Piggy Need a buddy or old?

[Melsfrance92]

Hi!

My little pig grumps sadly lost his buddy Freddie three months ago he was coping well but I feel like he’s getting depressed without a friend.

We try and spend much time as possible Win him, he’s eating fine and snoozing. But he isn’t he crazy run around self, I don’t know if this is because he’s an old pig now (5 years) or if he needs a buddy.

I’m scared he won’t bond with the new pig as he did with Freddie or it will ‘bully’ him. Advice?

 

[Merab]

Personality is more important than age when it comes to bonding.
5 is a good age for a guinea pig but Grumps will still appreciate companionship of his own kind.
If you are UK based check the rescue locator at the top. Some of the rescues offer boar dating which ensures compatibility.

Welcome to the forum and sorry for the loss of Freddie

 

[SirToby]

Hey!
I also had this problem... Mouse lost his buddy about a year ago, and seemed to be doing okay after it, he also was 5 years old, but after a while we started noticing he was in need of company. We took him to someone who had a nest and was willing to help us get Mouse a friend. It wend really well, and Mouse was super happy with Phlox, his 5 weeks old bud. Mouse and Phlox sadly didn't enjoy each other that long, because Mouse died of complications due to a operation on his teeth, wich really was life treathening. We soon gave Phlox a new buddy, on the same way as we did Mouse, and they have been happy together ever since. Back in march, we adopted a boar who was 5 years old, from someone who couldn't take care of him, and it started tickeling to gave Toby a buddy. We soon got to that same person, who happened to have a nest at that same time, we set him up to Hagrid, also 5 weeks old, and they too are really happy together!
I am actually typing this with Toby and Hagrid on my lap, who are happily eating from a tomato.

I would really advice you to give him a buddy! I have seen what it did to Toby and Mouse when they got their new friends and i would wish that for avery guinea pig! But you should really take him to pick out his friend, otherwise it may not click

Photos 1 and 2 are Mouse and Phlox, photo 3 is Toby and Hagrid and photo 4 is Loki and Phlox

 

[Merab]

Hey!
I also had this problem... Mouse lost his buddy about a year ago, and seemed to be doing okay after it, he also was 5 years old, but after a while we started noticing he was in need of company. We took him to someone who had a nest and was willing to help us get Mouse a friend. It wend really well, and Mouse was super happy with Phlox, his 5 weeks old bud. Mouse and Phlox sadly didn't enjoy each other that long, because Mouse died of complications due to a operation on his teeth, wich really was life treathening. We soon gave Phlox a new buddy, on the same way as we did Mouse, and they have been happy together ever since. Back in march, we adopted a boar who was 5 years old, from someone who couldn't take care of him, and it started tickeling to gave Toby a buddy. We soon got to that same person, who happened to have a nest at that same time, we set him up to Hagrid, also 5 weeks old, and they too are really happy together!
I am actually typing this with Toby and Hagrid on my lap, who are happily eating from a tomato.

I would really advice you to give him a buddy! I have seen what it did to Toby and Mouse when they got their new friends and i would wish that for avery guinea pig! But you should really take him to pick out his friend, otherwise it may not click

Photos 1 and 2 are Mouse and Phlox, photo 3 is Toby and Hagrid and photo 4 is Loki and Phlox

Welcome to the forum.
Your boys are gorgeous.
Do I detect a sci-fi / fantasy theme to their names?

 

[SirToby]

Welcome to the forum.
Your boys are gorgeous.
Do I detect a sci-fi / fantasy theme to their names?

Absolutley! Hagrid is from Harry Potter, Loki from Avengers, Phlox is Star Trek and Sir Toby is from Shakespeare, not exactly Sci Fi, but he is named after someone

Mouse is just from mouse, his old buddy's name was Pows, so it pretty much matched

 

[Tiamolly123]

I believe Loki is in the Vikings too.
Hi & Welcome to our friendly forum.

 

[G&C]

You know Grumps better than anyone and you’ve noticed a change in his behaviour. We lost our older boar last year and Gizmo went very quiet, he even went off his food a little, didn’t ‘talk’ or anything. Now he has a new friend (we got a 5 week old boar) and bonded them and they are constantly chattering to each other. They have started over the last few months having dominance issues as the little one is a teenager now, but they say the younger the better for bonding. I would go for it, you’ll see such a difference in his behaviour and it’s lovely seeing them happy again

 

[Melsfrance92]

You know Grumps better than anyone and you’ve noticed a change in his behaviour. We lost our older boar last year and Gizmo went very quiet, he even went off his food a little, didn’t ‘talk’ or anything. Now he has a new friend (we got a 5 week old boar) and bonded them and they are constantly chattering to each other. They have started over the last few months having dominance issues as the little one is a teenager now, but they say the younger the better for bonding. I would go for it, you’ll see such a difference in his behaviour and it’s lovely seeing them happy again

Yeah I really want to see him happy again! He’s normally such a little crazy pig! My partner is really reluctant to get a new pig as he feels we will be constantly replacing pig after pig. But my attitude is this is best thing for grumps and also what’s wrong with endless guinea pigs! Sorry for your loss but I’m glad gizmo is much happier x