Keith is struggling - what age for a new cage mate?

Two_Wheeks said:
He's coming home! His new name though is Kingsley - he is far too much of a Gentleman to be a Floyd..!

Pictures to follow, of course!

There you go, Gibson, we told you we'd look after Keith x
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Brilliant news. Looking forward to seeing pictures of the new addition.
 
Two_Wheeks said:
So, he's with him now - a bumpy first hour but it seems to have settled down.

My goodness Keith had me in stitches! Revving himself up, scraping his front feet on the floor like a bull preparing to charge, jumping and side-kicking with his back legs. All the while, Floyd just kept eating..!

I'm so glad I'm not doing this alone, I would have bailed 30 minutes in! They've settled a lot now, both grooming in front of each other, and Keith has had a nap.. Lots of hay eating and bum sniffing..
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Mutual piggy washing between dominance bonding rounds (it is a bit like boxing) is just what you want to see - it means that they are reassuring each other that both still want to be friends when the chips are down and that the other stuff is just bonding protocol. Once they have both had their nap and are still fine with each other, they should be over the worst of it.

I would however recommend that you bring them back in different carriers/containers if you have any doubts and have a little re-intro round on neutral ground at home before they go in the cleaned cage that you have rubbed over with both their scent (including huts); use a soft rag that picks up their scent really well. This marks the territory as both theirs and not just Keith's and will help to keep dominance down.
Please accept that you are bound to see some more dominance as full new group establisment in any new territory takes around two weeks (post-intro dominance phase). Dynamics between adult boars differ somewhat from that between an adult and a baby.
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
 
Aw brilliant news for Kingsley and Little Keith, so pleased for you x
Can’t wait to see them 😊
 
Thank you, all.

@Wiebke good advice - they came home separately, and are in a neutral pen at the moment. I have cleaned the regular cage and moved it around, too, all new bedding and hay/puppy pads, etc., and I'll put the blankets they travelled with in shortly..

Kingsley is delightful, half the size of Keith but wonderful!
 
Oh what a lovely photo and update. What a lucky chap Keith is to have such a caring slave to take him dating. It’s more nerve wracking for the humans than it is for the piggies, I’m sure! Hope they continue to make great pals.
 
Two_Wheeks said:
Here’s a cheeky photo of them in the ‘holding pen’ at the moment.. they’re going into the cage at 6ish..❤️
Kingsley is around a year old, Keith 16 months.. the size difference is huge!
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I love Keith - he reminds me of our first every family piggy (1971-81) and of my Tesni (2011-18) who I adopted in memory of Wuschel when I she hadn't received a single adoption enquiry in well over three months in rescue.

Kingsley may yet grow a bit more but he will never be as big as Keith - not that it matters. More than individual size your daily care and a good hay based diet are much more crucial for extending a healthy life from the lower to the upper half of the average healthy life span.
But he is certainly a striking guy!

Wishing you all the best with settling in and hopefully having a happy life together once the initial dust and over-excitement settles. Bonding at home is always nerve-wracking; rescue dating is a boon when it is not you having to make the call and dealing with the fall-out from a failed personality match...

Seeing Keith happy again and having his sparkle will also do a lot for your mood. You won't be missing Gibson any less but knowing that you have made Keith happy again will go quite a long way to take some big weight off your shoulders.
 
Aw @Wiebke thats a lovely thing for Keith to remind you of!

Keith certainly seems to be the joy in charge, Kingsley is happy to just eat and follow Keith around, but he is as much of a food thief as Keith which is funny to watch!

We didn’t know what Kingsley looked like until today, and I have to admit I was relieved he looks nothing like Gibson.. it has brought out old chirpy Keith back and I’m so happy for that x
 
Two_Wheeks said:
Aw @Wiebke thats a lovely thing for Keith to remind you of!

Keith certainly seems to be the joy in charge, Kingsley is happy to just eat and follow Keith around, but he is as much of a food thief as Keith which is funny to watch!

We didn’t know what Kingsley looked like until today, and I have to admit I was relieved he looks nothing like Gibson.. it has brought out old chirpy Keith back and I’m so happy for that x
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There is nothing like seeing the sparkle coming back to a bereaved piggy and them coming back to full life again!
Keith will be so happy and proud of being the big wig in his new relationship and to have a bestie who wants to be with him again.

Like you, I find it easier to have a very different newbie as every bond is unique and every piggy takes you on their own unique journey. It is a new chapter and not a replacement of Gibson, so Kingsley won't bring up painful memories but won't also be burdened by your memories and any resulting expectations. He will give you the space you need for mourning Gibson but will provide a counterbalance to your sadness.

I do like to adopt a similar looking piggy some time later (if they come my way) to help me bring back some small breed related memories and I like to have certain 'types' in my life but I always make sure that they are not true lookalikes. Quite a few of my piggies have arrived here sight unseen, and I have never rued it!

Enjoy watching Keith and Kingsley settling together.

PS:
This was Wuschel 'Tousles', aged around 6 years (he lived to nearly 10 years of age)
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Tesni 'Sun-warmed' (in the second picture with her new 5 months old 'toy-boar' Gethin when she was 5 years old - they were so in love for the next two years of her life...
1649711389200.webp 1649711440934.webp
 
They're both absolutely gorgeous. 😍😍Wishing them and you many years of happiness together.
 
Oh @Wiebke i am in love with Wuschel! He’s like a Gibson-Keith hybrid! And what an incredible age to get to! Tesni and Gethin are delicious, too!

I do love a long haired ginger..! Kingsley is more Higgins-shaped, though far less skittish than he ever was ❤️

Morning one and they seem to be pretty close and happy with each other’s company. I’m trying not to interrupt too often but it’s hard not to go and tell them how lovely they are!

Here’s a shot from dinner last night.. taken from the doorway to the office/room so as no to disturb them!E5669AA6-D870-462F-BF65-3A0495739A12.webpE79DFF2F-B9E6-4B50-9D36-1FB64E309EA9.webp
 
Two_Wheeks said:
Oh @Wiebke i am in love with Wuschel! He’s like a Gibson-Keith hybrid! And what an incredible age to get to! Tesni and Gethin are delicious, too!

I do love a long haired ginger..! Kingsley is more Higgins-shaped, though far less skittish than he ever was ❤️

Morning one and they seem to be pretty close and happy with each other’s company. I’m trying not to interrupt too often but it’s hard not to go and tell them how lovely they are!

Here’s a shot from dinner last night.. taken from the doorway to the office/room so as no to disturb them!View attachment 200268View attachment 200269
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Sounds like a really good match if they are just mainly happy to have company again and there is not much in the way of dominance! :wub:

Wuschel was a lovely and loving boy; he got me into my life-long fascination with and addiction to guinea pigs. :)


I would however recommend that you review how much pellets you are feeding. We recommend just 1 tablespoon per piggy per day to encourage your piggies to eat as much hay as possible. It cannot only help prevent bladder stones in piggies with a disposition for them but actually prolong the life span and take a healthy piggy from the lower end of the average life span to the upper and sometimes even beyond. Feeding less pellets also gives you a bit more leeway in what greens and herbs you can feed more often.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
You can also add some more fun by turning feeding time into enrichment time with having your boys work for their dinner with it coming wrapped up in brown paper or by sprinkle feeding. Nothing to lift your mood like watching piggy antics!
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

I have noticed that many of my piggies do live 1-2 years longer since I have made some crucial changes to pellets, filtered water and veg about 10 years ago; even adoptees with a really bad background. Quite a few have lived to around 6-8 years and very occasionally even beyond since then.
Tesni was actually the shortest lived of her little family at 7 years and Gethin sadly passed last October around his presumed 6th birthday. Tesni's sister Ffwlbri ('Moonshine') lived to 8 1/2 years and Tesni's surprise daughter Tegan ('Little Beauty', the baby in my avatar picture on the left) to just shy of 8 years; Tegan and Ffwlbri passed away within 2 weeks of each other in summer 2019. Nerys 'Lady', the teddy in my avatar is another one of mine who could celebrate her 8th birthday.
 
Haha oops caught red-handed there! I don't usually give pellets at all, save for special occasions, as Keith yams them down so quickly! They were in there more as a peace-treat than anything, taken out after dinner as neither paid any mind to them! They ran straight for the hay (it's in a 2x1 section at the end of the C&C, filled to the top so perfect for playing!)!

Quite often the lettuce is in a loo-roll, and everything else ends up all over the place - the bowl is more ease of carrying. Certainly though I'll give sprinkle feeding a go, especially as I have two food thieves! Good idea!

Your piggies are all so very beautiful, and lucky! I'd like to get a long life from these two, I'm sad Gibson didn't quite make his 6th Birthday, but Keith and Kingsley will have a party for him anyway when the time comes..
 
Two_Wheeks said:
Haha oops caught red-handed there! I don't usually give pellets at all, save for special occasions, as Keith yams them down so quickly! They were in there more as a peace-treat than anything, taken out after dinner as neither paid any mind to them! They ran straight for the hay (it's in a 2x1 section at the end of the C&C, filled to the top so perfect for playing!)!

Quite often the lettuce is in a loo-roll, and everything else ends up all over the place - the bowl is more ease of carrying. Certainly though I'll give sprinkle feeding a go, especially as I have two food thieves! Good idea!

Your piggies are all so very beautiful, and lucky! I'd like to get a long life from these two, I'm sad Gibson didn't quite make his 6th Birthday, but Keith and Kingsley will have a party for him anyway when the time comes..
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Gibson lived at least a decent average life span and he was much loved and well cared for. That is more than many piggies have. :tu:

Sadly, you can never choose any medical or genetic issues that can end a life early; I also have and have had those piggies - we can only ever tweak the odds in our piggies' favour as much as possible but it is never a guarantee. :(
 
Very true - we don't know what made Higgins decide his time was up, he'd just had enough, no warning, from a bit off-colour to gone in 12 hours... it's heartbreaking keeping the little beans but my word so rewarding being able to look after them, especially when they really do look so happy to see you after the initial settling in!

I'd love a piggie rescue, but I fear I would find myself with a house full of piggies and no partner!

this forum is a real gold mine when looking after the pigs, and the guides are wonderful!
 
Just enjoy Keith's renewed happiness and get to know Kingsley and his quirks...

A sudden death is always very upsetting (Gethin went that way, too) but I try to console myself that they didn't suffer much and could leave when their time had come. I'd rather suffer the extra pain of the shock in exchange of them having a gentle end to their life.
 
Two_Wheeks said:
@Wiebke it really is so comforting to see Keith so content. I think he misses Gibson still but he is happy in Kingsley’s company, and vice versa. Two bereaved piggies comforting each other ❤️‍🩹
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Guinea pigs don't feel less deeply than we humans; their social needs are just stronger and more immediate.
Keith was very much at one end of the 'immediate' scale but that has nothing to do with how he feels about Gibson as his friend.
No new bond ever replaces an old one; it just takes your life into a new and equally valid direction. That goes for both species... Kingsley will never replace Gibson - he will just create his own bond. You start with loving him for making Keith happy again but without you noticing much you will come to love him for his own sake and without ever taking anything away from Gibson and what you shared with him. A second love is very often not an instant one but a sneaker-upper.

But to see a bereaved piggy happy again and to be able to share that happiness with them is something special and profound; especially knowing that you have been the one to make this special gift. 🥰
 
Well there's something to make your heart sing! Wishing your lovely boys many adventures together 🧡
 
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