Separate living?

[ricear]

Hi everyone.

My piggy, Arthur, has to be separated permanently from his brothers. Quite a long story, but he also has an abscess on his cheek and isn’t eating. We are syringe feeding him until he’s able to eat. That said, I’m a bit lost on the separation. Has anyone else gone through this? Does he need to be by himself or should we consider getting him fixed and getting a female friend, too?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m sorry to hear this.

A single piggy can be kept in a separate cage but it must be side by side with the other piggies for interaction and so he doesn’t become lonely, but, living in the same cage with another piggy is always preferable.

However, if I’m reading correctly, your other piggies are a bonded pair of boars? If so, then it would not be wise to allow Arthur to live with a sow if they are to live in the same room as the bonded boar pair. Adding a sow into the room with bonded boars (even if the bonded pair cannot get to her) is something which should be avoided if at all possible. If the bonded pair smell a sow, then it can cause them to fight and break their bond.
If Arthur (once neutered and six weeks post op safe) and a lady friend can live in a totally separate room to the boar pair, then finding him a lady would certainly be something to explore.

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

 

[ricear]

I’m sorry to hear this.

A single piggy can be kept in a separate cage but it must be side by side with the other piggies for interaction and so he doesn’t become lonely, but, living in the same cage with another piggy is always preferable.

However, if I’m reading correctly, your other piggies are a bonded pair of boars? If so, then it would not be wise to allow Arthur to live with a sow if they are to live in the same room as the bonded boar pair. Adding a sow into the room with bonded boars (even if the bonded pair cannot get to her) is something which should be avoided if at all possible. If the bonded pair smell a sow, then it can cause them to fight and break their bond.
If Arthur (once neutered and six weeks post op safe) and a lady friend can live in a totally separate room to the boar pair, then finding him a lady would certainly be something to explore.

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars

Yes, the other two are bonded boars. Right now, we will keep him close to us, in our room, because he needs his wound cleaned and abx medicine. We have a two story cage, so our plan is to possibly convert the upper level to a cage just for Arthur? Would that work?

 

[Siikibam]

He needs to live next to the pair for interaction, rather than upstairs and separately. I would try and see if you can put him next to them now they’re separated.

If you do find him a sow to live with then you will do best to house them in a separate room. If you really can’t do that then they would need to live on opposite sides or underneath the bonded boar pair.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yes, the other two are bonded boars. Right now, we will keep him close to us, in our room, because he needs his wound cleaned and abx medicine. We have a two story cage, so our plan is to possibly convert the upper level to a cage just for Arthur? Would that work?

If he remains single, then no, it wouldn’t work. A single piggy must be kept alongside others, not above. If kept above he will lose the ability to interact with the others and would likely become lonely.

If he has a companion, then they can live in a stacked cage. There is a big proviso there though - if his companion is a sow, and you must stack cages (ie Arthur and his lady are not able to live in a separate room which would be the best thing), then Arthur and the sow must be at the bottom of stacked cage to prevent sow pheromones from falling downwards onto a bonded boar pair (and potentially breaking their bond)