Young solo piggie

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Junior Guinea Pig
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I’m just looking for some advice, sadly two nights ago me and my boyfriend came home to find out one of our guinea pigs had passed away. We took him to the vet to see if they could give us some idea of the cause, they said he had some sort of stomach issue and there wouldn’t have been anything we could have done to help. There were no signs he was unwell he hadn’t stopped eating or drinking. That morning when I had left he was happy jumping and running about. I am now left with one solo guinea pig and not quite sure what to do. Getting another one is not an option as am quite worried about trying to bond them. He is very young only about 2yrs old, I need to know if it will be cruel to keep him on his own? At the moment he seems happier than ever and actually a lot less nervous. Usually he doesn’t like me touching him but I’m finding him come to me more and letting me stroke him. Should I keep him as a solo piggie or think about rehoming.
 
I'm so sorry for your loss. A sudden loss is a difficult thing to deal with.

At only 2 years old, he is too young for you to consider keeping him single, it would be very unfair on him to spend up to the next six years alone.
He may seem ok now but usually within four weeks or so they are ready for a new friend.
His new willingness to be stroked isn’t necessarily a sign he is happier, it can be a sign of finding it harder being without piggy companionship - a single piggy is obviously only left with the option of getting companionship and interaction from a human so he turns to you but Human-only interaction long term isn’t enough though.

If you have a rescue centre near you, then they will help you find a compatible new friend for him and can help with the bonding process (sometimes doing the whole thing for you). So even if you are unsure about how to rebond, there are options to enable you to keep him and still get a new friend for him if you chose to take that route.

If you do still choose to rehome him then do surrender him to a rescue centre as they will ensure he is properly rebonded for his new home.

As long as your boy is eating (maintaining his weight at each weekly weight check) then you have some time to think things through. You can always contact a rescue (if you have one near you) to get an idea of their waiting lists for bonding or surrender and take things from there

Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig
 
Piggies&buns said:
I'm so sorry for your loss. A sudden loss is a difficult thing to deal with.

At only 2 years old, he is too young for you to consider keeping him single, it would be very unfair on him to spend up to the next six years alone.
He may seem ok now but usually within four weeks or so they are ready for a new friend.
His new willingness to be stroked isn’t necessarily a sign he is happier, it can be a sign of finding it harder being without piggy companionship - a single piggy is obviously only left with the option of getting companionship and interaction from a human so he turns to you but Human-only interaction long term isn’t enough though.

If you have a rescue centre near you, then they will help you find a compatible new friend for him and can help with the bonding process (sometimes doing the whole thing for you). So even if you are unsure about how to rebond, there are options to enable you to keep him and still get a new friend for him if you chose to take that route.

If you do still choose to rehome him then do surrender him to a rescue centre as they will ensure he is properly rebonded for his new home.

As long as your boy is eating (maintaining his weight at each weekly weight check) then you have some time to think things through. You can always contact a rescue (if you have one near you) to get an idea of their waiting lists for bonding or surrender and take things from there

Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig
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Thank you for the advice, me and my boyfriend will really have to think about what’s best for our solo piggie. It would be hard having to lose him too if we did have to rehome him, I will be making sure I keep a close eye on him in the meantime.
 
I’m sorry to hear you lost your piggy suddenly.
I lost my 5 year old piggy after surgery in 2024 and whilst my other piggy was ok to start with I did notice changes after two weeks
Luckily I went to the Wood Green rescue centre just outside Cambridge and they bonded him with a piggy - the change was instant and the new piggy that had been lonely and withdrawn suddenly came to life too
They have been friends for over a year
Something to think about as you’re helping your piggy and rehoming a lone piggy
Good luck
 
Would you mind explaining how the bonding worked, did you have to leave your guinea pig there for a few days and once they were bonded you could take them both home? My worry is I already had two other guinea pigs previously where their bond broke which was horrific to watch, they fought really bad and ended up injuring one another. I’m also scarred by coming home and finding my guinea pig had passed away, he didn’t look like himself and was in a bad way. My current guinea pig is also very dominant and very protective over his space.
 
So very sorry for your loss.
What a horrible shock for you.
Be gentle with yourself as you grieve
 
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