Was told to not get a companion?

GuineaDan

GuineaDan

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi there, as I've posted previously here, we unfortunately lost Mario very suddenly on Monday. Whilst I wasn't planning on getting a new piggie just yet, we were at the pet store so I asked about them. I was basically told by the store worker that in her experience, boar bonding never works out unless they were together from the start. Which just seems... False? They basically told me to just give him extra attention and enrichment rather than getting him a new companion. This didn't sit right with me whatsoever. Luigi is a male coming up 4 years and is not neutered. I don't really want to risk him going into surgery after losing Mario so suddenly, so I'd prefer to get another male. The idea of him spending the rest of his life alone is just heartbreaking. Especially as he is not a particularly confident piggie. I feel like since we lost Mario he's been hiding more, and he would only move outside of his cage when following Mario around (he wouldn't walk around by himself). I don't think he's lost a significant amount of weight (only 20g) but it's hard to judge when it's been only 2 days. I feel like he needs a reasonably confident companion to kind of "scope out danger" like Mario did for him. Perhaps a calm and confident boar outside of his teen years lol.
It doesn't seem as if I live near any piggie rescue centres, so my best hope would probably be a pet shop piggie, although I'm very close to an RSPCA centre, so I'll keep an eye out there too. I just can't be convinced that leaving Luigi alone for the rest of his life is the correct choice, no matter how much attention I give him.
 
You are right. That would be a very lonely life for him. I’ve had to bond boys twice now and both times it’s worked out great. I’ve always gotten a very young baby to bond with the older piggy.

My last piggy that passed away was the more confident one of the pair. The remaining piggy, Pepper, would follow Percy around and also make Percy come out to get the food first. But Pepper coped very well with then becoming the older piggy of the pair. Good luck I hope you can find a friend soon.
 
:agr:

What you have been told is completely untrue - (and to add, even boars who are biological brothers can fall out so being together from the start means nothing if they aren’t character compatible) .

Boars can be bonded and rebonded at any time - character compatibility is the vital factor.
If you can’t date beforehand and have to get a pet shop piggy, its important you sex the piggy yourself and have a back up plan in case it doesn’t work out.
Bonding him with a younger piggy is a wise move as the baby usually won’t challenge for dominance (its not a guarantee though). More boar bonds make it together than not though.

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
 
I’m so sorry you lost Mario. My Bertie, 4 and not neutered, lost his lifelong buddy Jellybaby in December. He just seemed lost without a friend. I was lucky enough to find another bereaved boar of the same age at a rescue and fortunately they bonded. Being a little older I think they just decided that it was all too much effort to argue and eating hay was more fun 😂 I hope you are able to find a companion for Luigi soon 🤞.
 
If you have a good vet who is confident at neutering guinea pigs, i would consider this option. Myself and i am sure others on the forum, have had boars neutered at 4 years of age without any issues (although any surgery has its risks). Is East Anglian Guinea Pig Rehoming too far away for you to consider?
 
Thank you for your replies - I was almost certain the pet shop employee was wrong, but I just wanted to check here. Very frustrating as that's the nearest option for another piggie!
As for neutering, I'm not 100% sure if my vet is experienced with it - I know he's piggie savvy (Mario's bladder stone surgery was very complicated!), so I assume so. I'm mainly reluctant because Luigi is the type to "give up" more easily so to speak. Compared to how Mario was, he stops eating at the slightest discomfort lol. So my worry is the surgery itself and not coming around after the recovery period. I just worry about him since I know he's not as much of a fighter as his brother was.
I looked it up and they seem to be about an hour away by driving. I don't drive myself so I would have to convince my parents to take me lol. However, it does seem plausible to be able to go there! I'll ask my parents what they think, and then e-mail them if they agree. Until then, time to spend a lot of time with Luigi - even if he's not too thrilled about it lol
 
I am so sorry you lost Mario :hug:
Unfortunately a lot of pet shop employees don’t get the correct training from their employers. I had to correct one at P@H a few months back saying totally incorrect information to newbie owners.
I think you are completely right not wanting your bereaved boy to spend the rest of his days alone. Boar dating would be the best option and I would say if you can travel then it’s really worth the effort.
I too have had a bereaved boar of 5 years old neutered, it went really well but the vet I used is one of the best in the country and very experienced. I hope you can find a little friend for Luigi 🤞
 
I have a neutered boar who was ‘rescued’ from a pet shop.
He was in the adoption centre with a label saying he had to live alone because he couldn’t get on with other guinea pigs!

It turned out he’d been badly bullied so after the vet had sorted him out they stuck him in a pen with another group of boars and, of course, he was bullied again.
He is now an ecstatically happy husboar with 3 wives.

Your instinct about the advice from the pet shop being wrong was spit on.
Hope you can find a lovely companion for Luigi
 
Thank you for your advice and stories! They had a little male piggie up for adoption but told me he was too aggressive to live with others... I suspect that probably wasn't the case! Wish there was more piggie knowledge in pet shops.

Luigi seems to be doing okay for now, his weight has been stable and whilst he's less confident, his behaviour hasn't changed drastically. So we have a bit of time yet to think and plan. I do freelance work at home currently so I'll be sticking in my room to give him company until he can get a new friend.

Last night also confirmed he shouldn't live out the rest of his days alone. I have a small piggie plush, and wrapped it around a towel Mario often used, and after a few hours, put it in his cage with him. It didn't take too long for Luigi to begin sniffing/licking and pawing it! It really seemed to make it clear that he misses his brother, as do I. Absolutely broke my heart to watch.

Here's a pic of him during cuddle and peaflake time.
 

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GuineaDan said:
Hi there, as I've posted previously here, we unfortunately lost Mario very suddenly on Monday. Whilst I wasn't planning on getting a new piggie just yet, we were at the pet store so I asked about them. I was basically told by the store worker that in her experience, boar bonding never works out unless they were together from the start. Which just seems... False? They basically told me to just give him extra attention and enrichment rather than getting him a new companion. This didn't sit right with me whatsoever. Luigi is a male coming up 4 years and is not neutered. I don't really want to risk him going into surgery after losing Mario so suddenly, so I'd prefer to get another male. The idea of him spending the rest of his life alone is just heartbreaking. Especially as he is not a particularly confident piggie. I feel like since we lost Mario he's been hiding more, and he would only move outside of his cage when following Mario around (he wouldn't walk around by himself). I don't think he's lost a significant amount of weight (only 20g) but it's hard to judge when it's been only 2 days. I feel like he needs a reasonably confident companion to kind of "scope out danger" like Mario did for him. Perhaps a calm and confident boar outside of his teen years lol.
It doesn't seem as if I live near any piggie rescue centres, so my best hope would probably be a pet shop piggie, although I'm very close to an RSPCA centre, so I'll keep an eye out there too. I just can't be convinced that leaving Luigi alone for the rest of his life is the correct choice, no matter how much attention I give him.
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Yeah... it's false. Pet shops can give out some terrible advice sometimes. I also had a pet store employee tell me that you couldn't bond an older guinea pig and a baby guinea pig and I had to tell them that you absolutely can, I've done it multiple times before, and if they wanted I could pull up videos on my phone of various bonding sessions.

I hope you can find him a friend that he adores, and I'm so sorry for your loss. He's a beautiful boy- those markings are beautiful!
 
I'm sorry to hear you've also had to deal with poor advice from the pet shop. It almost makes me want to work there just so people can be given correct advice regarding piggies lol.
Thank you for your kind words! He is a very beautiful boy, I adore the random cream patches some piggies have - one of my childhood piggies was grey agouti with white and had a random cream patch like Luigi does!

I have actually contacted East Anglian Guinea Pig Rehoming, I'm just waiting to hear back currently. Fingers crossed!
 
I've been waiting for a response from the rescue - unfortunately, it doesn't look like they have any single boys, only bonded pairs already. Very unfortunate, but that means I'll likely look to a nearby pet shop instead, since I can't reasonably expect my parents to travel super far for a rescue piggie.

I do have a question, though - can the quarantine period for a new piggie be cut short by a few days? Like say, 10 days opposed to 14 days?
I only ask because we're going somewhere on the 15th (just for one night) and taking the piggie(s) with us, if we get a new companion within the next couple of days I'd like to have a couple of days to ensure that they bond/buy separate carriers if they don't.
 
GuineaDan said:
I've been waiting for a response from the rescue - unfortunately, it doesn't look like they have any single boys, only bonded pairs already. Very unfortunate, but that means I'll likely look to a nearby pet shop instead, since I can't reasonably expect my parents to travel super far for a rescue piggie.

I do have a question, though - can the quarantine period for a new piggie be cut short by a few days? Like say, 10 days opposed to 14 days?
I only ask because we're going somewhere on the 15th (just for one night) and taking the piggie(s) with us, if we get a new companion within the next couple of days I'd like to have a couple of days to ensure that they bond/buy separate carriers if they don't.
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If you are getting a pet shop piggy, he is likely to be a youngster and under four months of age. In that case you should not quarantine at all. Babies under four months are desperate for companionship and need for guidance from an older piggy at all times. Therefore, you need to bond them straight away.
You just have to take the chance that new piggy is not harbouring anything and if he is then you would need to treat them both.

If by any chance a pet shop piggy is over four months of age (unlikely), then you can cut the quarantine short if you need to do so. Again though, should anything come out at the end of the quarantine period and therefore be transferred, you’d need to treat them both.

My thought would also be the effect on moving a very newly bonded pair twice in a short period of time - the night when you’re away and then back home the next night. It takes two weeks after bonding day for them to fully form their bond (so if you brought home a new piggy tomorrow, then their would only just be at the end of the bonding period when you go away). They also need to to reestablish their relationship in each new environment.
I just wonder whether it’s quite a lot for very newly bonded piggies and whether it might be worth thinking about waiting until you’ve done your night away before bringing home a new piggy. It might not end up being an issue for them, but it’s a thought I had!
 
That makes sense! I was thinking of pet shop piggies being older than 4 months but you're right that they're likely to be younger haha. I'll keep a close eye on both whenever I get them.
That's a good point as well. It's tough because I don't want him to be alone for another two weeks without piggie interaction - that said, he's maintaining his weight fine and he's healthy. I just don't want him to feel lonelier longer than he has to. Decisions!
However, there is the issue that the temporary cage we're using would be way too small for two piggies - it's too small for one piggie to be honest, but since i't just for one night I think he'll be alright. The only solution to that would be to bring the temporary cage plus the playpen... Might end up being too much! Maybe it'd be better to wait.
 
GuineaDan said:
That makes sense! I was thinking of pet shop piggies being older than 4 months but you're right that they're likely to be younger haha. I'll keep a close eye on both whenever I get them.
That's a good point as well. It's tough because I don't want him to be alone for another two weeks without piggie interaction - that said, he's maintaining his weight fine and he's healthy. I just don't want him to feel lonelier longer than he has to. Decisions!
However, there is the issue that the temporary cage we're using would be way too small for two piggies - it's too small for one piggie to be honest, but since i't just for one night I think he'll be alright. The only solution to that would be to bring the temporary cage plus the playpen... Might end up being too much! Maybe it'd be better to wait.
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If he does start to struggle being alone then they obviously changes things but hanging on is a possibility then that is what I would personally do.

If the temporary cage is not big enough for two, particularly with a new bond, then I personally would not risk it.
 
Good luck GuineaDan - you’ve had great advice …..we look forward to hearing about Luigi’s new friend in the future
 
After 2 months of losing Mario, we're finally getting Luigi another companion today!
Part of me is worried they won't get along, or that Luigi will be happier without one (his confidence seemed to boost these past 2 months). At the same time though, I know I can't replace piggie companionship or interact with him 24/7, so a new piggie really is the best option. Unfortunately the only reasonably nearby rescue still has no single males, so we'll be going to a pet shop. We're planning on getting the new piggie neutered at some point as well, so he'll be easier to find companions for should anything happen to Luigi.
 
Don't feel bad about getting a pet shop piggy sometimes it's your only option. The happiness of Luigi is your main priority and that must come first. As @Swissgreys has said we will need lots of pigtures.
 
I thought it was a pet shop but it turned out to be a farm breeder lol. He told me which one was most docile.
Say hi to Yoshi (curly fur/left). He's petrified currently, poor thing, but Luigi washed his face in front of him and gave him kisses so I'm very hopeful. Luigi was always the anxious one so it's very sweet to see.
 

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Welcome Yoshi …..beautiful piggies and I hope they’ll become firm friends 🥰
 
Aw they make such a lovely pair, wishing them many many years of companionship and fun 😊
 
Hello Yoshi. I hope you and Luigi become firm friends.
 
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