Does Jeremy actually prefer to be alone, or should I get another piggy?

[fuzzybuglover37]

I just got my first piggy, Jeremy, from the shelter a couple days ago. He came with a note from the person who gave him to the shelter that he had gotten into a fight with his former cage mate (a male of similar age), and therefore “prefers to be alone.”
He is a 3.5yrs old Abyssinian, and seems healthy, except that he doesn’t move much (stays totally stationary in his cage) and only eats if we hold him with his blanket and put food near his mouth. He stays confined to one corner of his cage (7.3 sq ft, enrichment including cave, cuddle cup, blanket, tunnel, and a few small stuffed animals) and doesn’t even come out of his cave when we put fresh veggies near the opening. He brightens up when we take him outside to the grass or when he is able to run around on the floor, but otherwise is completely silent and antisocial. Is it possible that he’s just old and prefers to be alone? Or should I adopt another, despite him fighting with his previous cage mate?

 

[fuzzybuglover37]

Additional pictures

 

[Princess Dustmop]

Having gotten into a fight means that those two piggies were incompatible. It doesn't mean he won't get along with another guinea; only that he won't get along with that guinea pig.

He may just be a bit timid and getting used to his new environment, so that may be contributing to the reticent behavior. (He may become more active and adventurous as he settles in.

3.5 is not an old guinea pig. It is certainly recommended to have more than one guinea pig. If he is an intact boar, you could get another boar or a spayed sow to be his new friend. You can ask rescues near you what their policies are in regards to compatibility meetings and/or if your pig doesn't get along with the perspective new friend should you adopt without a pre-meet. If you are unable to find a compatible pair for your boy, then the recommendation would be to have side by side cages, so he could still have companionship through the cage bars. A side-by-side could be an intact female, so long as the separation were secure (boars can be rather determined when trying to get to a female in season).

 

[Princess Dustmop]

Jeremy is adorable! I don't think the harness is necessary ... he should be able to run freely on the floor ... just get something to block off areas where he should go when he has floor time.

 

[fuzzybuglover37]

Jeremy is adorable! I don't think the harness is necessary ... he should be able to run freely on the floor ... just get something to block off areas where he should go when he has floor time.

Thank you so so much for your reply! He is indeed so adorable. The harness was just because we were taking him out into the grass and didn’t want him scurrying off into the woods. Perhaps we should still have just brought a corral?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I can only agree - he had a fight with his last cage mate because they are incompatible not because he prefers to be alone. He needs to find the right, compatible friend to be able to share territory with.

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?

However it is important to note that the cage you have is too small if you get him a new boar friend.
A single piggy should have a minimum of 8 square feet of cage space. So the cage you have comes in a little too small even though he is on his own at present.
If he has a new boar friend, then you need to provide a cage which covers 12 square feet
for two boars. Please don’t try to keep two boars in the cage you have as lack of space will cause problems between them and potentially a fight.
If he is neutered and has a sow friend, then the cage should be 10 square feet.

Cage Size Guide

I know neutering is expensive in the US and it can be harder to find a knowledgable vet, so if he can’t be neutered then he obviously can’t have a sow as a new friend.
Sows are usually only spayed for medical purposes as it is a major and invasive operation - you may never find a spayed sow (they certainly do not come into rescues in the UK at all often).

Please do get a safe playpen if he is going to go outdoors for any supervised time, and don’t use the harness anymore.
Harnesses are incredibly dangerous for their delicate spines and can cause the death of a piggy.

Potentially Dangerous Cage Accessories And Toys

I would also recommend that you remove the hay rack which is on the outside of the cage and instead just put the hay on the floor inside the cage in a big pile. Hay is of course their main food source but it is also a great source of fun and enrichment. Playing in hay and being able to forage in it, make little nests and sleep inside it, is all great fun for them. Particularly while he is alone offering him lots of ways to use his natural instincts to keep occupied is important.

Another idea is to not use food bowls and instead throw the recommended portions of veg (one cup per pig per day) and pellets (just one tablespoon per pig per day) into a pile of hay so it gets mixed in and piggy has to search for it. It makes meal time much more interesting and makes them use their brains!

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

He may not be coming out much for two reasons - he is too unsure at present, you’ve only had him a few days and he needs to settle in; and because there isn’t much for him to do inside the cage (a friend is the best form of entertainment though). Cuddly toys don’t offer anything for guinea pigs.
The guide below details enrichment ideas.

As mentioned above, if you can’t find a compatible friend for him to bond with, the next best thing is living side by side with another piggy so they can interact through the bars of their cages but don’t have to share their territory.

Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

You will see I have added green links for further information throughout the post.
I have also added the link to our collection of new owner guides below. There is a lot of them there but detail everything further - housing, diet, as well as other care information such as the importance of weekly weight checks so you can monitor that he is eating enough hay.

New Owners' Essential Information and Practical Tips Starter Collection

 

[fuzzybuglover37]

I can only agree - he had a fight with his last cage mate because they are incompatible not because he prefers to be alone. He needs to find the right, compatible friend to be able to share territory with.

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?

However it is important to note that the cage you have is too small if you get him a new boar friend.
A single piggy should have a minimum of 8 square feet of cage space. So the cage you have comes in a little too small even though he is on his own at present.
If he has a new boar friend, then you need to provide a cage which covers 12 square feet
for two boars. Please don’t try to keep two boars in the cage you have as lack of space will cause problems between them and potentially a fight.
If he is neutered and has a sow friend, then the cage should be 10 square feet.

Cage Size Guide

I know neutering is expensive in the US and it can be harder to find a knowledgable vet, so if he can’t be neutered then he obviously can’t have a sow as a new friend.
Sows are usually only spayed for medical purposes as it is a major and invasive operation - you may never find a spayed sow (they certainly do not come into rescues in the UK at all often).

Please do get a safe playpen if he is going to go outdoors for any supervised time, and don’t use the harness anymore.
Harnesses are incredibly dangerous for their delicate spines and can cause the death of a piggy.

Potentially Dangerous Cage Accessories And Toys

I would also recommend that you remove the hay rack which is on the outside of the cage and instead just put the hay on the floor inside the cage in a big pile. Hay is of course their main food source but it is also a great source of fun and enrichment. Playing in hay and being able to forage in it, make little nests and sleep inside it, is all great fun for them. Particularly while he is alone offering him lots of ways to use his natural instincts to keep occupied is important.

Another idea is to not use food bowls and instead throw the recommended portions of veg (one cup per pig per day) and pellets (just one tablespoon per pig per day) into a pile of hay so it gets mixed in and piggy has to search for it. It makes meal time much more interesting and makes them use their brains!

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

He may not be coming out much for two reasons - he is too unsure at present, you’ve only had him a few days and he needs to settle in; and because there isn’t much for him to do inside the cage (a friend is the best form of entertainment though). Cuddly toys don’t offer anything for guinea pigs.
The guide below details enrichment ideas.

As mentioned above, if you can’t find a compatible friend for him to bond with, the next best thing is living side by side with another piggy so they can interact through the bars of their cages but don’t have to share their territory.

Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

You will see I have added green links for further information throughout the post.
I have also added the link to our collection of new owner guides below. There is a lot of them there but detail everything further - housing, diet, as well as other care information such as the importance of weekly weight checks so you can monitor that he is eating enough hay.

New Owners' Essential Information and Practical Tips Starter Collection

 

[fuzzybuglover37]

Thank you for your reply. I am brand new to this forum and am so heart warmed at the dedication you guys obviously have for guinea pig welfare

Cage size/accessories: That’s good to know, because I thought that 7sq ft would work. We just got the biggest cage that Pet Supplies Plus had (they are the only pet store near by) and it came with the hay rack…but he hasn’t been using that rack at all. I am excited to use your thorough reply as a reference as I build up Jeremy’s home

New cage mates: He is still an intact boar, so we will probably get another boat based on the advice. The only potential issue is that if they don’t bond, we don’t have the space for two 8sq ft+ cages long term, so side-by-side probably wouldn’t be practical. I’ll be reading more posts on the forum about bonding though, and will post updates. Thank you so so so much to everyone for your replies

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you for your reply. I am brand new to this forum and am so heart warmed at the dedication you guys obviously have for guinea pig welfare

Cage size/accessories: That’s good to know, because I thought that 7sq ft would work. We just got the biggest cage that Pet Supplies Plus had (they are the only pet store near by) and it came with the hay rack…but he hasn’t been using that rack at all. I am excited to use your thorough reply as a reference as I build up Jeremy’s home

New cage mates: He is still an intact boar, so we will probably get another boat based on the advice. The only potential issue is that if they don’t bond, we don’t have the space for two 8sq ft+ cages long term, so side-by-side probably wouldn’t be practical. I’ll be reading more posts on the forum about bonding though, and will post updates. Thank you so so so much to everyone for your replies

If he wont use the rack then definitely remove it and put the hay on the cage floor. Hay is the most important part of the diet and makes 80% of what a piggy needs to eat in a day. This is where the routine weight checks are essential - they are the only way to know a piggy is eating enough hay. Veg and pellets are just a supplementary part of the diet and not a main part at all.

Yes, you will need to get another boar. See if you can get in touch with rescues and see if they can help with finding a compatible friend.
As I said though, for him to have a new friend, you do need a bigger cage measuring 12 square feet. If you try to put two boars in a 7sq ft cage you will most likely end up with fights and having to separate them due to lack of space.

 

[Merab]

My Micah came to me because he had been labelled as having to live alone because he couldn’t get on with other guinea pigs.
I took him home, had him neutered so he could live with my sows.
In no time at all a pathetic scrap of guinea pig transformed into a handsome hunk of very happy husboar.

Hope you can find a suitable companion for your handsome boy

 

[Princess Dustmop]

We had a pair of boars that came from the adoption section of a local pet store ... one was labeled "must be an only pig" for a fair bit, then suddenly he had a cage mate, and the cage had been relabelled "must go as pair" ... They lived together for years.

They did eventually fall out, but it was related to a sow and one of the boars becoming ill (we learned he had congestive heart failure a year or so later). The sow was a separate cage and we'd had her a few months before the boys fell out, but a stronger season may have been the last straw on a illness-disrupted hierarchy/bond.