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Death of Guinea Pig & how to help his cage mate

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Sgreen_27

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Hey everyone,

Unfortunately this morning one of my two guinea pigs passed away from a case of bloat. He was perfectly fine when I cleaned their cage and said goodnight last night. I was woken up by his squeals early this morning, and shortly after he passed. His cage mate was very timid and frightened this morning, but has been acting fairly normal. They were both male, the remaining guinea pig is almost 3 years old. I am wondering if it would be best to get him a new cage mate, or if he could stay alone. I know a lot of this heavily depends on how he copes with the loss, but if I get a new cage mate I have a couple questions below:

1) How long should I wait before getting a new guinea pig/how can you tell if your pig is ready for another cage mate?
2) Is it important that they are the same age, or can they be within a year or two of each other?

If anyone has advice to help my guinea pig with the loss, or on getting a new cage mate I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!
 
I'm so sorry for your loss.

Yes, he will need a new friend.
How long you wait depends on how your piggy is coping - they are usually ready for a new friend within about 4 weeks. If he goes into acute pining (rare), then he can need a new friend within a matter of days.

Character compatibility is the most important factor (age is largely irrelevant). Two piggies have to like each other to be able to form a bond.
If you buy a piggy on spec ie from a pet shop, or private seller, then there is always a risk they will not be compatible and will not bond. This would mean you having to keep them in two separate but side by side cages for the rest of their lives. It is always important if you are going to have to carry out an on spec bonding, that you have a plan in place for a failed bonding. If you have a rescue centre nearby who can help you with finding a character compatible friend then that is best. Some offer a dating service, where you can try your piggy with one of their piggies to see if they accept each other. If they dont, then you can try another piggy until you find a friend for your piggy. If they do accept each other then you can bring home the new piggy safe in the knowledge that they will live together.

The guides below offer further advice on how to look after a bereaved piggy and also bonding with a new friend

Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?
 
I’m so sorry for your loss. I recently lost our nearly 5-year old guinea pig girl, so I can relate to the huge hurt left behind. Good luck on finding a new cage mate for your boy!
 
I’m so sorry for your loss. Such a shock for you. I lost a young piggy at the end of October and I felt that my remaining piggy Percy needed a new friend ASAP as he was only about 7 months old and we were just going into another lockdown. I got him a very young friend. Pepper was about 6 weeks old. He was so happy to see Percy and Percy was soooo happy to have a new friend. It was love at first sight 😍. I’d get a younster if you can.
 
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