Should I get another guinea pig?

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NuggetGuineaPigMom

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Hi! In July 2019 I got my first guinea pig, Nugget, as a baby. Due to my living situation this year, I was unfortunately only allowed to have one animal. However, I spend quite a bit of time with him so we have bonded very nicely and he is therefore not sad or lonely being the only guinea pig. However, next year my living situation will be changing and I will have the ability to get a second guinea pig. This is something I would love to do because, aside from loving guinea pigs, I will not be able to spend as much time with Nugget as I do now and he can then have a companion to keep him company. I do have a few concerns though:

- By the time I am able to get a second guinea pig, Nugget will already be just over a year old. Are the chances of him getting along with a new guinea pig good considering that he has been the only one for so long by that point?
- Would it be better to get a guinea pig around the same age as him or another baby?
- Could Nugget potentially become unfriendly with me or other humans? The two of us have overcome many socialization challenges together and it would break my heart to see him completely revert back into his shell again.

At the end of the day I want to do what is best for the little Nugget I already have, so if anyone has any advice to share I would appreciate it greatly!
 
anyar.dris said:
Where are you located? Boar dating in a rescue would always be the best option for getting a new friend. This will give your piggy a chance to choose a compatible friend for him and will minimise the risk of falling out or failed bonding.
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USA- There are definitely different guinea pig rescues I could get in contact with. That's a good idea!
 
Find a rescue to have playmates. I just bonded both of my boys with babies. I had no issues. Not sure what it will be like when the babies get older, but for now everyone is happy.
 
Please do it. He may seem happy but they really do need the (constant) companionship of their own kind. You’ll really see his character when he’s got a friend to share his cage with.

As suggested, a rescue where they offer boar dating is ideal. The most important thing is character compatibility more than age. But it would do no harm to pair him with a young boar, so they’re not going through the teenage years together.
 
NuggetGuineaPigMom said:
Hi! In July 2019 I got my first guinea pig, Nugget, as a baby. Due to my living situation this year, I was unfortunately only allowed to have one animal. However, I spend quite a bit of time with him so we have bonded very nicely and he is therefore not sad or lonely being the only guinea pig. However, next year my living situation will be changing and I will have the ability to get a second guinea pig. This is something I would love to do because, aside from loving guinea pigs, I will not be able to spend as much time with Nugget as I do now and he can then have a companion to keep him company. I do have a few concerns though:

- By the time I am able to get a second guinea pig, Nugget will already be just over a year old. Are the chances of him getting along with a new guinea pig good considering that he has been the only one for so long by that point?
- Would it be better to get a guinea pig around the same age as him or another baby?
- Could Nugget potentially become unfriendly with me or other humans? The two of us have overcome many socialization challenges together and it would break my heart to see him completely revert back into his shell again.

At the end of the day I want to do what is best for the little Nugget I already have, so if anyone has any advice to share I would appreciate it greatly!
Click to expand...

Hi!

Companionship is always worth it! But it is unfortunately not necessarily quite as easy as sticking a little baby boy with Nugget and expecting that things will go swimmingly.

The biggest issue is whether Nugget still sees himself as a guinea pig or not and whether/how he is relating to other guinea pigs. You can't predict that. Ex-singles can be perfectly OK, can be wary or have some social deficits, or they can't have the first clue...

My 2 year old rescue-neutered Dylan took two bonding attempts with babies to find a stable companion while dumped human-centric Beryn took me 1 1/2 years and countless bonding attempts to socialise and work past her fear-aggression issues stemming from her lack of social piggy interaction. She is now very happily bonded with a submissive older sow with a group background. My newest 'project' piggy Brathlys is still work in progress...

The second biggest issue is not age, but character compatibility and space. Just getting another piggy on spec is very tricky unless you can date Nugget at a good rescue that offers this service and only come home with a mate if acceptance has happened at the rescue or you need to have a plan B with the two of them living in a divided cage if they don't get on.

Please take the time to read this guide here. It looks at the various situations that single piggies are in, their specific challenges and has also a chapter on finding a companion and what to consider: Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities

Here is our boar guide for boar-specific issues as well as our bonding guide:
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

I hope that the information in the guides will help you make any informed decisions and explore your various options in more detail. There is no fail-safe one method fits all easy way. Guinea pigs are rather complex personalities for all that they are social animals. That privilege is not just reserved for humans!
 
Yes, it's always in their best interest to have a guinea pig companion. Much as you love him, the relationship he has with you is not the same as the relationship with another guinea pig. However, it's not always as easy as just putting the two together and hoping that all goes well. Wiebke gave better advice than I possibly could in the post above and linked a number of helpful articles- that's probably a good starting point so you can go in with some knowledge of what to expect! Good luck!
 
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