access to a rescue and boar dating, so that isn’t an option for you. But at 3 1/2 Teddy could have several years ahead of him and being on his own long term is not really the best thing for him. So, I agree that if you can find him a little baby boar that would probably be be best solution for him.
 
I have been in your position twice with boars. Both times i was very lucky in sourcing a baby boar 6 weeks old. And the baby boars bonded really well to the adult boars. I was also lucky in that they stayed well bonded right through. I wish you the same luck i had in finding a friend for your single boar.

And sorry for your loss - uri is frighteningly speedy the way it takes hold.
 
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