Sleepy guinea pig?

[Myma]

Hi,

I just wanted to come on here and ask if it’s normal for your piggy to fall asleep on you? My guinea pig always lies down on me cleans himself and then yawns and goes to sleep, is this normal? Does it mean he trusts me?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Your piggy sounds as if he is very comfortable with you!
Does he have another piggy friend to live with?

 

[Merab]

Yes - that’s a sign of trust

 

[Myma]

Your piggy sounds as if he is very comfortable with you!
Does he have another piggy friend to live with?

It’s really strange- I had two, one sadly passed very soon after getting him, but all the while Gary- the other one was live Barry- who is the one in the picture NEVER and I mean never came out to see me and would always fight Gary, when Gary passed I was going to head out within the next few days to get a pal for him as I’ve read they are very social, but then obviously the UK was put in lockdown and the pet store near me stopped selling pets- only essentials, and in the space of about a day or two, Barry became so friendly, sociable and began to trust me, I don’t know if getting another one would be a good idea for him as he constantly tried mounting the previous piggie. Maybe he would be different with a female one? What do you think? Here’s a picture of Gary who I lost early March

 

[Piggies&buns]

It’s really strange- I had two, one sadly passed very soon after getting him, but all the while Gary- the other one was live Barry- who is the one in the picture NEVER and I mean never came out to see me and would always fight Gary, when Gary passed I was going to head out within the next few days to get a pal for him as I’ve read they are very social, but then obviously the UK was put in lockdown and the pet store near me stopped selling pets- only essentials, and in the space of about a day or two, Barry became so friendly, sociable and began to trust me, I don’t know if getting another one would be a good idea for him as he constantly tried mounting the previous piggie. Maybe he would be different with a female one? What do you think? Here’s a picture of Gary who I lost early March

I am sorry for your loss.

Getting another would be a good idea. No amount of human interaction will ever replace the companionship of another guinea pig. Mounting is a perfectly normal guinea pig dominance behaviour, and he will do it with any other piggy. It’s not a bad sign of anything. He will mount a female just the same. It’s simply what they do!
Of course, if you were to look to get him a female friend, then he would have to be neutered first, have his six week wait to become infertile and then be bonded with a female. Any new piggy you were to get for him (Male or female) must be a suitable character compatible companion. Going out and getting him a friend from a pet shop may well result in failure as you will have no way of knowing if your boy will accept the newcomer and then you may end up with two single piggies on your hands. The best way to get him a new friend is to ask a rescue centre to help you find him a friend as they will ensure the characters match and the relationship will be a success. This will obviously need to wait until the lockdown situation changes though

 

[Merab]

So sorry you lost Gary - such a handsome boy.

Barry will need a companion but we are in a strange time at present.
Are you close enough to a rescue to see if there is a piggy you could give a home to?
When the lockdown does end the rescues will be able to do piggy dating again which ensures character compatibility.
We are a pro rescue forum so when at all possible encourage looking at a rescue first.

It is a possibility to have Barry neutered and then he can live with sows.

 

[Little Ones]

Me and my piggy, Little, have daily cuddles. He adores them, he shuts his eyes and is asleep within seconds of being placed on my lap.
If this is new behaviour from your boar which has appeared since the passing of his friend, it could be likely that he is just extremely lonely. This happens when a pig is kept single, they’re herd animals and very sociable - just like people! They need companionship of their own kind. This doesn’t mean your boy will stop being cuddly once he gets a friend, he may have found a liking for it now. It just means you know that if he is being cuddly, it’s not because of loneliness but rather because he wants to sit with you.
I’ve linked two threads below for you to read.
Companionship
Since pigs - challenges and responsibilities
My late Honey never liked cuddles at all. My other boy, Peanut, doesn’t mind a cuddle now and then, you have to judge it on how they’re reacting to it. Some days he quite likes to get all warm and snuggled down, other times I can just tell it’s not what he wants. Then, as I said, Little is just down for a cuddle whenever it is offered, he’s such a people-pig in that sense.

Also, dominance behaviour is completely normal. Guinea pigs live in a hierarchy and so it’s important for a leader to be established, and then this hierarchy will be reinforced every now and then which is seen through dominance behaviours. It may not look very pleasant to us, but it completely normal in the way of guinea pig language. If your boys were only young when they were together, they may have been going through their teenage phase which is when dominance behaviours are at their absolute peak. But still, nothing to worry about. Dominance only becomes a problem when blood is drawn, otherwise it’s important to leave them to it.

 

[Myma]

Thanks for all of the advice guys! Will definitely look into getting a rescue piggy! Xx