• DONATIONS NOW OPEN! TGPF relies on donations to run. If you'd like to donate towards running costs you can find out more HERE
  • Fresh grass and lawn tips to avoid springtime deaths Click here for details

Young Boar Lost His Cage Mate:(

Status
Not open for further replies.
B

Butterfly25

New Born Pup
Joined
Oct 23, 2016
Messages
4
Reaction score
8
Points
55
I would very much appreciate some advice. I bought 2 males to live indoors for my daughter, only had them 6 weeks so are very new to caring for piggies, though I did loads of research prior to purchase. Been weighing them regularly etc to monitor health as advised and the appeared to be thriving. Both happy and healthy yesterday morning, but when my daughter went to check on them before going to sleep one had sadly died at only 11 weeks old Concerned the survivor wouldn't cope alone, though the loss is raw I thought I would go and get a new cage mate today whilst he still young in the hope the young pigs would get along. The first store I went to said no way could I introduce another male as they would fight as even males from the same litter will fight each other as they mature, I asked about purchasing a female and getting it spayed but was advised against this as small animals don't do well under anaesthetic. I left with them suggesting I get a female Netherland dwarf rabbit as this would mother the pig. Store 1 didn't sell them so went to another this store advised against putting a pig with a rabbit as they eat different food, talk different languages and the rabbit kicking may injure the pig. Don't know what to do for the best daughter devastated and worried surviving pig being lonely.
 
Welcome to the forum, just been chatting to you on facebook :)

Sorry for your loss. Am tagging @Wiebke in for advice on what age male to look for. As mentioned on FB Rabbits and buns together are a bad idea, different diet and also buns kicks accidentally can kill piggies.

Here are the two rescues closest to you I recommended. They may be bale to offer boar bonding but I am unsure so you would have to ask them

Is your piggy inside? Is he eating okay at moment?
Have a read of this thread on helping bereaved piggies Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig
 
Sorry to hear about this. Your daughter must be upset. It all depends on the personalities of the boars, rather than age. A good rescue will help you find the right friend for him. Alternatively you could get him neutered when he is about 4 to 6 months old, which is much less risky than spaying a sow. If you want a friend soon going to one of the rescues mentioned is your best option. Plus the rescue would take the piggy back if there was a fall out. Good luck
 
Butterfly25 said:
I would very much appreciate some advice. I bought 2 males to live indoors for my daughter, only had them 6 weeks so are very new to caring for piggies, though I did loads of research prior to purchase. Been weighing them regularly etc to monitor health as advised and the appeared to be thriving. Both happy and healthy yesterday morning, but when my daughter went to check on them before going to sleep one had sadly died at only 11 weeks old Concerned the survivor wouldn't cope alone, though the loss is raw I thought I would go and get a new cage mate today whilst he still young in the hope the young pigs would get along. The first store I went to said no way could I introduce another male as they would fight as even males from the same litter will fight each other as they mature, I asked about purchasing a female and getting it spayed but was advised against this as small animals don't do well under anaesthetic. I left with them suggesting I get a female Netherland dwarf rabbit as this would mother the pig. Store 1 didn't sell them so went to another this store advised against putting a pig with a rabbit as they eat different food, talk different languages and the rabbit kicking may injure the pig. Don't know what to do for the best daughter devastated and worried surviving pig being lonely.
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome!

I am very sorry for your loss. It can really upset you! You and your daughter are welcome to post a tribute in our Rainbow Bridge section if you wish to.

Please do not put your boy with a rabbit! Here is why: Guinea pigs and rabbits
Whoever advised you in the first shop, is sadly several decades out of date with their advice! Unfortunately, it is not uncommon at all for shop personnel that has neither the knowledge nor the time to bond piggies for mutual liking and compatible personalities... Nor the basic knowledge. Hence all the horror stories about fighting - a lot of it is avoidable! :(

Honeybunnies rescue is your safest bet of letting your boy choose a new friend himself since the RSPCA Walsall is offering only sow-sow or sow-neutered boar dating.
The Potteries Guinea Pig Rescue in Kidsgrove/Stoke-on-Trent may also have a potential mate available if you are on that side of the West Midlands. As far as I know they have recently taken in a few middle-aged boars, which would mean that only one of your boys will be going through the teenage hormones and which helps to stabilise things.
The Potteries Guinea Pig Rescue | Facebook or Welcome to The Potteries Guinea Pig Rescue, a safe haven in Stoke on Trent.
Dating at a rescue means that you always have got the support of a good rescue to fall back on if you run into problems at any stage and you do not have to worry about bringing home a not quarantined/healthy piggy.
It is worth to contact all rescues you can get to, as it very much depends on the guinea pigs in rescue at the time. Be aware that most rescues tend to have more piggies in the pipeline than advertised.
Guinea Pig Rescue Centre Locator

The key to any happy bond is character compatibility, and that is not bound to the age; in fact an age gap is often of advantage. As your bereaved boy is still below the age of when his testicles descend (the hormonal teenaged months last from ca. 4-14 months), any bonding should still be fairly easy. It also means that he is not yet old enough for a neutering operation, for which the testicles need to have descended.
If you want to consider neutering at some point, the safest place is the Cat&Rabbit Care Clinic in Northampton with as close to a 100% success record over a number of years as you can reasonably get. There are also some good piggy savvy vets in the Birmingham area.
Guinea Pig Vet Locator
 
I am sorry for your loss, it must have been very upsetting for your family. You have been good advice in the threads above. I would just like to add, I think it is better to pause and do your research with rescues rather than race into getting a new friend. As long as your remaining boy is eating and behaving ok that is.
Boar dating is not always fast, you have to ask around and work with a rescue. To give you hope though I have 4 pairs of boars at our house. All the pairings are different and all differing ages. I go boar dating to find new friends after a bereavement, just as described above. None of them are litter mates. Once bonded the boys are great fun and we love them all! Hope you find an option for your boy and let us know.
 
Thank you all for your kind words, support and advice it is very much appreciated. My boy lives in the house, he is more subdued than normal hoping this will improve as the days pass whilst finding him a suitable mate, as It was only yesterday when he lost his mate. He has eaten this morning but I will check his weight daily over the next few days to enable me to keep a close check on him. After reading everyone's wise words my plan of action is to contact Honeybunnies. I will of course keep you all updated. Once again thank you all
 
Aww that's awful. Feel for you even at 6 week's you get very attached. Like yourself I'm a first time owner and got to say I go to bed each nite ... wake up every morn wondering if something awful has happened to either of them. Have you any ideas what happened... I know a lot of the time we buy them and cannot know of any underlying issues with them. I really hope that you get a new mate for your piggie and all goes well. Very best of luck
 
No idea he was fine yesterday morning and had a steady weight gain:( I have called Honeybunnies and they don't have a suitable mate presently but suggested I call back in a couple of weeks or wait until my boy is old enough to be spayed then he could have a rescue girlfriend and compatibility would be guaranteed
 
SO sorry for the loss of your baby guinea pig :( I highly recommend going through a rescue to find him a new friend. Mine are all from a rescue, they are brilliant at helping in situations like this - i adopted 2 just a week ago when I was left with a single piggy following a bereavement as well. It's awful to lose a pet. Best wishes.
 
I'm so sorry for your loss - what a shock to lose a piggy. But we know that piggies do tend to hide their illnesses and many of us have lost one suddenly and unexpectedly.

You are doing the right thing, looking for a new companion for him. Piggies definitely do better in pairs, but you have to allow them to choose their partner as they are fussy little devils about who they will share their home with! Good luck.
 
You could give him a child safe cuddly toy as a companion for now and just loads of attention.Good luck with your search
 
I have bought him a cuddly toy, he was a bit unsure of it at first but he was snuggled up with it this morning:) Checked his weight this morning and he holding his own so fingers crossed he won't be to depressed whilst I seek his new buddy.
 
You are absolutely doing the right thing in finding him a new cage mate! I am sorry for your loss - in Guinea Pigs it is sometimes very hard to see illnesses. One of my Guinea Pigs died quite early (R.I.P Gleb) and left his cage mate behind. I got another piggie and was told that they wouldn't get along. We have a two story hutch and were told to keep one on the bottom and one on the top and then introduce them in 2-3 weeks time. And one morning I went into the Guinea Pig room to find that the new one had gone upstairs and from then on they got on really well. With your boar, try not to get an older pig as it can be difficult for the baby piggie. With a baby so young I think the chances of fighting are reduced considerably, however when/if you get another boar keep an eye on them! Good luck!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top