Hi there. I'm a new owner of a male 10 week old guinea pig called Tig.
I would love to get him a friend but when i bought him he was alone in the cage so i was unable to buy him a companion.
I've been told by some people that i cannot get another male as they will fight but other say that getting another male is fine. I don't want to get a female as I'm only new and don't want baby piggies.
Does anyone know if getting another male is a good idea or not?
Thanks for reading
Hi and welcome!
Your options depend very much on where you are living and whether you have got access to a good rescue or vet.
Key to any successful guinea pig bond is mutual liking and character compatibility. That is where shops and breeders fall short. People demand pretty baby, which they generally choose for looks and not how they get on; this is often aggravated by selling cages that are too small, so piggies can't away from each other. Then boars hit the hormonal teenage months and - although the majority of boars actually make together to adulthood - those pairings that are not balances will inevitably clash. It is not because boars can't live with each other, but they have been let down by human ignorance they have got a bad reputation and are forced to live on their own.
The best place to find a character compatible boar of any age is one of our recommended rescues; you will also have the rescue to fall back on if things don't go to plan. You can also be guaranteed that any piggy is fully quarantined and healthy, as well as properly sexed. Any bond where the piggies can decide whether they want to get on before you commit has a much, much higher chance of success. it also means that you do not have to do the full bonding, which can be a bit nerve-racking for a first timer. We can however only guarantee for any listed rescues. There is no licensing so anybody can call themselves a rescue, but any rescue that has achieved regsitered charity status is generally a safer bet.
How old is your boy? Age is much less of a concern than character compatibility, and a greater difference of age can actually be of benefit because it means that only one boars suffers testosterone spikes at any given time instead of two same aged shop or breeder bought baby boars.
Your second option is to have your boy neutered, so he can live with a sow or two after his mandatory 6 weeks post-op wait when he is 100% safe to go with sows. This is not cheap, but cross gender bonds are the most stable of them all. You also need to find a good guinea pig neutering to minimise the risk of post-op complications.
If you haven't go access to a place where you can date your boy, then your third option is to keep another "unbondable" piggy as a next door neighbour in a separate cage, with round the clock interaction and mutual stimulation through the bars, provided a bonding at your home has failed.
Companionship
Boars, sows or mixed pairs; babies or adults?
Recommended UK rescues and vets:
Guinea Pig Rescue Centre Locator
Guinea Pig Vet Locator
Recommended rescues and vets in some other countries:
Guinea Lynx :: Rescue Organizations
Guinea Lynx :: GL's Vet List
New Owners' " How To" Starter Kit
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