Bereaved Guinea

[Bigsize9fot]

Hi- we’ve lost our young rescue girl Tilly- feisty and fierce- very suddenly to what we suspect was a stroke. She deteriorated very quickly and we made the awful decision to put her to sleep. We’ve only had her a year and a half.

This is all a bit of a shock but our thoughts and attention have to go to her cage mate Betty who at the best of times is shy and withdrawn. We have given her a soft toy and are trying to spend as much time as we can with her. We will follow the self help guides posted on here until we decide what will be the best decision for Betty’s future.

In the meantime- can we make any changes to her cage or will this distress her? She spends a lot of time hidden under her platform. She never uses the platform part. We were wondering whether to change her platform to a hide some can see and interact with her a little easier.

Any advice gratefully received.

B

 

[Wiebke]

Hi- we’ve lost our young rescue girl Tilly- feisty and fierce- very suddenly to what we suspect was a stroke. She deteriorated very quickly and we made the awful decision to put her to sleep. We’ve only had her a year and a half.

This is all a bit of a shock but our thoughts and attention have to go to her cage mate Betty who at the best of times is shy and withdrawn. We have given her a soft toy and are trying to spend as much time as we can with her. We will follow the self help guides posted on here until we decide what will be the best decision for Betty’s future.

In the meantime- can we make any changes to her cage or will this distress her? She spends a lot of time hidden under her platform. She never uses the platform part. We were wondering whether to change her platform to a hide some can see and interact with her a little easier.

Any advice gratefully received.

B

Hi

I am ever so sorry for your loss. Some things are out of your control - you can never choose when and what from your piggies die.
All you can do is make the days you have with them happy ones because that is how piggies judge their life by. They do not have a concept for an average life span. That way, you will never fail them, no matter how long or short they live - they get out of life what they cherish most.

You can make changes to the cage and you could also try to turn feeding time into enrichment time or rather use her daily food to work for it or come to you for it for more interest and interaction. That usually works best.
I am sitting here with a new piggy widow as well - only that Cerian is something of a bonding nightmare...
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs
This guide here has a chapter on bereaved guinea pigs but also a chapter on how to spot whether she is lonely and transferring her social needs onto you, which you may find helpful: Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities


Since your girl is only just turning adult, perhaps you may want to consider dating her with a neutered rescue boar (or several to find a good personality match)? Cross gender bonds are generally the most stable with very few fall-outs once initial acceptance has happened. There are currently lots of boars stuck in rescue. It would also have the advantage that you will take your piggy journey into a very different direction and there is less of a comparison and a feeling of replacement for you as well. Rescue dating is more of an effort but it has the advantage that you come home with a new piggy only if there has been success and that you have the rescue to fall back on if you your bond is running into trouble. A mixed gender bond has different dynamics and may be a way to bring Betty out more.
A Closer Look At Pairs (Boars - Sows - Mixed)

Your closest recommended rescue is in Ayr but they have fosterers closer to Glasgow. Right now, rescues are closed for adoptions until new year in order to avoid the Christmas 'toy pet' rush but you can still contact them to set something up after the holidays.
Guinea-pig-forum-recommended-rescues @Julie M

Here is more information on how rescue dating works: Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs

I hope that this helps you for the short term and also for the longer term.

 

[Bigsize9fot]

Hi

I am ever so sorry for your loss. Some things are out of your control - you can never choose when and what from your piggies die.
All you can do is make the days you have with them happy ones because that is how piggies judge their life by. They do not have a concept for an average life span. That way, you will never fail them, no matter how long or short they live - they get out of life what they cherish most.

You can make changes to the cage and you could also try to turn feeding time into enrichment time or rather use her daily food to work for it or come to you for it for more interest and interaction. That usually works best.
I am sitting here with a new piggy widow as well - only that Cerian is something of a bonding nightmare...
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs
This guide here has a chapter on bereaved guinea pigs but also a chapter on how to spot whether she is lonely and transferring her social needs onto you, which you may find helpful: Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities


Since your girl is only just turning adult, perhaps you may want to consider dating her with a neutered rescue boar (or several to find a good personality match)? Cross gender bonds are generally the most stable with very few fall-outs once initial acceptance has happened. There are currently lots of boars stuck in rescue. It would also have the advantage that you will take your piggy journey into a very different direction and there is less of a comparison and a feeling of replacement for you as well. Rescue dating is more of an effort but it has the advantage that you come home with a new piggy only if there has been success and that you have the rescue to fall back on if you your bond is running into trouble. A mixed gender bond has different dynamics and may be a way to bring Betty out more.
A Closer Look At Pairs (Boars - Sows - Mixed)

Your closest recommended rescue is in Ayr but they have fosterers closer to Glasgow. Right now, rescues are closed for adoptions until new year in order to avoid the Christmas 'toy pet' rush but you can still contact them to set something up after the holidays.
Guinea-pig-forum-recommended-rescues @Julie M

Here is more information on how rescue dating works: Rescues (Adoption and Dating), Shops, Breeders or Online? - What to consider when getting guinea pigs

I hope that this helps you for the short term and also for the longer term.

Thank you. I will read all this information. Tilly and Betty were rescued from Ayr so we already have a relationship with them and they have offered us “speed dating” for a new (female) mate for Betty. I could speak to them about the male option as well. We can have a think and decide the best option for Betty in the New Year.

Thanks for the advice.

B

 

[YvonneBlue]

Do consider a neutered boar, they have such lovely personalities. It is the route we took and they seem to have a much stronger bond than our sow pairs.

 

[Bigsize9fot]

Do consider a neutered boar, they have such lovely personalities. It is the route we took and they seem to have a much stronger bond than our sow pairs.

Thank you. I will enquire with the rescue centre. We only have a 120 ferplast though and nlt sure if that’s big enough for a male and female. Certainly not big enough for 2 males

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you. I will enquire with the rescue centre. We only have a 120 ferplast though and nlt sure if that’s big enough for a male and female. Certainly not big enough for 2 males

I'm sorry for your loss.

A 120 is minimum size for a male/female pair or a female/female pair. (150 being the recommended size for a male/female or female/female pair)

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you. I will enquire with the rescue centre. We only have a 120 ferplast though and nlt sure if that’s big enough for a male and female. Certainly not big enough for 2 males

Mixed gender pairs generally count the same as two sows and not two boars. But it is for the rescue to decide.
Personally, I am a big fan of neutered 'husboars' and have a whole string of them over the years, but not every sow will accept them. It very much comes down to a personality match, no matter the age or age difference.

Betty is however still at an age where you have both her biological urges and a less dominant personality in your favour.

I've had some wonderful and enduring love stories over the years, from older sows and their 'toy boys', adult boars falling head over heels with a little wifelet or my biggest sow (Hyfryd, who sadly died yesterday) melting for my smallest 'hubby' (and vice versa) through the bars and then both having the three happiest years of their lives after neutered Nye's older boarmate had passed away... It's always worth a try if a rescue has neutered boars available for dating.

 

[Bigsize9fot]

Mixed gender pairs generally count the same as two sows and not two boars. But it is for the rescue to decide.
Personally, I am a big fan of neutered 'husboars' and have a whole string of them over the years, but not every sow will accept them. It very much comes down to a personality match, no matter the age or age difference.

Betty is however still at an age where you have both her biological urges and a less dominant personality in your favour.

I've had some wonderful and enduring love stories over the years, from older sows and their 'toy boys', adult boars falling head over heels with a little wifelet or my biggest sow (Hyfryd, who sadly died yesterday) melting for my smallest 'hubby' (and vice versa) through the bars and then both having the three happiest years of their lives after neutered Nye's older boarmate had passed away... It's always worth a try if a rescue has neutered boars available for dating.

I’m sorry for the loss of Hyfryd x
We have had 2 rescue sets of girls but we are still very much learning about all things Guinea so your advice is invaluable. Thank you so much

 

[Wiebke]

I’m sorry for the loss of Hyfryd x
We have had 2 rescue sets of girls but we are still very much learning about all things Guinea so your advice is invaluable. Thank you so much

Thank you.

Please move Betty right next to your other girls for interaction and stimulation through the bars; if they aren't already. It will make a big difference for her in the interim and will help prevent depression.

 

[Bigsize9fot]

Thank you.

Please move Betty right next to your other girls for interaction and stimulation through the bars; if they aren't already. It will make a big difference for her in the interim and will help prevent depression.

Sorry - 2 sets of 2. One set already passed. Tilly was in the second set. Just Betty left. Will arrange a speed date asap in new year

 

[Wheekallweek]

Good luck with your speed dating Betty

 

[Wiebke]

Sorry - 2 sets of 2. One set already passed. Tilly was in the second set. Just Betty left. Will arrange a speed date asap in new year

All the best! Be open minded as to the gender and just go along with who Betty likes best - whoever it is, you will come to love them, even if it is initially by simply seeing her happy and bustling again.

These guide links contain videos of what to expect with a boar in the mix (group videos also apply):
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts) (if you end up with two newly bonded sows but a lot of the dominance behaviour from the sow side also applies)
When Sows Experience A Strong Season (videos)

 

[Cheekypigs]

Do let me know if you are still looking for a mate come February or March. We have two young boars who fell out and have both been neutered. We are going to wait until spring to try a reintroduction, but if it doesn't work, one of them will be looking for a new home, and will be reliably infertile by then.

I don't want to lose either of my boys but I have to have an eye to the backup plans. I'm North of Glasgow.

 

[Bigsize9fot]

Do let me know if you are still looking for a mate come February or March. We have two young boars who fell out and have both been neutered. We are going to wait until spring to try a reintroduction, but if it doesn't work, one of them will be looking for a new home, and will be reliably infertile by then.

I don't want to lose either of my boys but I have to have an eye to the backup plans. I'm North of Glasgow.

Thank you. I hope to have paired Betty before then but I will keep you in mlnd if it doesn’t work out. That’s a shame for your boys. Fingers crossed for your reintroduction.

 

[Cheekypigs]

I know, it's a real shame. I was just looking back at early photos of them having fun together! But then the hormones hit...

 

[Bigsize9fot]

All the best! Be open minded as to the gender and just go along with who Betty likes best - whoever it is, you will come to love them, even if it is initially by simply seeing her happy and bustling again.

These guide links contain videos of what to expect with a boar in the mix (group videos also apply):
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts) (if you end up with two newly bonded sows but a lot of the dominance behaviour from the sow side also applies)
When Sows Experience A Strong Season (videos)

The bonding failed :-( tried with a young 18 month girl but she’s been on her own a long time and is quite wild. An an older girl of 4/5 who is much calmer. Betty went for them both. Quite odd as I’ve never seen Betty be aggressive like that.
We’ve to try again in a few weeks when there may be more girls come in. They don’t neuter their boys so that’s not an option. I could look and see if there are any other rescues who do bonding.

 

[Wiebke]

The bonding failed :-( tried with a young 18 month girl but she’s been on her own a long time and is quite wild. An an older girl of 4/5 who is much calmer. Betty went for them both. Quite odd as I’ve never seen Betty be aggressive like that.
We’ve to try again in a few weeks when there may be more girls come in. They don’t neuter their boys so that’s not an option. I could look and see if there are any other rescues who do bonding.

Unfortunately, there are no other rescues anywhere near that we can recommend.

What you may try is a couple of a baby girls that cannot challenge Betty (two generally works better in my own experience than just one since it turns it into a group where Betty is the leader). She is obviously very insecure on her own and rather fear-aggressive because of it. That is not at all uncommon these days of commercial mass breeding, sadly. Otherwise consider a single same age piggy - can be either gender - as a live alongside companion that has no chance of rehoming as difficult to bond as well. She still needs the stimulation through the bars but may feel safer having her own territory.

I am currently there with my Cerian after she lost her closely bonded sowfriend Breila just before Christmas. In four years here, they have never accepted another piggy...

 

[Bigsize9fot]

Unfortunately, there are no other rescues anywhere near that we can recommend.
What you may try is a couple of a baby girls that cannot challenge Betty (two generally works better in my own experience than just one since it turns it into a group where Betty is the leader). She is obviously very insecure on her own and rather fear-aggressive because of it. That is not at all uncommon these days of commercial mass breeding, sadly. Otherwise consider a single same age piggy - can be either gender - as a live alongside companion that has no chance of rehoming as difficult to bond as well. She still needs the stimulation through the bars but may feel safer having her own territory.

I am currently there with my Cerian after she lost her closely bonded sowfriend Breila just before Christmas. In four years here, they have never accepted another piggy...

So sorry for your loss. It’s harder to see the grief of the remaining Guinea than your own loss I feel.

We will try again in a few weeks. It started well and Betty began to lick the younger one but then she just started teeth chattering aggressively, fluffed herself up and started chasing her all round the playpen.

Poor Betty :-(

 

[Wiebke]

So sorry for your loss. It’s harder to see the grief of the remaining Guinea than your own loss I feel.

We will try again in a few weeks. It started well and Betty began to lick the younger one but then she just started teeth chattering aggressively, fluffed herself up and started chasing her all round the playpen.

Poor Betty :-(

Thank you. It is always heart-breaking but there are different options for you pursue if a direct bond fails.

I had to bury Cerian's companion Breila together with her neighbour, old Hyfryd, who went into organ failure on the following day, just to cap a year of record losses in style.

It's harder around Christmas with any losses.