Getting Two More Piggies

[A Guinea Pig]

So I’ve decided that five guinea pigs is a great amount in the last few weeks. I've decided that I will be looking for two girls from the Dumb Friends League. Here’s my dilemma: Should I get two piggies and have them live by themselves and have them completely separate from my other three girls or… should I get two girls and bond them to my three for a large herd? This is a tough life decision…

 

[Piggies&buns]

It depends on whether your cage is big enough - for five piggies that is a cage measuring 240x60cm or a 7x2 c&c cage.

Any bond comes down to character compatibility so any new piggies you add need to ideally fit at the bottom of the hierarchy between your current girls so as to not upset the existing bond ie that is best if the piggies are babies

Provided you have the ability to keep any new piggies in a separate cage if the bonding as a herd of five fails, then go ahead and try to bond them on neutral territory and see whether they accept newcomers.

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?

Reacting to group or territorial changes: Dominance and group establishment/re-establishment
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics

 

[A Guinea Pig]

The cage is definitely big enough. It's a bit bigger than a 2x8 on the bottom with a ramp and the second level is a 2x8 C&C cage. I think after reading over all of those it might be a good idea for me to keep the groups separated, one on the top and the other on the bottom. Thinking realistically about my life, it would be a good idea to adopt two girls who might be 2 or older. Thank you!

 

[weepweeps]

Sounds fab. Good luck finding your new arrivals.