Single Piggie

Jemima

Jemima

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Feb 9, 2021
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Somerset
Hi all.

Quick post about my single boar - his male mate died about 10 months ago now. It was horrible at the time, and we moved my single boar, Papa, into my office. It's where they started off before we moved them outside. But I couldn't leave him out there on his own.

We made the decision (well, mostly my husband!) about not continuing the cycle of guinea pigs. I explored options of fostering a piggie for a companion but the lovely rescue we got our boys from said it wasn't really fair on them on the foster pig, and that long-term fosters were usually unwell or had extra care needed.

So, we decided to keep him as he is. I do feel guilty when I see him in there on his own! But he does seem happy enough munching on his Haybox hay, and I try to enrich is C&C as much as I can. At the moment I hide grass daily in a wicker ball thing he has, so that keeps him going a while. He has a carrot cottage. And hides I can change sometimes.

But now we are coming to autumn/winter, he won't be able to go on the lawn any more. What are other ways I can enrich his life? I work in the office so I am present every day for a bit. But we don't get him out for cuddles/snacks much anymore, as he was always the shy (but dominant) guy. And prefers to be left where he is, though he does enjoy a nose rub.

He must be at least six years old now! :-)
 
Something I do for my single pig is fill a paper bag with hay and forage, with some little treats throughout, crinkle it up, and he spends the day ripping it apart and munching happily. He’s also In my main living area so he gets human interaction consistently
 
CTWC said:
I know you don't want to hear this but he really does need a guinea pig friend 😔
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I do know he does, but we don't want to keep guinea pigs after he dies. So what are we to do? Rehome him at age 6? I don't know what the fairest and most compassionate thing for HIM is. Because we aren't going to introduce another boar because then when Pap dies, we continue the cycle.
 
MWpiggies said:
Something I do for my single pig is fill a paper bag with hay and forage, with some little treats throughout, crinkle it up, and he spends the day ripping it apart and munching happily. He’s also In my main living area so he gets human interaction consistently
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That's a good idea. I'll do this. I just filled up his wicker ball with treats and he was delighted.
Is your single guinea pig single for the same reason as ours is? E.g., you're not going to get him a friend?
 
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities

You may find some useful tips in the above link. It's so hard to know what to do when you are coming to the end of the piggy journey, especially when the last one is such a great age. I feel it would be harder on them to be rehomed than to spend time alone. They get so used to their routine and their home.
 
Jemima said:
I do know he does, but we don't want to keep guinea pigs after he dies. So what are we to do? Rehome him at age 6? I don't know what the fairest and most compassionate thing for HIM is. Because we aren't going to introduce another boar because then when Pap dies, we continue the cycle.
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Where I live it's fairly easy to get a 'guinea on loan' for your final pig so he/she doesn't live alone. When your final pig dies, the guinea on loan goes straight back to the guinea rescue to then be adopted into a forever home.
 
Mrs Tiggy Winkle said:
Where I live it's fairly easy to get a 'guinea on loan' for your final pig so he/she doesn't live alone. When your final pig dies, the guinea on loan goes straight back to the guinea rescue to then be adopted into a forever home.
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Perhaps I speak to another rescue to see if they would do this. But as he was the dominant pig, I sometimes wonder whether he would be stressed by this. But I can always ask!
 
Jemima said:
Perhaps I speak to another rescue to see if they would do this. But as he was the dominant pig, I sometimes wonder whether he would be stressed by this. But I can always ask!
Click to expand...

Totally get not wanting the cycle to continue but it’s always then a difficult decision as to what to do for the best.

I had a pair and two singles. The submissive of the pair died so I was left with a 6 year old boy who had been dominant.
I had the two other single young (2 year olds at the time) boys and all three of them were dominant (hence why the youngster bond broke down). I took the risk and bonded the 6 year old with one of the youngsters. My old boy was glad for company and submitted immediately.

He passed away almost a year ago now so I am back with two singles and these will be my last piggies so I am only a few years away from being in the same dilemma
 
CTWC said:
Morning, did you have a look at the enrichment link? 💐
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I did - thank you. Lots of really good ideas in there! I have popped in a big paper strip yesterday which he is loving! And I am about to go and get all of his favourites from the garden to pop into his wicker treat ball. I am also going to work out how to hang up some of his veggies, like the dangling carrot I saw on this page.

When I get him out in the house for running time, he really just wants to hide. But I might try to do this a bit more often as in the winter, when they were both inside, I always used to give them floor time for a bit of a variety.
 
I think natural twine is best for making the veggie washing line and hiding things in folded toilet rolls is always a nice easy one 💐
 
Jemima said:
That's a good idea. I'll do this. I just filled up his wicker ball with treats and he was delighted.
Is your single guinea pig single for the same reason as ours is? E.g., you're not going to get him a friend?
Click to expand...
I got him when I was 12 and very uneducated on Guinea pigs, I thought a single pig would be ok and my parents since then have refused to let me get another :( since then I have tried to give him as much enrichment as I can, and for the past 7 years he’s been happy healthy! Although I would NOT recommend getting a single pig as he still is missing that companionship, which is entirely my fault because of my lack of knowledge at the time 😕. Try your best to get a friend but if not then interact as much as possible, and try to make new enrichment toys as often as you can!
 
CTWC said:
I think natural twine is best for making the veggie washing line and hiding things in folded toilet rolls is always a nice easy one 💐
Click to expand...
I did this and he nosed it around until he worked out a piece of carrot fell out each time he gave it a shove. Clever pig!
 
So I am filling up his wicker ball with grass and dandelion and other forage at least once per day.
Then I am doing a treat once per day in his folded loo roll.
I also dangled a carrot from his hide which he nibbled at until it was gone.
I've popped in some natural Kraft paper strips which he loves to hide under.
I will get him out for floor time during the winter.
I visit him frequently throughout the day and we are all at home - right now he is munching on his grass while I type!
He's old and I don't mind giving him lots of stimulation through natural forage and treats he loves - always get a popcorn when the grass enters the room!
Thank you all for your suggestions.
 
I am now on the same sad position with a single sow of 3. She has never been sociable with any other pig but this may be my bad bonding etc.

Her (separated) lovely Boar of same age passed yesterday. I am at the end with these lovely creatures and my health not great now. 4th Vet ending for different reasons in 3 years.

Quite happy to surrender her although much loved. .…..But .. she is not piggy sociable from a baby. She notices when her attached cage mate disappears. Pitiable this morning. No interest in coming out of her hut .

I know a rescue where the retired ladies go in together. Perhaps 30 pigs. They are very happy and never fight. But she might find that overwhelming .

Any thoughts.......
 
Oh I’m sad to read this ……and I understand
It’s very hard when you are grieving for one piggy but want to do the best for the remaining piggy
Well done for thinking of her and what is best
I would try to rehome her so that her last years are good
Against advice a friend kept her lone sow on her own and she died 2 months after her mate ….. the lone piggy stayed in her hidey most of the time and had a reduced appetite and was a sad piggy.
I’m sure the rescue will have experience of your piggy’s temperament and in a herd I’m sure she’d settle
Good luck and I’d like to know what you decide
 
I think if you trust the rescue they would watch over her to make sure she was settled perhaps you could visit or even volunteer if you have any spare time then you'll see for yourself how she is? 💐💕
 
Thank you so much.

I’m still in a bad state about my lovely boy today, but I have reached out to a trusted rescue to see if they would take her.

It’s not about me but what is best for her . I need a week or so to get some perspective.

What puts me off is she is often quite happy on her own but if she goes i can only trust that she is looked after. I will have to let go. That’s the problem because one grief leads to two.

I had a larger herd previously and it wasn’t so wrenching.

Luckily today she is still eating ok. Tucking into her supper of parsley and Hay.
 
Ah I understand your feelings @Mon59
You are grieving but still thinking about her best life
If you visited a rescue and saw how it was run, especially if she would be in a herd then I think that would give you peace of mind as @CTWC said
It’s never an easy decision and we are always going down the ‘ what if, should I ‘ etc road
Guinea pigs do need friends
Keep chatting to us so we can support you and offer advice ….many forum members have decided to give up their last piggy as they could not keep the guinea pig journey going , the same decision you are contemplating 🥰
 
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