Does rehoming Guinea pigs stress them

[WheekHearted]

Are there any studies in this? My Marney and Millie warmed up to me instantly and I don’t intend on rehoming any of mine I’m just curious does it stress them changing homes whether it’s through adoptions/fosters? Do they notice and miss their former owners?

 

[Merab]

I have taken in guinea pigs as a new home.
My recent pair came from Merrypigs Rescue run by our own @Wheekallweek .
They settled very quickly and adapted to their new home easily.
Priscilla and Phoebe came from someone whose new landlord wouldn’t allow pets but although loved it was a difficult situation.
There was a screaming toddler and the owner didn’t have the knowledge to care for them properly so they were scared.
It took a while but both settled well.

 

[Wiebke]

It depends on the home and the background.
Well cared for guinea pigs usually adapt fairly quickly; with traumatised piggies from bad situations it can sometimes take a while.

Some piggies are more dependent on their regular surroundings and a stable environment than others.
What I always notice is that when I bring home a newly adopted piggy or piggies how they noticeably relax just hearing all the piggy sounds and smells in my home. It screams 'safe guinea pig place' to them.
Especially boars coming into contact with sow pheromones or sows with boar pheromones can have a strong reaction.

Guinea pigs are territorial and do have the need to re-establish their group after any personnel change or any change of their environment whether that is changes to their cage or moving their cage to another place, or them moving to a totally new place.

Piggies going to the same place for holiday boarding regularly will recognise it and will acclimatise much more quickly.
The same goes for acclimatising indoors guinea pigs to the outdoors - it is usually a very frightening experience even if you surround any newbies with runs of piggies that are used to being on the lawn and put a large thick fleece over the run and some of its sides as both as sun/wind protection and as a measure to make them feel safer.

Newly bonded in piggies often settle in better by taking their cues from their relaxed companions. If I bring home a couple of skittish piggies stuck in rescue, then it can sometimes be a several months' or at the worst years uphill battle if they do not bond with other piggies of mine.

 

[Viennese Furbabies]

Piggies are stressed by any complete change of environment and any changes in the group.
A change of environment means that they have to learn all the safe spots again that prey animals like guinea pigs have established a a sort of map in their brain. For some piggies that's quick learning, for others not so much.
A change in the group, no matter if somepig is new or somepig has left the group is a massive stressor to every member of the group. The hierarchy has to be worked out again.

Of course there are individual differences. Some piggies are just more relaxed, others are extremely skittish. That's due to genetics, their personal experiences, their hormonal status and their age.