Planning to adopt a second guinea pig

[Shaivy]

Hey guys, I have a guinea pig , he a cute baby boy and his name is ‘Mellow’ .He has been with us since 2.5 years now. Initially I brought two of them piggies home and soon one died, and then i was scared to bring another one. I spend most of my time with him, But now after 2.5 years, i feel that my baby needs a friend. But I am still scared to bring another one home, and how they will interact, and bond.As he has been living alone since 2.5 years. The thing which I am most worried about is that, will he affect my mellow’s health. Please help. Thankyou

 

[Eddie & Elvis]

Going to a rescue that does piggy dating will allow your boy to chose a friend for himself which gives a much better chance of their bond working out. There should only be problems if the piggies are not compatible so dating is a great way to avoid that. There's a rescue locator if you don't know where your nearest one is but I can't link from my phone. Someone who can should be along soon

 

[Piggies&buns]

Character compatibility is the key to a successful bond. If you were to just go out and buy another piggy, then there is a 50/50 chance of success/failure. If they aren’t compatible, then they will need to be separated and live in separate cages side by side to enable through the bar interaction.
If you have a rescue centre nearby who can help you find the right piggy, then your chances are much better of having a successful bond.
You would also need to ensure your cage is big enough for two boars to give them enough space - 180cm x 60cm

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

If you do go down the route of buying a piggy on spec, then you will need a separate cage in case of failure. The guides below explain how to carry out bonding. But no trick in the book can make piggies get on.

Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs