Lonely Guinea Pig Advice

[SophieBennett]

Hi everyone!
So, I am a new piggy owner - I have taken on my mum's 4 year old entire boar, Ernie, whose friend (also a boar) passed away a couple of months ago. I have always been raised with guinea pigs but never had sole responsibility for one up until about 4 weeks ago! He lives outdoors in a double decker thermal insulated hutch and goes out on the grass in an open bottomed run in dry weather.
Now, I have a dilemma. I don't like Ernie being by himself. I would need to get another male as Ernie is an entire male, and I feel very uncomfortable getting him neutered because he's quite old now; plus his old buddy was a boar and they never had any issues with each other. He is a super laid back little man but definitely loves the outdoor life, he is never happy indoors!

I'm really struggling to find a single older boar to adopt. Do you think he'd be ok with a youngster? I definitely think he would need to be nearly full grown as I don't want a baby to be living outside during the winter, even though I have insulated the hutch and put snuggle safes in there when it's cold. Or, do I get two young boys that could bond with Ernie? My hutch dimensions are 2 storeys with each floor being 2 foot deep and 4 foot wide, so not sure if it's big enough for 2 more piggies, plus I don't know if Ernie could handle 2 new piggies? Help!

Thanks in advance!

P.S. if you know of any piggies up for adoption, I live in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, but go home to North Dorset during holidays where there is an identical hutch setup.

 

[DMS260820]

I dont think neutering changes a boars behaviour anyway, its just if your keeping a boar with a sow. Sorry i misread

 

[Wiebke]

Hi everyone!
So, I am a new piggy owner - I have taken on my mum's 4 year old entire boar, Ernie, whose friend (also a boar) passed away a couple of months ago. I have always been raised with guinea pigs but never had sole responsibility for one up until about 4 weeks ago! He lives outdoors in a double decker thermal insulated hutch and goes out on the grass in an open bottomed run in dry weather.
Now, I have a dilemma. I don't like Ernie being by himself. I would need to get another male as Ernie is an entire male, and I feel very uncomfortable getting him neutered because he's quite old now; plus his old buddy was a boar and they never had any issues with each other. He is a super laid back little man but definitely loves the outdoor life, he is never happy indoors!

I'm really struggling to find a single older boar to adopt. Do you think he'd be ok with a youngster? I definitely think he would need to be nearly full grown as I don't want a baby to be living outside during the winter, even though I have insulated the hutch and put snuggle safes in there when it's cold. Or, do I get two young boys that could bond with Ernie? My hutch dimensions are 2 storeys with each floor being 2 foot deep and 4 foot wide, so not sure if it's big enough for 2 more piggies, plus I don't know if Ernie could handle 2 new piggies? Help!

Thanks in advance!

P.S. if you know of any piggies up for adoption, I live in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, but go home to North Dorset during holidays where there is an identical hutch setup.

Hi and welcome

It is great that you want to give Ernie as happy a boar life as possible.

Have you tried to contact any of our recommended rescues that you can reach either from your home that are not too far from your family's? They all offer boar dating, i.e. allowing Ernie to meet boars at the rescue under expert supervision, so you come home with a new friend of whatever age only if acceptance has happened and you have the rescue to fall back on if the bond is running into trouble at some point.
Mutual liking and character compatibility are key to any successful piggy bond, even more so in boars. Age is actually secondary to that.

Always contact all rescues you can get to as your options very much depend on the guinea pigs in rescue. Be aware that there are always more piggies in rescue than advertised.
Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues

PS: With a good vet, neutering might be an option if you really struggle to find a boar companion. I know of a number of older boars that have been successfully neutered and have sows over 5 years old spayed for medical reasons - and that is a much more invasive operation; I am prepared to travel quite a distance for a good operating vet even and especially with my elderlies.

 

[SophieBennett]

Hi and welcome

Have your tried to contact any of our recommended rescues that you can reach either from your home that are not too far from your family's? They all offer boar dating, i.e. allowing Ernie to meet boars at the rescue under expert supervision, so you come home with a new friend of whatever age only if acceptance has happened and you have the rescue to fall back on if the bond is running into trouble at some point.
Mutual liking and character compatibility are key to any successful piggy bond, even more so in boars.

Always contact all rescues you can get to as your options very much depend on the guinea pigs in rescue. Be aware that there are always more piggies in rescue than advertised.
Recommended Guinea Pig Rescues

Thank you for the advice!
Unfortunately the only one that is not too far does not let their guinea pigs go to outdoor homes, they have to be kept either in a shed or inside the home which I am unable. I have a shed but the landlord has left too much stuff in there and I can't fit a hutch into it. I have a temporary home that he will come into at night if it's going to be extremely cold at any point, but it's too small to be a permanent one. The others are over an hours drive away which I will happily do if there's no other option closer to me, but want to explore the other options first. Do you think I should just drive up to the one an hour away and do the boar dating? Is it too risky trying to adopt one and see if they make friends?

 

[Jamesey]

I'm in exactly the same situation. We have a unnetered boar who currently live on his own but inside. Wheek and Squeek would be are nearest rescue but they no longer do guinea pig dating. So think I might try traveling a bit further? We have tried looking for a sprayed female and other males but we are also struggling to find a guinea pigs suitable.

 

[SophieBennett]

I'm in exactly the same situation. We have a unnetered boar who currently live on his own but inside. Wheek and Squeek would be are nearest rescue but they no longer do guinea pig dating. So think I might try traveling a bit further? We have tried looking for a sprayed female and other males but we are also struggling to find a guinea pigs suitable.

I've resorted to emailing Wood Green up in Heydon which is quite a long way away but I think he definitely needs to do boar dating to make sure we get a good match! I looked at Wheek and Squeak as they're my nearest in Dorset but had the same issue as you!

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you for the advice!
Unfortunately the only one that is not too far does not let their guinea pigs go to outdoor homes, they have to be kept either in a shed or inside the home which I am unable. I have a shed but the landlord has left too much stuff in there and I can't fit a hutch into it. I have a temporary home that he will come into at night if it's going to be extremely cold at any point, but it's too small to be a permanent one. The others are over an hours drive away which I will happily do if there's no other option closer to me, but want to explore the other options first. Do you think I should just drive up to the one an hour away and do the boar dating? Is it too risky trying to adopt one and see if they make friends?

I have travelled up to two hours on two trains for piggy dating at a rescue with piggies of mine...
It is really worth the extra effort. Rescues within an hour's reach of me are counting as local.
Travelling with guinea pigs

If you are adopting on spec, the rescue has to either be happy to take a piggy back if a bonding is not coming off or you have to have a live alongside with 24/7 interaction through mesh or bars alternative option as a plan B at the ready.
When rescue dating a boar, it usually takes between 1-3 candidates to find 'Mr Right' - when you adopt without your piggy having a say you have to factor in that roughly 50% may not work out; that goes for boars of all ages, including babies.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Just one point in your post which I don’t think has been picked up on, you cannot keep more than two males together, and I see in your post that you mention getting two young males to bond with ernie, this would most likely cause trouble, so finding him one more boy to live

 

[Wiebke]

Just one point in your post which I don’t think has been picked up on, you cannot keep more than two males together, and I see in your post that you mention getting two young males to bond with ernie, this would most likely cause trouble, so finding him one more boy to live

Thank you for bringing that up - trios are very difficult to get right at the best of times more fail than succeed), but boar trios with two or three sub-adults are an outright recipe for disaster in our experience once your babies hit the teenage months. At the worst, you can end with three singles that won't go back with any of the others.

As far as boars are concerned - pairs work best.

 

[Jamesey]

Just wanted to know how you are getting on? Ive filled in multiple forms for boar dating but they are all far away - furthest 2.5 hours away and they seemed most keen to help. They are called Matchpig and based in Kent.

 

[DMS260820]

Just wanted to know how you are getting on? Ive filled in multiple forms for boar dating but they are all far away - furthest 2.5 hours away and they seemed most keen to help. They are called Matchpig and based in Kent.

Where are you in uk?

 

[Wiebke]

Just wanted to know how you are getting on? Ive filled in multiple forms for boar dating but they are all far away - furthest 2.5 hours away and they seemed most keen to help. They are called Matchpig and based in Kent.

That is April Lodge Guinea Pig Rescue in East Kent near Sandwich; they do residential bondings - it is like a boarding holiday from which your boys will come back fully bonded with a new friend. The bond is as solid as a sow bond if it is done this way.
East Peckham Guinea Pig Rescue is also offering residential bondings, but they often have quite a waiting list as they are close to London.