New Girl?

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Theodora

My two girls are both developing cateracts.Someone told me that, when one of them eventually departs this life,the other one won't cope,and will give up on life,before i could get her another companion ,and that i should get another female now,so the survivor will not be alone.
I wonder what other people think of this advice,as Katie in particular tries to assert dominance from time to time,and they are both strong characters.Won't they gang up on any new arrival?They are nearly four and a half,and very close.
 
I don't think that it is necessary to bond now. Three girls is usually not a good constellation if they haven't been together from the beginning - most time you'll end up with an outsider. Especially elderly sows are not that fond of a little girl in their group and can be pretty tough on a little one. It all changes when there is only one girl left.

A few guinea pigs pine so much that they give up on life, but the vast majority will come out of deep mourning after a few days and will be very happy again with a new companion!

If you would like to introduce a third party, I would rather recommend looking for a neutered boar - he will not upset the hierarchy and an age difference is no problem (I let my 3 1/2 year old lady choose her year old boyfriend and they were very happy together).

You may need to make sure that both girls will accept the boar; it might be a good idea if you could find a rescue within reasonable distance where you could "road test" or slowly introduce the boar by having him living side by side with your girls.

Here is a list of rescues: http://www.guineapigrehome.org.uk
 
I agree with wiebke, it proberbly isn't necesary to get another piggy yet. My two eldest sows are about 3 3/4 year old and I have just got another sow. It has taken her a little while to settle in but she now stays with the other all the time and only ocasionaly has a disagreement (usually over veggies!)

When one of your piggies does pass away it may be better to go for a slighly older companion to go with her, a piggy that is nearer 6 month old may be better as it will be more mature and will be quiter and less anoying for the elder guinea pig. I'd wait one to two weeks after one of the piggys has passed away till you get a new piggy to make sure the other guinea is OK and not depressed still.
 
My dusty lost her friend aged 3 and lived til 7 quite happily alone although we were going to get her a new friend.

so it totally depends on whether you want to get a new friend for her or not =]

I'm sure she'd appriciate a new friend though when the time comes...

Dusty was a bit too grumpy for a new friend haha
 
I was worried how a blind guinea pig would cope with losing a lifelong companion,but ,in view of all your kind and useful advice,I think i will wait until i lose one of my girls before going for another one.I am pretty sure the two of them would make life very uncomfortable for another young pig.
Hopefully they have a long period of life together still to come.
 
With sows, you do not necessarily have to go for a young companion unlike with boars - it is more important that they like each other!

I successfully introduced two three year old sows after one of my couple died. It had all the ease of two widowed sisters moving back in with each other and the whole bonding went with a minimum of fuss, as both were used to having a female companion.
 
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