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Alone guinea pig

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HairyPiggy

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Hi, I have two male guinea pigs and sadly one of them passed away recently, the other one (5 years old) is now alone as I only had two. I have done some googling and a lot of people are saying that I should get a new guinea pig so that my current one has a companion, however I don't want another guinea pig as I imagine that once my current guinea pig passes away I will not want to have anymore pets for at least a few years. I wonder if I should just try my best to keep my current guinea pig company until his time comes or if I should give him to a rescue centre (which I don't want to do but I would like to make him as happy as possible). If I do end up keeping my current guinea pig then does anyone have any tips for making sure that he doesn't feel lonely? Thanks! :)
 
Hello it’s a very difficult decision but guinea pigs do need companionship
You can’t keep him on his own
Could you foster a Guinea pig as a companion with the intention of stopping when your piggy passes
He may well have many more years ahead of him ….but if he doesn’t you’ll want to have him living his best life possible
I believe some rescues may ‘lend’ a piggy with the idea that you can return their piggy when that time comes
I’m sure someone will correct me .
Another piggy could live next to your piggy so you wouldn’t have to do a bonding
 
Hi
I hate to disagree with @Roselina, but I keep a lone male guinea pig, and from what I see he is quite happy. I simply make sure to keep him as stimulated as possible and hang out with him as much as I can to keep him social and interested.

However, I'm not sure if a guinea pig who has lived with a companion for so long will handle being on their own as easily. I guess it depends on the guinea pig. I would see how he is on his own, and if he doesn't seem to be taking it well, then consider giving him to a rescue.
 
I'm sorry for your loss.

It’s always a difficult situation to be at the end of the piggy cycle and it comes to us all at some point. However keeping him single potentially for up to another three years won’t be fair on him. He does need companionship.

Seeing if you can get a foster piggy is a good option to try. That way your piggy doesn’t have to be alone and you don’t continue the cycle beyond your own piggies life
 
Wiebke

Thread 'Looking After A Bereaved Guinea Pig'

I hope that the following remarks will help you and your surviving piggy get through a very difficult time!

Overview
I What can I do immediately after a guinea pig has died?
- Saying goodbye
- What can I do for my grieving piggy?
- Acute pining
II New companionship and human grieving
- When can I start looking for a new mate?
- "Replacing" a guinea pig: the conflict between human and cavy needs
- How do I best go about finding a new mate? (Possible options listed for bereaved sows...
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Wiebke

Thread 'Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities'

This guide is an article I have written for Guinea Pig Magazine issues 48 and 49 (January and March 2019).
It is the propriety of GPM and is being shared on here with the magazine's permission.
Guinea Pig Mag

Overview:
Introduction
1 When is a 'single' really a single?
- Bought singles
- Fallen-out and aggressive piggies
- Bereaved guinea pigs
- No interest in other guinea pigs
- Disabled and special needs guinea...
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I've linked some threads above that you should find helpful.
 
I do absolutely agree that it is likely a piggy who has only ever known companionship with another piggy will find being alone harder, but it doesn’t mean a piggy bought as a single who has never known companionship or only known it as a baby is not lonely.

A single guinea pig absolutely will feel lonely but because their survival skills kick in they won’t show the loneliness so there is nothing for their human to be able to see.
If you do see a single piggy’s loneliness then it has got so deep they simply can’t hide it any longer.
They simply get on with life as it is because they have to. Being ok while living alone and actually thriving are two different things and I think it is much easier to see how lonely a single piggy is when you have bonded pairs.
Human companionship cannot replace the companionship of another piggy because there is no mutual communication - the subtle ways in which they communicate via body language and scent are not possible with humans.

This is why the five rights exist and one of them is that herd animals must live with a same species companion. Sadly Switzerland is the only country to recognise that in law and make it illegal to keep single piggies.
 
I agree that it is ideal to have more than one guinea pig, but I'm sorry to disagree that a keeping a single guinea pig happy is impossible.
I think some piggies might not be able to live alone, but at least in my case, my piggy is fine with it. I understand how a guinea pig may hide symptoms of injury or weakness, but I'm not sure loneliness would be something they would hide for survival. A guinea pig that is alone may feel vulnerable without a herd and tend to act skittish or might show signs of boredom because they have no fellow piggies to 'talk' to. Thankfully, my guinea pig doesn't have these problems and that leads me to believe that some guinea pigs can handle being on their own.

That being said, I understand I maybe wrong but this is just what I think. To keep a piggy single is not ideal and you should try to bond your guinea pig. The best thing to do would be to find a companion for the other boar, @HairyPiggy. But I just wanted to say in my opinion, in the worst case scenario, it's not impossible to keep your piggy single and still keep him happy.
 
In countries such as the UK where fostering for a bereaved companion is an option (or sadly if that’s not possible some owners do choose rehoming a bereaved single where a companion of any kind simply isn’t an option) it will always, first and foremost, be the option that is best and the one we advise. Being alone is not in their best interest.

I think in terms of a general discussion about bought singles. I think a single pig can be as happy as they can be - in the case of long term singles or bought singles they simply know no different - but it’s not the same thing as having a life with a companion. It’s living the life they’ve got vs thriving and that is why being with a companion will always be best.
Most owners of singles will not see their piggy’s as lonely. Piggies absolutely do hide their loneliness but they do still feel it. They provide stimulation, piggy displays normal behaviours etc. (as an aside not being skittish is not a sign he isn’t lonely, it’s that he knows he isn’t being hunted), piggies get the interaction they want through displaying the behaviours which they know work. It’s just what happens in the vast majority of singles but they will still crave and be better off with the interaction of another pig rather than a human.
Most single piggies will be overjoyed to get a companion (even if that is a live alongside companion) and that is regularly seen through the rescues the forum has contacts with. Wiebke has examples in the guides.
 
I agree that a piggy with a companion is much happier than a piggy without one. I just wanted to mention my opinion that some piggies without a companion can still live happily (just not as happily as if they had a cage mate).

Since @HairyPiggy 's guinea pig has had a companion, I don't think his chances of coping with being alone are great. And he should have a new companion or be given to a rescue where he can be with other guinea pigs.
 
Ok sounds like the best option is either foster another guinea or give my current guinea to a rescue centre. Thank you all for your ideas and help! I really appreciate it! I will have a think and make sure that my guinea has a buddy either in a rescue centre or at home so that he can live his happiest life! :)
 
Lovely of you to be so thoughtful about your piggy ❤️
we just want our piggies to live their best lives ever 🥰
 
I just want to say that you may think a single pig on his own is happy, but when you give them a companion of their own species, the change in their behaviour and outlook is totally different, they are much happier and it’s so satisfying to see. You finally realise you’ve done the right thing in getting them a friend.
 
Dignified Sir George was only alone for a couple of days after a spectacular bond break, they couldn't even live as neighboars so Timothy had to be rehomed. Sir George, after the initial relief, seemed fine. Then we found Mischievous Master Boris who desperately needed a home. Even before the bonding, the difference in Sir George was obvious.
 
You should definitely get your piggy a friend,
although our Sammy didn't we think back and I really wish we did but unfortunately there is nothing we can do about it now our darling Sammy has past.
But you hairy piggy can.
I hope you find him a friend soon.
 
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