Surprise guinea pig

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Gemma221b

New Born Pup
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Hello everyone, looking for general advice which would be greatly appreciated!
My boyfriend of 3 years brought me a 8 week old boar from a pet store for our anniversary/Christmas present.
I did not ask or even insinuate that I wanted any type of animal or that I was even ready for one, apart from the occasional comment saying I’d want fluffy animals instead of what he has (he has lizards, scorpions, tarantulas and snakes - we don’t live in the same place)

I spent that weekend frantically researching everything possible to look after Pebbles before I took him home on the Monday, soon to realise I did not have the space whichever whichway I tried to organise my room for one guinea pig, not to mention 2 boars - I barely have space for myself. I still live with my parents and obviously they didn’t ask for an animal so I can’t have him anywhere else apart from my room.
Pebbles is now about 4 and a bit months, I’ve really tried to make it work, I’ve been spending what I can with him about 2-5 hours a day and I know I have to get him a friend. Everyday I’ve been making a c&c cage to fit my floor space in my bedroom so he can have the room all day but then I collapse it at night so I have the space and put him back into a smaller cage which my boyfriend brought him home in.
I’m very attached to him now but I didn’t ask for an animal and obviously during lockdown I’ve had the time to spend with him and to put his collapsible c&c cage up and down everyday and everything else that comes with looking after a tiny living creature - it’s starting to sink in that I’m really going to have this responsibility for years to come.

Looking for advice for what people would do in my situation before possibly bonding Pebbles with another boar. I’ll have to overhaul my room and buy a new small bed and get rid of furniture to make minimum space for 2 boars / I can try keep him at my boyfriends after lockdown but he has enough of his own animals, little space but more space than me or the alternivate of finding him a new home.
Please give me some insight
Many thanks ( sorry for the long windedness)
 
Hi! Welcome to the forum!

It's good to know that you are looking for a friend for Pebbles and bigger space. There is a tab at the top of the forum "Rescue Locator" that will have the rescues in the UK listed. Several of them do boar dating; the members of the UK will have to say which ones do that as I am not from UK.

I do have a suggestion on getting more space for your piggy is if you buy a loft style bed for you. You could keep your piggy's house underneath and then it wouldn't take up space.

Best of luck for you and Pebbles!
 
I’m sorry you were put in a position that wasn’t of your choosing. I would think carefully about the following and whether you can realistically fulfill his (and a companion’s) needs.

The first and most crucial is vet care. Guinea pigs aren’t the cheap pets they’re made out to be. They can go downhill very rapidly so not the kind where you can always ‘wait and see’. Vet costs can be expensive - so it’s essential you start up and maintain a vet fund.

Second is companionship. This is one of their welfare rights. You must get him a friend. Which means providing the minimum space required for two boars - 150x60cm. If you can’t meet that minimum then you could consider having him neutered and bonding him with a sow once he’s passed the 6 week wait to confirm infertility. In which case you could house them in a 120x60cm cage. But, if you did that you’d need to provide floor time regularly. It doesn’t sound like you can do that with your current setup.

Given he’s in his teens, it may be a little bit trickier to bond him. So it would be better to take him boar dating at a rescue. If you decide to go for a pet shop friend, you’d need a plan b in case they didn’t get on. That is keeping them in separate cages (120x60cm) alongside each other so they can still be communicate.

Food wise, hay is the biggest part of their diet. Think very carefully about whether you can meet (all of) their needs.

It’s good you’re doing research and that you’re thinking about what he (they) needs . Y The next plan needs planning soon and that’s getting y your boy a companion.

We’d love to see photos.
 
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Welcome to the forum.
What a situation to find yourself in. It sounds as if your boyfriend was trying to do something really kind but didn’t think things through.
You are clearly a very caring person wanting to do research and provide your boy with the best care.

@Siikibam has given some very good pointers to consider.

We will be here to support you as you find a positive way to deal with your piggy.
 
Thank you for the support and advice everyone
@Siikibam Thank you for the pointers, I’m certain I can provide everything you mentioned apart from the companionship at the moment. I’ve looked into going to a guinea pig mixing/date at a local animal rescue in the past after restrictions are lifted but the size they recommend for 2 boars is 5ft by 2ft which is where I hit a wall. My current set up is about 4ft by 2ft or there abouts and I’ve recently just start leaving it up all the time with me squeezing past to get to my bed
@RedLoredAmazon tip of getting a loft style bed in one I’m going to seriously consider to solve my issue
@Merab's Slave It was really kind of him, I love Pebbles but I don’t know what would posses someone to get an animal as a surprise, I’m very stressed at the moment as you can imagine! thank you for the support
Many thanks again
 
I’m sorry you find yourself in this situation.
Two boars do indeed need a lot more room. 5ft x 2ft is the minimum (as your rescue have said that is their preference), but 6ft x 2ft is recommended due to the fact two boars do need a lot of space as they are more territorial.
Your current 4ft x 2ft set up is the welfare minimum size for a neutered boar/sow pair. 5ft x 2ft is the recommended size for a neutered boar/sow pair.
Would neutering him, having his six week post op wait to become infertile and looking to bond him with a sow be an option for you? They still need a good sized cage but two boars do need more room than a sow/boar pair.
 
Please try not to stress, we are here to help you. You already sound set on doing the right thing so let us help with that 🙂

As I advised above and Piggies&Buns mentioned, you could consider neutering him and bonding with a sow after 6 weeks. Have a think and contact some vets. It may not happen soon as they’re kind of keeping space for more urgent/emergency surgeries. But you won’t know till you ask. I assume he’s already registered with an experienced vet. If not see the locator below for those near you.

Photos of your boy please. You can use the ‘Attach files’ button that is below the text box (next to ‘Post reply’).
Vet Locator
 
I haven’t really considered neutering and then pairing with a sow, I’ve been trying to think of all the ways I can make a boar pairing work because I was under the impression neutering was an absolute last option.
I’m still in a rut of actually finding a space because Pebbles is at the end on my bed taking up the floor space in the 4ft x 2ft. I really think I need to spend the money on a new loft style bed so I can have all that space underneath and then move forward or hopefully my dad will let me have a space in his “office” if I tell him what I’d have to do if not, either way I would then have space.
Is there any benefits in regards to having a boar neutered, is it better to keep them intact or this it worth having them neutered to help prevent later life complications if any?
@Piggies&buns thank you for all that information, I quite often find different recommended sizes
 

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Piggies&buns said:
Neutering is not a last option - in a boar of his age, it would be a very good and viable option. Bonding two boars, where one is a teen can be trickier - not impossible, but trickier
Click to expand...
:agr: It may well prove less tricky to have him neutered, wait 6 weeks and find him a sow than to try boar dating him and find that down the line they fall out and need separate cages.
 
Thank you for putting me on the right path, sounds like neutering by an experienced vet and bonding with a sow is the best option overall :)
 
I rescued a young boar who had been bullied and condemned to a lonely life as a single boar.
He was neutered and after the 6 week safe period he moved in with my herd of 3 sows.

Micah is now a very happy boy
Neutering can be a very good option.
It’s something else for you to think about.

F7DB1D87-9F49-4480-908B-5CF18484F656.webp Micah with his favourite wife, Phoebe ( he’s the aby)
 
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