Will New Piggy Smell Upset Current Piggy?

[rufcjoe87]

Not sure if this is the right thread

I have one guinea pig - Henry who lives on his own as he doesn't get on with other piggies. I went into the pet shop today and found a girl piggy up for adoption. I want to adopt her and would obviously keep them in seperate cages and not get them out together etc

What I want to know is - will the smell of another piggy upset Henry - obviously I don't want to upset him too much and if just knowing she is there will be upsetting I will avoid

If however this would be ok then I'd love to adopt her

Curious from advice and input from anyone

Thank you!

 

[DM030819]

It can do. I've had a few pigs that go wild when there has been visitors in their room, and it has broken a bond in the past. I would suggest keeping her in a different room, and ensure you wear a different top when handling them.

You could have your boy neutered and after 6 weeks bond them into a pair. Some boys that don't like other boys get on really well with girls.

 

[Wiebke]

Not sure if this is the right thread

I have one guinea pig - Henry who lives on his own as he doesn't get on with other piggies. I went into the pet shop today and found a girl piggy up for adoption. I want to adopt her and would obviously keep them in seperate cages and not get them out together etc

What I want to know is - will the smell of another piggy upset Henry - obviously I don't want to upset him too much and if just knowing she is there will be upsetting I will avoid

If however this would be ok then I'd love to adopt her

Curious from advice and input from anyone

Thank you!

A single boar is fine to keep next to sows, as long as he cannot get at them. It is bonded boars where sow pheromones can upset the relationship. He is bound to react to a new neighbour of whatever gender and is likely going to be busy gnawing bars, but that should settle eventually. It will give him interaction and stimulation. We recommend next door stimulation for guinea pigs that are not happy to share their territory.

In a very few cases, a guinea pig may not identify itself as such, especially when they have been kept on their own from a very early age without the chance to learn to socialise with their own kind.

I would however recommend to conduct a quarantine first: Importance Of Quarantine