Sudden loss

I’m sorry for your loss.

It rather depends on how your piggy is coping. A bereaved piggy is usually ok alone for around four weeks - we recommend you weigh your piggy more regularly during the grieving process.
The safest way to find a new friend is with the help of a rescue centre if possible: they will help ensure character compatibility with your piggy to form a successful bond.
This can mean that as that process can take longer than a few weeks that your piggy may be alone for a bit longer. But taking that extra time to ensure compatibility is usually worth it.

However a bereaved piggy who goes into acute pining (stops eating and consequently loses weight, becomes depressed) can need a new friend within a day or two. This means you may not have the option of dating at a rescue and could have to purchase a baby piggy much sooner.

I’ve added guides below to help further

Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated Bonding Dynamics and Behaviours
 
Thanks I think my mum is going to speak to her neighbour as she has piggies and she lost one of hers and recently purchased a companion to see she how she bonded them
 
ruthie1982 said:
Thanks I think my mum is going to speak to her neighbour as she has piggies and she lost one of hers and recently purchased a companion to see she how she bonded them
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Our guide does have a full explanation of the neutral territory one time event process, along with a description of the behaviours you do or do not want to see in relation to the success of a bonding.

To be sure you’re getting good advice - bonding is a one time event on completely neutral territory (you cannot just add a new piggy directly into the cage belonging to another piggy as that can be seen as a territory invasion and cause a bond to fail). It is not done by multiple short meetings which cause stress and can hamper the bonding process.
 
Ok I think you maybe Misread . She was going to speak to her neighbour about me getting a new piggy for my recently bereaved one . And to see how she bonded her new one with her bereaved one
 
ruthie1982 said:
Ok I think you maybe Misread . She was going to speak to her neighbour about me getting a new piggy for my recently bereaved one . And to see how she bonded her new one with her bereaved one
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No I don’t think i misread - my post explains how to bond a new piggy with the bereaved one
 
ruthie1982 said:
So introduce them slowly
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No.
Bonding is done by putting them into a neutral territory bonding pen for several hours. It either works out during that time or it doesn’t.
If it does then after several hours (or even after I’m being together in neutral territory overnight)you then move them to the fully cleaned out cage together. It then takes a further two weeks of being permanently together for the details of the hierarchy to be fully formed
If it doesn’t then they have to live in separate side by side cages permanently

You cannot do slow introductions because putting them together for short meetings and then separating them causes a lot of stress, interrupts the bonding process every single and can actually cause the bond to fail.

If the new piggy you get is over four months of age, then it is advisable to have the live in separate but side by side for a few days/week before neutral territory bonding day. They do not have any physical interaction except between the bars during those first days
If the new piggy is under four months of age then companionship is essential for babies so you have to go straight to neutral territory on the day you bring the new piggy home without having them live side by side for a few days first
 
ruthie1982 said:
No I’ll probably be getting a new piggy from my local pets at home store
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So it’ll likely be a baby then which means you have to go straight to neutral territory introduction once you get the new piggy home, as a baby piggy cannot be alone.
They will need to be in the bonding pen for at least several hours before they are ready to go their (cleaned out) permanent cage together

Make sure you check the sex of the new piggy yourself before you introduce them. Unfortunately we see many cases of pet shop missexing
 
An adult will often accept a baby as a baby cannot challenge the hierarchy. However any bond comes down to character compatibility so it is never a guarantee that a bonding will definitely be successful.

It also depends on the older sow.
Some bereaved sows are desperate for company that they will accept a new friend. However some older sows can become less accepting of new company after the passing of their friend, particularly if the friend was a lifelong friend. This can mean that bondings fail but it doesn’t mean a bereaved older sow can be alone. Instead the alternative is having to live in side by side cages so they have side by side interaction but without the stress on the older sow of having to share territory.
(there is then the decision to make as to whether to get the younger piggy their own new friend to live in the same cage with her - ie three piggies but two separate cages permanently)

This is why you always need a plan b when bonding has to be done on spec (ie when bonding via pet shop purchasing).
 
ruthie1982 said:
Can u put a baby sow in with an older one
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Yes, you can. An older one will usually accept a baby.
IME a really old guinea, like 6-8 years old can get a bit stressed at the rambunctious energy of a baby.
If it doesn't work out, then they're not character-compatible (personality clash, which you can't know in advance).

@Piggies&buns has given you the link for the bonding process. It's detailed and I'm sure answers most if not all of your questions, so do have a look at it.
Good luck with finding a new guinea girl.
 
ruthie1982 said:
Can u put a baby sow in with an older one
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As I explained previously, yes you can, as babies cant challenge the hierarchy they are often accepted but there is no guarantee as the two piggies have to be character compatible for the bond to be successful - you have to carry out the bonding in the process I explained and see if it works out, you cant know how things will go until you try.
 
Is it best to wait till the baby is the same size as the older sow . I know it’s probably a stupid question to ask
 
ruthie1982 said:
Is it best to wait till the baby is the same size as the older sow . I know it’s probably a stupid question to ask
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There is no such thing as a stupid question - please ask anything you need to

No it is not best to wait. Physical size has nothing to do with their ability to bond. A successful bond comes down entirely to whether the two piggies like each other.

( for a bit deeper information - Waiting until baby is the same size will take months, but size is genetically determined so piggies may never be the same size.
Most importantly, Baby piggies need to be socialised and it is essential they are with a companion immediately. If a baby is not socialised during the vital ‘school weeks’ then a baby piggy will not learn about social structure and hierarchy and in a worst case scenario it can actually harm their ability to know how to be a guinea pig and to be able to have a friend
Journey through a Lifetime: The Ages of Guinea Pigs)
 
Tango seems ok she is still eating but she is hidding under her plastic igloo a bit more
 
ruthie1982 said:
Tango seems ok she is still eating but she is hidding under her plastic igloo a bit more
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She will be grieving, and now doesn’t have anyone to interact with.
As long as you weigh her daily (each morning) and she is maintaining her weight each day (weight checks are the only way to monitor hay intake) then you will usually have up to 4 weeks to find a new friend for her.
If she becomes withdrawn or loses weight then you may need to act and get her a new friend sooner

Do note the plastic igloos - which usually only have one door - will not be able to be used once she has a new friend. All hides must have two doors as a single exit hide can cause problems if one piggy traps the other inside. She may have been ok with it with her previous companion but a new bonding is a different situation
 
Yeah I don’t want to keep her alone till the time come that she crosses the rainbow
Bridge
 
Yes she may well have several more years left; too long to be alone.

Are you the adult responsible for her?
Why does your dad think it’s awkward?
 
Yeah I live alone and I am responsible for tango . I think it was cause my mum spoke to her neighbour as her neighbour has piggy’s and one of hers passed a while ago and she got a new companion for her other one
 
ruthie1982 said:
Yeah I live alone and I am responsible for tango . I think it was cause my mum spoke to her neighbour as her neighbour has piggy’s and one of hers passed a while ago and she got a new companion for her other one
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In that case it doesn’t actually matter what your dad thinks! You need to get her a new friend within the next few weeks. If you can find a rescue centre then the process of finding a new compatible friend is easier as it means you won’t be left in a tricky situation in the case of a failed bonding.
If you have to buy a baby then we can help with providing information on the bonding process
 
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