What next for Ruffle?

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lizzie_71

lizzie_71

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Sorry I haven't been around for ages, but I am looking for a bit of advice about my 1 year old boar, Ruffle.

The story so far - in November 2006, I acquired two boars, Jack and Charlie, who were brothers. Last summer, Charlie passed away from diabetes and I got a new baby guinea pig called Ruffle as a companion for Jack. Although Ruffle was a tiny baby then, he has always been the dominant one in the relationship and is quite a feisty character.

Now Jack has passed away, probably of old age (there was nothing obvious wrong with him, he was just found dead this morning) and Ruffle is on his own.

I intend to bring Ruffle indoors (they had been in an outside hutch for the summer) to keep an eye on him in case he has caught anything, or in case he gets lonely. But I don't know what to do about getting him a companion. The options as I see it are:

1. take him 'boar dating' to try and find a boar he can get on with - possible if I can find anyone in my area who does it.

2. get a baby boar and hope for the best - risky given his character, and also I will end up with the same problem in a few years when Ruffle passes on

3. get his bits done and get him a girlfriend - I'm reluctant to put him through an operation unnecessarily, plus I'm a bit short of cash right now.

4. leave him on his own for the time being and see how he gets on.

Any other suggestions/opinions? I am in Orpington, Kent if that helps.
 
Hi and i'm sorry to say hello at this time......... cause of the reason :(

firstly.....if i may......
RIP Charlie and Jack run free at the bridge 8...8...8...

Your idea of boar dating is great.......... so many on here can highly recommend it........ if you need to know of a rescue near you that can do this please ask ........

A rescue can advise if they have a suitable friend or if not.......then you can go the other options

In the meantime perhaps get him a lovely fluffy toy he can cuddle up to ......i'd remove or be careful what eyes and attachments (you know what they're like they love to nibble!)


i do remember you........ :) i think you might remember me with Duke!

take care............keep us updated

Glynis Velvet and Onyx (my babies this time......i'm actually a mummy !)
 
I am so sorry that you have now lost both original boys!

The best thing is to take Ruffles for some boar dating. There are rescues in Kent. There are also several rescues in Crawley working together. I know that Jenny from Crawley GPR will do boar dating. Not all rescues allow you to bring your piggy with you, so it is worth ringing round and starting with the rescue that has the biggest number of potential candidates. You may need a bit of patience; rescue people tend to be very busy, so it can take a day or two for them to come back to you.

I would consider neutering only if Ruffles can't find a suitable friend through dating. There is a not inconsiderable risk of post op complications. It is still worth considering with a good vet (again Jenny or a Kentish rescue could tell you which vet they use and what his success rate is). Most certainly a husboar is a very happy boar indeed and a mixed gender pairing (after the initial acceptance) is very stable.

Best of luck!

http://crawleyguineapigrescue.org/default.aspx
http://www.guineapigrehome.org.uk/gp/centres.asp#Kent
 
Thanks everyone. I haven't been home yet (I was at work when hubby found Jack had passed on) so my first priority tonight will be to comfort the children and check on Ruffle's health. My daughter who is 8 is likely to be quite upset.

I won't do anything too quickly just in case Ruffle has picked up any health issues. He will also need a bath and haircut before he can go 'dating' as he is long haired at the back and sometimes has odour issues :red

The picture in my avatar is Jack and Charlie taken a few years back. I hope they are enjoying being reunited in the great piggy run in the sky :(

When I get back I am going to get my daughter to help set up a cosy indoor home for Ruffle and give him some nice veggies to cheer him up. I think he might find himself being spoilt by her!
 
Oh dear, I think we are going to have trouble. My daughter and I decided to make a fuss of Ruffle last night, so I sat him on my lap and she stroked him. He growled at us and tried hard to bite. Sadly he has bitten before, but usually only when I cut his nails.

We put him in an indoor cage but he was clearly looking for Jack and squeaking a lot.

Not sure what we will do now, if he continues to bite my daughter he may have to be rehomed :(
 
lizzie_71 said:
Oh dear, I think we are going to have trouble. My daughter and I decided to make a fuss of Ruffle last night, so I sat him on my lap and she stroked him. He growled at us and tried hard to bite. Sadly he has bitten before, but usually only when I cut his nails.

We put him in an indoor cage but he was clearly looking for Jack and squeaking a lot.

Not sure what we will do now, if he continues to bite my daughter he may have to be rehomed :(
Click to expand...

Oh dear, I think you need to give him time, he's grieving. Try not to make any hasty decisions about re-homing this early on - he is going through huge emotional upheaval. Maybe you should restrict laptime to yourself for a bit and wear gloves if you're not feeling brave. Boardating is a good idea as you'll find his mood will improve if you find the perfect match. So sorry for your loss. x
 
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