Single guinea pig?

VanessaC

VanessaC

New Born Pup
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I have 2 boys, Jed and Zeb who are just over a year old. They’re my first guinea pigs and I LOVE them. I recently got chatting to my neighbour who also loves guinea pigs and she said that she’s had many over the years, her last one died a few months ago. She came in to meet my boys, fell in love and she got herself a guinea pig. She said she’s always only had one at a time. I think she spends a lot of time with him and let’s him out regularly. She chats to me about worries she has etc, as far as I know, I thought you should never have just one. Does anyone think I should suggest she gets another one? She’s very sensitive so I don’t want to upset her. I think he’s only about 5 months or so.
 
Yes it would be a very good idea for the his well-being to have a friend. They aren’t wired to be alone and while he will survive being alone, he won’t thrive. Spending time with them, while obviously a great thing, human contact can’t and won’t replace a piggy companion. Definitely try to bring this up and encourage her, for the piggy’s sake, to get him a friend. Take the time to read the guides on bonding on this site so that you can use your knowledge to encourage her and assist. Speaking to a rescue centre would be a great place to start in finding a friend for him
 
Guinea pigs are very social animals, and human interaction cant replace a friend of their own species. You should definitely suggest she gets her piggy a friend, maybe you could phrase this around how many adorable social behaviours you see with a pair that she will never see in a lone piggy, if you think she might be offended if you discuss this as a major welfare problem?
 
Thank you all, I’ll try to broach the subject tactfully. It’d be more fun for her to watch them interact as I’m forever laughing at my 2 playing and they have such different personalities, one winds the other up constantly! I also read there’s one country that refuses to sell only 1 guinea pig if they’re not going to have another one.
 
VanessaC said:
Thank you all, I’ll try to broach the subject tactfully. It’d be more fun for her to watch them interact as I’m forever laughing at my 2 playing and they have such different personalities, one winds the other up constantly! I also read there’s one country that refuses to sell only 1 guinea pig if they’re not going to have another one.
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Yes I think it's Switzerland where it's illegal to sell a single piggie? Anyway invite her round as much as poss to watch your 2 playing and see if that persuades her. Good luck!
 
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