Should I get another guinea pig?

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Paddy

Paddy

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I have a female guinea pig who has been on her own since her sister died about 7 weeks ago. She is 4 and a half years old. I am concerned that it is cruel to keep her by herself but didn't want to rush into getting another sow as we were just about to go on holiday at the time. She looks physically healthy and is eating normally, but she doesn't move around very much and tends to occupy just one end of the (five foot) hutch. I cannot tell if she would be happier with a cage mate, or whether it would stress her more if I introduce another sow into the hutch.
 
Paddy said:
I have a female guilostig who has been on her own since her sister died about 7 weeks ago. She is 4 and a half years old. I am concerned that it is cruel to keep her by herself but didn't want to rush into getting another sow as we were just about to go on holiday at the time. She looks physically healthy and is eating normally, but she doesn't move around very much and tends to occupy just one end of the (five foot) hutch. I cannot tell if she would be happier with a cage mate, or whether it would stress her more if I introduce another sow into the hutch.
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I am so sorry to hear you have recently lost one of your piggies :( Here at the rescue we have recently taken in a 7 year old girlie as her owner didn't want her to be alone, but at the same time didn't want any more pigs. Myrtle has successfully been introduced to another mature lady and is now living happily with her new friend :) At 4 1/2 your piggy could have several years ahead of her so I my opinion it would be nice for her to find a friend. If you go to a reputable rescue, sorry I can't link to the Piggy Bank rescues from my tablet, they will help you and your girlie to find a new friend.
 
Hi I'm in the same boat, I have a male and he is 4 years old and his brother sadly died last week. After much deliberation he was neutered yesterday and we will be visiting our local rescue in a few weeks time for him to pick a female. We decided this was best after discussing it with the rescue and witnessing our boy squeak with joy when he visited the rescue with us to play with the babies there. Our vet recommended another piggy then his reaction, and his quietness since has made our minds up for us! Best of luck in your decision :)
 
So sorry to hear about the loss of your piggie :( I would say yes as it sounds that your girl could be a bit lonely. And I agree with MerryPip on bonding an adult with a baby, you can get some amazing friendships from pairings like that!
 
Piggies are herd animals, so I think it's natural she should have a friend. I have two girls and a neutered boy together in a very large cage and they all get on, however I did check first when I got them from a piggy rescue centre by putting then together in an indoor run and watching them. The boy certainly didn't have any objections, now and again the females may nag him, but he loves it, he purrs away and 'popcorns'!
 
I second everything people have said about taking her to a rescue to find a friend. My Rosie was 6 when she was bonded with Ruby (5 months) after Rosie had been on her own for 2 years since her first friend died. The change in Rosie was instant, she became a lot more adventurous and vocal and she now has 2 other friends to play with- she is a much happier piggy :)
 
I would definitely try bonding her with another guinea pig, either female or neutered boar. In April I got Minnie a 4+ sow who had recently lost her companion & her owner wanted her to be bonded with a group of piggies. It didn't really work satisfactory with my girls & I decided to take her to my local rescue to date some potential neutered male suitors. This worked brilliantly & we brought a one year old neutered boar, Mitch home & they settled down fantastically. Mitch also got on with our other girls so we eventually we tried to get the group together as one & this has now worked out perfect with all 5 piggies living in pretty much harmony.

If you've got a reputable rescue near you, ask if you can take her in to date potential companions either neutered male or female. It will be well worth it to see her have a new lease of life with another piggie.
 
Hi, thanks for your reply. I am sorry for your loss too. Which rescue did you go to? I live in the North East as well. were there some older ladies there? I think I should try and find her a friend, is dating necessary for females as well as boars, or will any two get on ok?
 
I help out at Bunny Burrows in Richmond, North Yorks. They've got lots of piggies in at present as they rescued 8 sows from Northallerton then over 50 mixed from Bishop Auckland. The sows are on pregnancy watch but once it's certain they are pregnant & they are in good health they'll be up for adoption. I'm currently fostering 4 young boars that have just been neutered. These will be up for adoption as soon as they're safe to be put in with females.

Sows generally bond easier than boars but sometimes older sows are a little harder to bond. Sows bond with neutered boars easier but if you try dating first it will give you a better idea of how they get on together. Bunny Burrows do a dating service where you take your sow in & try her with different piggies to check on compatibility. That's where I got Mitch from after taking Minnie in to find a partner. If you're nearer to me, it may be possible to bring her here for dating but it will have to wait till October when they're safe to be put in together. If you're further north, then the North East Guinea Pig Rescue at North Shields is recommended. You can find both of these rescues on line.
 
Hi again.
I have spoken to Gwen at Bunny Burrows and I think I am going to make a visit to the 8 sows, once their pregnancy watch is over, i.e. in a couple of weeks. They are at a foster home which is quite near to me. I hope my sow will be alright for a couple more weeks, and with a bit of luck she will do okay with a new companion.
thanks for your help. :-)
 
North East Guinea Pig Rescue in South Shields has a very good reputation and is on our list of recommended rescues. http://www.northeastguineapigrescue.co.uk/

I have rehomed several 4 or 5 year old piggies, which are thankfully still living happily in their various piggy groups.

North East gp rescue will allow you to bring your girl with you, so she can make the choice under expert supervision who she wants to be with, either sow or neutered boar. Any rescue that allows you to date a piggy at the rescue is a better choice, as you will only come home with a new friend if there has been success.
 
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I was going to bring my piggy with me, tho I haven't spoken to the person who is fostering the sows to actually arrange this. How will I know if they are a good match? Am I looking for "not fighting", or should I be looking for more? When she lived with her (late) sister they tended to ignore each other and sit in separate dens, pretty much all the time, which is partly why I am half wondering if she would prefer to stay on her own now... The foster home is about 20 mins from my house whereas N Shields is q a bit further to get to. Gwen sounded really nice and willing to help. She even offered to have my piggy stay with her in the meanwhile if she is lonely here.
 
Bunny Burrows does allow dating visits. We took Minnie there at the beginning of June for dating & came home with neutered boar, Mitch. It has been a perfect match & also resulted in our other 3 girls bonding with Minnie & Mitch which they would do with Minnie by herself. They've now been living together as a group for about a month.

If it doesn't work out with the 8 sows you are going to see, maybe try her with a neutered boar. This can sometimes workout better. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I'm fostering 4 young boars who were neutered last week. I'm attempting to tame them as they appeared to be pretty wild when I first got them. I'm giving them lap time daily as well as supervised time on the lawn. Had to split them into 2 pairs as they were fighting a lot as a foursome. They will eventually make wonderful additions to someone's home next month. You can see pictures of the 4 boys a week before they were neutered here:-
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?106338-I-m-Doing-My-First-Fostering
 
Paddy said:
I was going to bring my piggy with me, tho I haven't spoken to the person who is fostering the sows to actually arrange this. How will I know if they are a good match? Am I looking for "not fighting", or should I be looking for more? When she lived with her (late) sister they tended to ignore each other and sit in separate dens, pretty much all the time, which is partly why I am half wondering if she would prefer to stay on her own now... The foster home is about 20 mins from my house whereas N Shields is q a bit further to get to. Gwen sounded really nice and willing to help. She even offered to have my piggy stay with her in the meanwhile if she is lonely here.
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There's usually a bit of teeth grinding but you want to see at least one of them backing down. If it gets too bad like blood drawn then I'd stop & try another one. When I tried with Minnie there were piggies running round with others hair in their mouths & had to give up. Since Mitch cam on the scene, there's still occasional teeth grinding but one or the other will back away without fighting now. The lady who's fostering the 8 sows from is a long time piggy carer & is very knowledgeable so you'll be in the best hands for a successful pairing. What is your piggies name?
 
She is called Freddie. I hope those eight girls are not pregnant, but I am open to the idea of a neutered boar also. Just had a peek at the Northern Echo article. That is a HUGE number of piggies to rehome!
 
glad they did ok in the op. They are handsome boys. I think I will start by seeing if any of the 8 girls are eligible, i.e. not pregnant, then take it from there, but am also open to the idea of a neutered boar if plan A doesnt work out.
 
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