Helping a young male cope alone before he can be castrated and bonded

[Guineapiggirl34]

I am in desperate need of help, my brain is not too good due to me brain fog so it will be long winded but I need help keeping a boy Guinea pig happy before he can be castrated to go with my two girls. There will be a lot of back story included so people don’t have to ask the questions. Please help me I am very unwell and these Guinea pigs are my babies and my therapy. I have trouble with muscle weakness and brain power so writing this is a labour of love.


I have me cfs and massive chronic pain. Bad mental health too made much worse by my illness of 12 years. It stole my whole life, my plans, friends everything. At one point I was bed bound for four plus years, chair bound for 3 years, got some what better for a very short time, then got Covid, and 18 month post Covid I am still pretty much chair bound, I need help for simple things like personal hygiene. I am only 34, too sick to have my own family, live with my parents, but I feel like my life is over, doing my best for my baby pigs. They ARE my children.

Long story, I rescued two boys, they were lovely, 2.5 years later one dies of respiratory infection despite many vet visits. Other boar grieved hard, we found some more piggies after a week of searching (I like long fur, it is beautiful and SOFT, I have sensitive skin from me/cfs). We got two girls, kept in adjoining cage while boar was cast rated, waited the 8 weeks, he loved them to bits when he met them. He lost weight after months of vet visits (it is a good vet, it does all the vet work for a local Guinea pig rescue) painkillers, loosing a tooth, being hand fed, he had to be put down, he was due to go in for X-ray, thyroid test and biopsy (both boys had developed lumps I guess caused from their rescue situation) . Day before surgery he started peeing blood, he had to be put down. This was five days ago. I am still grieving. I feel hopeless with life. His girl piggies are grieving.

A YouTube channel I watch, adopted a boy pig, he has been found alone, kept alone as a really great rescue, brought home, neutered kept separate for weeks, then joined his new girls. So I thought it would be fine to get a little boy, neuter and then bond with my girls. We got. Little long haired boy 8 weeks old. (Local rescue only had long haired males in pairs and I needed just one for my girls who were sad) Today I read somewhere that 2-5 month old piggies desperately need company and I am scared stiff. I have several thoughts maybe someone can help me make the right choice for my situation/give me advice. Please be kind as a suffer with severe anxiety/depression to.

I know girls getting pregnant over 6 months is not good news, so they were put in separate c and c cages with an adjoining wall, first day boy keeps hidden away, next day he is brave out and about. they met noses through the bars all good.

Then I read male pigs will do anything to get to a female in heat and caesarean is usually very dangerous for the mother pig. So I immediately had the two cages dis joined so they each have their own four walls and a lid and are about 50 cm apart.

I am giving each of them 5ish cuddles per day, and my. Rather also gives them a couple because he is smitten with them, in fact mum cuddles the new baby too. Is this enough socialization for him?

Today (day five of him being here) he got the zoomies, when he started the two girls got the zoomies too. Later when the girls got the zoomies, he copied them and zoomed around too. This is good! Is this a form of socialization that will help him not be lonely? My brother (a night owl) went in and cuddled him in the night, and said when he left the pigs were at the cage bars facing each other 50 cm apart talking, will this help him too?

The vet said they could do his neutering now but it is more invasive before the testicles drop and would advise waiting. This could mean 2 months operation, 2 months wait. Will he be ok for this length of time on his own? It seems risky to have him neutered right now.

Is there anything I can do to help him not be lonely?

He gets hand cut grass 3 times per day, not too much as he is so small, unlimited Timothy hay, expensive nice green stuff, unlimited nuggets, small amounts of fresh veg for his little size.

He has hides/toys/cuddles/ can speak to his neighbors.

I have seen you can buy a Guinea pig toy, take off any hard eyes, sew cloesed for him to cuddle? I had thought of doing that and rubbing it in the girls pee/smell so he can cuddle /mount /boss about etc? Is this a good idea?

He could sit with the girls on my lap where I can stop mating but not sure if this short meeting would be stressful for them or nice for them? Any thoughts?

I am watching tons of videos on keeping pigs entertained.

Could anyone advise me on what to do. He seems happy, popcorning, loving cuddles and food, he put on 50g from 1st April to 4th April. Please give me some kind advice or if you think he will be fine and I am just worrying too much, please put my mind at rest.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Welcome to the forum

Please do put his cage beside the girls cage
so they can interact between the bars.
You need to ensure his cage is very secure (that he can’t fit through grids, can’t climb bars, that the cage has a lid etc) so that he cannot escape it but he needs to be right beside them. That really is enough interaction so stop him from getting lonely while he is waiting to be neutered so you don’t need to worry.

Don’t feed unlimited pellets - he should only have one tablespoon per day. A baby can have a little more than one tablespoon but definitely do not feed unlimited.
(To be honest, I have never given young piggies more than one tablespoon and in fact now I don’t give my piggies pellets anyway)

Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

Really not unlimited pellets? I only feed the adults one tbsp a day, but I read that babies need unlimited pellets? How to get enough nutrients into him esp calcium? I tried alfalfa hay for the girls when they were little and they rejected it.

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

Thank you some much for your advice, I have a kavee c and c cage, we have the bars vertical so there isn’t too much of a ladder for hito climb and it would be hard to Squeeze through unlike if they are horizontal he could get squish flat and squeeze through, still scared if the cages are close together he could somehow get to my girls…

 

[Piggies&buns]

No, Definitely not unlimited pellets. They shouldn’t eat alfalfa either (babies who are just born can have a tiny bit but by the time they are weaned at 3 weeks old then they don’t really need it at all).
They get enough nutrients through their hay based diet with one cup full of a mixed variety of veg each day (lettuce, cilantro, bell pepper and cucumber provides a good mix and is suitable to be fed every day) and then one tablespoon of pellets.

Boars can, do and have been known to climb c&c bars to get in with girls - hence why we recommend the cage wall is either built two grids high or that a lid is added.
You are better off to take those extra safety precautions and make sure you put them side by side than you are to leave a gap between the cages (a gap between the cages wouldn’t stop him climbing out anyway) - the side by side interaction is essential for him. Being side by side also means that they will know each other when it comes to the time you are able to bond them.

Piggies use scent and body language to communicate and while their eyesight is not great (they can’t see at all far ahead) he does still need to be able to see them.

You can bond him with them 6 weeks after neutering (8 weeks is a bit excessive but if you’d rather leave it 8 weeks then that is your choice).

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

Thank you again. Both cages have lids! I a just worried about himsqueezing his little body through the bars? The kavee cages are not grids made of squares, but long thin rectangles, we have them vertical to try and stop him squeezing through. Do you think he would squeeze through?

Side question; I think I have been giving our pigs too much veg everyday! 3 large butterhead leaves each, piece of pepper, they get the broccoli stalk to gnaw at when we finish a broccoli, and they get carrots peels and top/ bottom, that is not everyday. I hand feed a cm of cucumber to each. Normally everyday they get about a stick of celery cut up small and wrapped in brown paper, they get so excited when I do this, it is one of the few things I can do for the except cuddle! Could I reduce the celery to a quarter of a stick get mum to cut it up really small so I can still give them their daily treasure hunt?

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

To better help you answer the bars question, mum has taken some photos for you. He is about 9 weeks and currently weigh 408g. I have a photo of him. In my hands (I have small hand) a close up of the bars he might squeeze through, a photo of him in his cage. Then a photo of the two cage lids down, as I a:concerned if he gets bigger he could squeeze 5rough the lid gaps?

 

[Piggies&buns]

To better help you answer the bars question, mum has taken some photos for you. He is about 9 weeks and currently weigh 408g. I have a photo of him. In my hands (I have small hand) a close up of the bars he might squeeze through, a photo of him in his cage. Then a photo of the two cage lids down, as I a:concerned if he gets bigger he could squeeze 5rough the lid gaps?

He won’t get through those gaps

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you again. Both cages have lids! I a just worried about himsqueezing his little body through the bars? The kavee cages are not grids made of squares, but long thin rectangles, we have them vertical to try and stop him squeezing through. Do you think he would squeeze through?

Side question; I think I have been giving our pigs too much veg everyday! 3 large butterhead leaves each, piece of pepper, they get the broccoli stalk to gnaw at when we finish a broccoli, and they get carrots peels and top/ bottom, that is not everyday. I hand feed a cm of cucumber to each. Normally everyday they get about a stick of celery cut up small and wrapped in brown paper, they get so excited when I do this, it is one of the few things I can do for the except cuddle! Could I reduce the celery to a quarter of a stick get mum to cut it up really small so I can still give them their daily treasure hunt?

It does sound a lot.
If you look at the diet guide I linked in on my previous reply you will see there is a sample plate which shows the amount each pig should have. As I say, lettuce, cucumber, bell pepper and coriander are the safe daily veggies. Everything else should be in moderation and rotation (carrot no more than once a week)
3 butterhead leaves each is hugely overdoing it though - one leaf of little gem is enough.

Personally I do feed a bit more than one cup of veg per pig per day but I do not give pellets so I increase the veg so they get the additional nutrients.

They can have a small chunk of celery each day (again a picture is in the guide of the amount - although I personally would not give celery every day) but any and all their veg can be used for their treasure hunt.
For example, we do not recommend food bowls are used at all and interest we do recommend they veg and the pellets are to thrown around the cage and in amongst loose piles of hay on the cage floor so they have to forage for them. This is fantastic enrichment and mental stimulation is so important for all piggies but even more so when one has to live alone.

 

[Piggies&buns]

And to add regarding the cage, it is advisable to secure the grids together using cable ties rather than just relying on the connectors

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

He won’t get through those gaps

Thank you thank you

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

And to add regarding the cage, it is advisable to secure the grids together using cable ties rather than just relying on the connectors

Yes it is cable tied too , the original cage was 8 by 2 and had five cable ties on every join as we had a cat who would sneak in and sit on the cage, we have terrified her of coming in here now but at the time I wanted to be sure if she snuck in and hid before the door was locked that she couldn’t access them. She is a serious mouser (she was a feral rescue) we shake deodorant cans at her now if she even looks in this room, she is too terrified to come in! Thank goodness.

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

Thanks for your advice the closest we could get the two cages is about 2 cm between the wires, they have been coming up and saying hello. Often he looks in and the girls don’t come to see him . He is trying to eat his way in. Really come he can’t get in, I can’t bear to loose my girls to pregnancy

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

Thanks for your advice the closest we could get the two cages is about 2 cm between the wires, they have been coming up and saying hello. Often he looks in and the girls don’t come to see him . He is trying to eat his way in. Really come he can’t get in, I can’t bear to loose my girls to pregnancy

*hope

 

[Guineapiggirl34]

He actually seems much more distressed now they are so close. Yesterday he just ran about knowing they were there, now he can ‘reach’ them he is desperate to get in.