Special Guinea Pig able to have cage mate?

[caitlindamood]

Hello,

I currently have 3 Male Guinea Pigs, one adopted fairly recently. The two form before are currently living in their own 2x4 cage and the newest is alone in his own. I am hesitant to find him a cage mate or maybe introduce him to the others because I specifically adopted him because he's handicapped. He has a clubbed front left foot which affected his heart and caused a murmur. My vet said his life expectancy is not as long as normal but I want to make sure he has the best home he can no matter what.

Some things to note:
The two males are already bonded(when you remove one from the cage the other will start crying)
One is a skinny pig and the other a big hair ball :p
The clubbed foot doesn't seem to bother Teddy(his name) too much meaning there's lots of popcorning and running around
The vet suggested not to get a cage mate, but she also said not to get one for my original skinny pig because "males fight" - which I'm glad I didn't follow because he's so much happier now!

Thank you so much!

 

[Bill & Ted]

Good on you for giving this little piggie a good home. How strange your vet thinking piggies are solitary animals, that’s quite the opposite isn’t it. Don’t risk your well bonded boar pair by trying a trio, they very rarely work. It’s really down to finding your disabled piggie a mate, I don’t know where you live but if you are in the UK you could look at the recommended rescue list and perhaps go boar dating?

 

[Claire W]

I agree. There is no reason why Teddy can’t have a friend. There are members on here who have had disabled piggies and still managed to pair them up with a friend @furryfriends (TEAS) and @Wiebke to name a couple (Debbie I’m thinking about your lethals and dental piggies and Wiebke, I’m thinking about your blind piggies and Hafina with her eyes)

As mentioned above, if you’re in the UK, boar dating at a rescue is an option. Where about a do you live as someone may be able to point you in the right direction?

Please don’t upset the apple cart and attempt to put all 3 boys together as trios of boars rarely work out

 

[Wiebke]

Hello,

I currently have 3 Male Guinea Pigs, one adopted fairly recently. The two form before are currently living in their own 2x4 cage and the newest is alone in his own. I am hesitant to find him a cage mate or maybe introduce him to the others because I specifically adopted him because he's handicapped. He has a clubbed front left foot which affected his heart and caused a murmur. My vet said his life expectancy is not as long as normal but I want to make sure he has the best home he can no matter what.

Some things to note:
The two males are already bonded(when you remove one from the cage the other will start crying)
One is a skinny pig and the other a big hair ball :p
The clubbed foot doesn't seem to bother Teddy(his name) too much meaning there's lots of popcorning and running around
The vet suggested not to get a cage mate, but she also said not to get one for my original skinny pig because "males fight" - which I'm glad I didn't follow because he's so much happier now!

Thank you so much!

Hi and welcome!

Companionship is definitely an option, preferably with a gentle older/adult boar who has a caring side, but you want to be able to date Teddy at a good rescue so you come home only with a partner where acceptance has happened and mutual liking is present.
I know of a number of 'carer companions' for disabled piggies. Most often they are siblings, but relationship is by far not prerogative.

It is great that you are giving a loving and caring home to a piggy that most people wouldn't touch with a barge pole!

Could you please add your country, state/province or UK county or large city to your account details (via clicking on your username on the top bar) so we may be able to help you more with recommendations. We have got members and enquiries from around the world; climate, background access to rescues and vets, brand names etc. can vary considerably, and so can our specifically tailored advice when we try to work out the best way forward for an individual member together with them, depending on their own realistic options.

Recommended UK rescues: Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues
Recommended rescues in some other countries: Guinea Lynx :: Rescue Organizations

 

[Livia Rabideau]

Bless you for giving him a second chance! I am sure he will have a beautiful life with you! I hope you can find him a buddy!

 

[Merab]

Well done for giving Teddy a chance of a good and loving home.
I hope you find a lovely companion for him.

 

[caitlindamood]

Sorry for the late reply! I’m in the states and I have a wonderful rescue not far from me where I adopted one of my older males. I will definitely go to them to find Teddy and cagemate and thank you all for the replies! I was nervous mostly because of his little heart so I’ll make sure I look for older, calmer boys for his friend.

I thank you again and Teddy thanks you! ^.^

 

[YvonneBlue]

Keep us updated on your progress with finding him a friend. It would be lovely to know what happens.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello,

I currently have 3 Male Guinea Pigs, one adopted fairly recently. The two form before are currently living in their own 2x4 cage and the newest is alone in his own. I am hesitant to find him a cage mate or maybe introduce him to the others because I specifically adopted him because he's handicapped. He has a clubbed front left foot which affected his heart and caused a murmur. My vet said his life expectancy is not as long as normal but I want to make sure he has the best home he can no matter what.

Some things to note:
The two males are already bonded(when you remove one from the cage the other will start crying)
One is a skinny pig and the other a big hair ball :p
The clubbed foot doesn't seem to bother Teddy(his name) too much meaning there's lots of popcorning and running around
The vet suggested not to get a cage mate, but she also said not to get one for my original skinny pig because "males fight" - which I'm glad I didn't follow because he's so much happier now!

Thank you so much!

Thank you for adding your location!

Are you close to one of these? They are the only guinea pig rescues I know of in the LA area.

Los Angeles Guinea Pig Rescue in the Chatsworth area at the northern end of the metropolis offer bonding sessions on their Adoption Days (usually every Saturday as far as I know). They are very experienced and, as they are one of the worldwide largest rescues, have plenty of piggies in rescue to hopefully find a suitable mate for Teddy!
https://www.facebook.com/laguineapigrescue/ - Adoption page: Adoption

If you are closer to the southern end of the metropolis, Orange County Cavy Haven in Fullerton near Anaheim may be an alternative in that case. Again, you and Teddy will be in very safe hands there when you take him dating!
Orange County Cavy Haven - Guinea Pig Rescue or facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cavyhaven/

Both rescues operate to a high welfare standard and only rehome healthy, quarantined/vet cared guinea pigs that are properly sexed.

Anyway, all the best for finding Teddy the perfect companion!

 

[Betsy]

Please keep us updated. It's always nice to know what happens. Can we have some pigtures please? We love seeing pigtures of piggies!

 

[Merab]

Looking forward to hearing further news.
Hope all goes well

 

[Hils]

I have a herd of four Guinea pigs. One of them has no incisors. She needs a little extra help having her veggies cut up but other than that has a perfectly normal existence. The other piggies treat her very well and accept her without question. Admittedly she is very adept at pushing the others away from the food bowls so she can attack the food head on, but the others don't seem to mind this. I've concluded that animals are much more accepting of difference than humans. Definitely go ahead and find a friend for your piggie!

 

[caitlindamood]

Please keep us updated. It's always nice to know what happens. Can we have some pigtures please? We love seeing pigtures of piggies!

I will! Just letting him adjust to home a little and making sure there’s no URI hiding or anything before going to the rescue. I will definitely upload some pics here are my two older ones :