adding a second guinea pig?

[edgarallanpaw]

so about seven months ago i was looking for my first guinea pig pet and my local store explained that they’d recently had three guineas brought in who had had to be separated. they’d been there for a few days-a week alone, and only one was ready to be adopted. so i took him home and he seems to have been very happy since. however, recently people have been telling me he isn’t safe alone and i should have a second one to keep him company. i understand guinea pigs are supposed to be kept in pairs but i’m worried adding another one would agitate my pig, and he may put a second in danger. any advice?
ps. i’m not sure just how old he is but he’s between one and two years old. i’ve been told that male guineas can become territorial when they’re older than babies
pps. i consider myself to give my guinea plenty of attention and love but i’m still worried it isn’t enough

 

[Piggies&buns]

It will not upset him to have a friend, is essential for his lifelong happiness and well being. Sadly no amount of human contact is enough and your boy will absolutely benefit from having his own friend.

Two males together are not a problem but any bond comes down to character compatibility. The two piggies must like each other. The best way to find him a friend is to go to a rescue centre and enlist their help in finding a character compatible friend for him. Rescue piggies are also vet checked so you know you will be getting a healthy piggy.

If you choose not to do this and choose to get a piggy from a pet shop, then you must prepare for failure in bonding but hope for the best. This means having a second cage ready in case the bonding fails and the two piggies have to live separately in side by Side cages. Pet shop piggies won’t be vet checked so will need to be quarantined before meeting your piggy to ensure no illnesses can be passed on. However, if the piggy is a youngster then you have to forego quarantine for their social needs and then would have to treat both piggies should the new one bring in any illnesses. So you can see why rescuing is best where possible. We understand it’s not always possible but the benefits of rescue are great.

There is a proper procedure which be must be followed when introducing piggies, but a rescue centre who offers boar dating can help with this. You would only bring home a second piggy if acceptance between the two had happened.
I will add in some guides to explain everything.

The fact that piggy seems to be out of his teens will act in his favour. Introducing two babies to each can have problems once they become teenagers and both go through hormones at the same time, but your piggy being that little bit older will help.

Two boys need a cage of 6ft x 2ft. Lack of space can cause fall outs so It is essential to give them plenty of room.

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

Your alternative is to neuter your boy, wait six weeks for him to become infertile and then find a suitable sow to bond him with. Again, using a rescue centre to help find a suitable piggy where possible.

 

[edgarallanpaw]

It will not upset him to have a friend, is essential for his lifelong happiness and well being. Sadly no amount of human contact is enough and your boy will absolutely benefit from having his own friend.

Two males together are not a problem but any bond comes down to character compatibility. The two piggies must like each other. The best way to find him a friend is to go to a rescue centre and enlist their help in finding a character compatible friend for him. Rescue piggies are also vet checked so you know you will be getting a healthy piggy.

If you choose not to do this and choose to get a piggy from a pet shop, then you must prepare for failure in bonding but hope for the best. This means having a second cage ready in case the bonding fails and the two piggies have to live separately in side by Side cages. Pet shop piggies won’t be vet checked so will need to be quarantined before meeting your piggy to ensure no illnesses can be passed on. However, if the piggy is a youngster then you have to forego quarantine for their social needs and then would have to treat both piggies should the new one bring in any illnesses. So you can see why rescuing is best where possible. We understand it’s not always possible but the benefits of rescue are great.

There is a proper procedure which be must be followed when introducing piggies, but a rescue centre who offers boar dating can help with this. You would only bring home a second piggy if acceptance between the two had happened.
I will add in some guides to explain everything.

The fact that piggy seems to be out of his teens will act in his favour. Introducing two babies to each can have problems once they become teenagers and both go through hormones at the same time, but your piggy being that little bit older will help.

Two boys need a cage of 6ft x 2ft. Lack of space can cause fall outs so It is essential to give them plenty of room.

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs

Your alternative is to neuter your boy, wait six weeks for him to become infertile and then find a suitable sow to bond him with. Again, using a rescue centre to help find a suitable piggy where possible.

thank you so much, i’ve been trying to do research and gotten a thousand different opinions, found this very helpful. thank you, ill look into all of this

 

[Piggies&buns]

Any other questions please do ask us!

If you could add your location to your profile then it can help us tailor our advice to you and as it shows up on every post, we won’t keep asking! If you are in the UK then you can use our rescue locator to find a rescue centre.

 

[edgarallanpaw]

Any other questions please do ask us!

If you could add your location to your profile then it can help us tailor our advice to you and as it shows up on every post, we won’t keep asking! If you are in the UK then you can use our rescue locator to find a rescue centre.

thank you so much, added my location

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thanks.
This is the Rescue Locator
There isn’t too many rescue centres in that area but you may still get lucky in finding a suitable piggy in one of them.
Do keep us posted

 

[edgarallanpaw]

Thanks.
This is the Rescue Locator
There isn’t too many rescue centres in that area but you may still get lucky in finding a suitable piggy in one of them.
Do keep us posted

thank you very much, i’ll keep you updated as much as possible