Should I find Moe a new friend?

[laurens758]

As I posted yesterday, our beloved Gus has passed away. We are taking Moe to the vet tomorrow to confirm the parasite has truly been killed off from him, because though he tested negative, something happened with Gus. They had been separated for a month prior to this happening, so we are hoping he will be okay, as he hasn’t lost weight in the way Gus did. I also believe that this separation may have positively impacted him in terms of his grief.

This morning, Moe was seeming very sad. He hid away for most of it, though he still popped out to eat his food and drink like normal. This evening, he spent a lot of time with my family and I and was very happy with the attention. He has since been coming to the side of his habitat and seeking treats. He is generally a quieter boy, and hasn’t made much noise yet since Gus has been gone.

My question is: would adopting a new friend for him be the best route or would it disrupt him? Gus was his brother from birth and they loved each other a lot. Moe is 4 and a half (5 in December), so I don’t know what the correct way to handle this is. When Peanut died and left Peaches behind, they were both already 6 years old and Peaches was underweight and we suspected she may have cancer/disease, so this was never a consideration. We believe Moe is of good health (though we will confirm at the vet) and I’d hate to deprive him of the socialization guinea pigs need.

If anyone agrees that a new piggy is a good idea, what age would you suggest? The issue is that I’m moving in August and they would be staying with my family (as they are very attached and would never let me take Moe). My parents both work from home permanently and my sister is in online school, so it’s not for a lack of attention or care, but that my parents don’t want another piggy after Moe. I myself plan to adopt more guineas in the future, but understand why they aren’t too keen on the idea since they are getting older and can’t endure the heartbreak again. I think they would agree to it for the sake of his health, but they would want one who is at least close to his age so that this cycle won’t repeat (though that seems inevitable). I’ve read that introducing a young piggy is the best idea for boars, but would introducing two four year olds be beneficial?

I have been browsing through shelters online and the only guys I’ve found are much younger - around 1 to 2. I’m just not sure. Gus and Moe were only my second pair, and I guess we lucked out with the fact that Peaches and Peanut lived long lives and died within 2 months of each other. I feel awfully for Moe and I think he’s lonely and in need of socialization. I don’t have any friends with guinea pigs, so playdates aren’t much of an option. If there are any shelter recommendations where you have seen older guinea pigs, please let me know. I’m located in the US in Virginia and am willing to make a bit of a drive if I could find an older piggy (given that this is a viable option).

I want to know that I’m making the right decision, and would love to hear any stories/tips about your experiences with this. Were your bereaved piggies able to live happily by themselves? Moe will be getting constant attention and play, but I want to make sure the remainder of his time is as fulfilling and happy as can be. He is a very sweet boy and I love him so much. I also know from experience that adopting a new pet and giving your love to them helps the healing process after losing one that you love. Though Moe is certainly not in an acute pining state, I worry that he may grow sadder as he fully accepts that Gus isn’t coming back.

Thank you.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry for your loss.

I'm afraid human interaction is never enough, no matter how much time is spent with them. He is still young enough that he may have several years ahead of him and it is too long for him to spend alone.

Play dates with friends guinea pigs wouldn’t be a good idea anyway - piggies don’t do those kind of playdates. The constant meeting and separation from other piggies would cause a huge amount of stress to all of them. Putting your piggy with another pair of bonded boars for a play date would have the potential to destroy the bond between the bonded pair.
To piggies each meeting is a full on bonding session and if piggies cannot permamently live together, then they shouldnt have any contact.

Character is the most important part of a successful bond. Two piggies of the same age can absolutely bond if they have compatibility, it’s just often easier to bond a younger boar with an older boar because the younger cannot challenge for dominance.

 

[Siikibam]

I’m sorry for your loss. You’ve been given good advice above. Have a look at the link below for rescues near you. I think that if your family aren’t willing to have Moe paired up (or pair up a piggy when one passes away) then he’d be better to go with you. It wouldn’t be fair to make any piggy live alone. I hope you get it sorted soon
Guinea Lynx :: US Guinea Pig Rescue and Shelter Organizations

 

[laurens758]

I’m sorry for your loss.

I'm afraid human interaction is never enough, no matter how much time is spent with them. He is still young enough that he may have several years ahead of him and it is too long for him to spend alone.

Play dates with friends guinea pigs wouldn’t be a good idea anyway - piggies don’t do those kind of playdates. The constant meeting and separation from other piggies would cause a huge amount of stress to all of them. Putting your piggy with another pair of bonded boars for a play date would have the potential to destroy the bond between the bonded pair.
To piggies each meeting is a full on bonding session and if piggies cannot permamently live together, then they shouldnt have any contact.

Character is the most important part of a successful bond. Two piggies of the same age can absolutely bond if they have compatibility, it’s just often easier to bond a younger boar with an older boar because the younger cannot challenge for dominance.

Thank you! I really appreciate this advice. My next question is this: would getting a pair of young boys be an okay idea for Moe? Incase he is not compatible with either, they would at least have each other to hangout with and could interact with him from afar. What do you think? I came across two young brothers who are very sweet seeming and do appear to be quite attached.

 

[laurens758]

I’m sorry for your loss. You’ve been given good advice above. Have a look at the link below for rescues near you. I think that if your family aren’t willing to have Moe paired up (or pair up a piggy when one passes away) then he’d be better to go with you. It wouldn’t be fair to make any piggy live alone. I hope you get it sorted soon
Guinea Lynx :: US Guinea Pig Rescue and Shelter Organizations

Thank you! I agree with this. I am in the process of convincing them to allow me to move with Moe. They are extremely attached to him and taking Gus’ death quite hard, so they’re hesitant to let him go. I told them that he seems lonely and it isn’t fair for him to live in solitude. Their concern is that they’re getting older, and they planned on Gus and Moe being their last pair of guinea pigs. I myself will always want to own them, but I understand their hesitance, as they would like to be able to travel without worrying over whether a family friend is a trustworthy caretaker for the piggies while they’re away. Nobody we know has guinea pigs and we fear that they won’t be adequate caretakers. Anyways, would it be an okay idea to pair Moe with a young set of boars? I found two local babies, but I’m not sure if it would work. Moe is a soft personality and is quite shy, whereas Gus was rambunctious and definitely dominated Moe. We just want him to be happy and hav a good friend.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you! I really appreciate this advice. My next question is this: would getting a pair of young boys be an okay idea for Moe? Incase he is not compatible with either, they would at least have each other to hangout with and could interact with him from afar. What do you think? I came across two young brothers who are very sweet seeming and do appear to be quite attached.

You cant keep three boars together - this almost never works favourably. They will fight and end up needing to be separated. So if you get these young boys then they would have to live in a separate cage to Moe and never have physical contact with him (ie separate floor times etc - allowing physical contact could ruin the bond of the two youngsters so they refuse to go back together meaning you’ve then potentially got three single piggies). Their cage would need to be next to Moe’s though so he can have interaction (sight, smell, sound) through the bars only to stop Moe from becoming lonely.

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

 

[Siikibam]

Have you tried contacting rescues (both near and far) to see if they have any suitable ‘candidates’ available? They may not put singles on their sites. If he’s okay then you have some time. I wouldn’t rush it. And if you decide to go down a non-rescue route then please double check the sex of any piggy you go for.