Should I even be considering this?

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Sue and Smartie

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Getting another guinea pig wasn't even on my radar until just now. Then a friend sent me a link to a neutered boy who needs a home. He is one year old.
My current girls are four and five years old and I don't know if they would appreciate a young man in the Piggy Palace. Should I even be considering this ? Is it fair on the old girls?
 
Is there any way you can have a bonding session with the boy in his current location? Is he at a rescue center?
Have your girls always been just the two of them? If so, you could upset the harmony you currently have.
I'm sure someone with loads of experience will be along to give you some fabulous advice.
I know it's difficult though when you see a piggy in need of a home.
I wish you well x
 
Thank you PPP. No my girls haven't always been a pair. Fifi arrived to be a friend to my dear old Kanga. Kanga then passed away and I got Pippa & Penny from a friend, so I had three for a while. Penny passed away this year so now it's just Fifi and Pippa.
So both have experienced several upheavals already, I'm sure they would cope but whether it's the right thing to do or not is what's troubling me.
On the one hand I don't want to upset the girls, but on the other hand if I waited until one of them passed on a new friend would become an emergency need and you can bet there would be no suitable pigs in any rescues then!
Yes, he's in an RSPCA centre, not a specialist piggy rescue so I doubt they do bonding.
 
This is a newly updated guide that will help you make your decision.

Wiebke

Thread 'Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?'

1 Singles and Pairs
Singles: Challenges and solutions for different singles situations (link)
Pairs: A closer look all possible pairings (link)
2 Trios and More by Gender
Boars
- Trios and quartets - Why better avoided
- Large Groups...
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Good luck with whatever decision you make.
 
Thank you, that was really useful. I think it's probably a no as they are elderly sows so not really at the point in their lives when they'd welcome a teenager into their quiet life. I don't really want to go down the two cages route either which is what I'd have to do if I got him and the girls said no thanks.
 
Sue and Smartie said:
Thank you, that was really useful. I think it's probably a no as they are elderly sows so not really at the point in their lives when they'd welcome a teenager into their quiet life. I don't really want to go down the two cages route either which is what I'd have to do if I got him and the girls said no thanks.
Click to expand...
Sad but true, older sows don’t seem as keen to accept a young boar as the younger ones
 
Sue and Smartie said:
Thank you PPP. No my girls haven't always been a pair. Fifi arrived to be a friend to my dear old Kanga. Kanga then passed away and I got Pippa & Penny from a friend, so I had three for a while. Penny passed away this year so now it's just Fifi and Pippa.
So both have experienced several upheavals already, I'm sure they would cope but whether it's the right thing to do or not is what's troubling me.
On the one hand I don't want to upset the girls, but on the other hand if I waited until one of them passed on a new friend would become an emergency need and you can bet there would be no suitable pigs in any rescues then!
Yes, he's in an RSPCA centre, not a specialist piggy rescue so I doubt they do bonding.
Click to expand...
I understand completely about wanting to be prepared when one crosses the rainbow bridge. I'm in that situation now with my boy and waiting for suitable friends at a rescue.
I've never had girls but have read that they can be little madams as they get older and not so willing to accept new friends.
Could you look for a slightly older neutered boy that's calm and might suit your girls better? At least that way you have a friend in place already so you don't have a lone piggy situation.
You should be able to take a boy back to the rescue if your girls don't accept him so you don't have the separate enclosure situation.
I'm certainly beginning to realise the sense in having three or four piggies, it's not nice seeing a sad lone piggy.
I hope you can find a nice older boy, there always seem to be lone boys available and many rescues seem to be neutering them them now so they can be with girls
Good luck to you x
 
PerfectPiggyPaws said:
I've never had girls but have read that they can be little madams as they get older and not so willing to accept new friends.
Click to expand...
The only time I've ever had a full on fight was between two senior sows - that was when I introduced Fifi & Kanga. Fortunately no blood was drawn but it was extremely alarming! Also fortunately they did become good friends after that.
Hormones have a lot to answer for!
 
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