Worries for a Single (what to do?)

[KG3den]

Hello! I have five piggies, and I was hoping this would not become a problem...
Okay. So I have two bonded pairs (Inca & Caterpillar and Rosa & Poppy) and one single (Estella). She's been living alongside both pairs but has been showing signs of depression since Rosa and Poppy were adopted. Estella is very cuddly and wants to spend time both with humans and the other piggies. She likes nesting with them and always wants to share a house with one or more of them. Inca and Caterpillar tolerate this, but Caterpillar will bully her over food (not to the point of Estella being unable to eat, but to the point where I'm worried she won't get enough). Rosa and Poppy want nothing to do with Estella, and keep her out of their space. I have provided Estella with her own house and a guinea pig-sized stuffed animal to cuddle with, but this does not seem to have helped much, and she still tries to spend most of her time in the same house as one of the pairs (often getting kicked out in brief squeaking matches). I have tried splitting up the space to allow her to live alongside the others, but with her own space; however, she wheeks frantically and will use her house, the hay holder, or toys to climb over the barrier and get back in with the others. I can move her to a different area of the house (for example, she could come and stay in my room as a single), but I worry about her escaping and trying to find the others. My other option would be--from what I understand--to get another piggy to bond with her, but I don't have any easy way to do so. There is no rescue in my state or any nearby ones, and I hate the idea of getting a baby from a pet store (I am nothing against babies, but I avoid pet stores at all costs). Has anyone delt with something similar or have ideas for how to handle this?
Picture of Estella for tax.

 

[Piggies&buns]

So you have tried properly bonding her with one of the pairs ie you have put her and one of the pairs on neutral territory for several hours to try to bond her with them
Rosa and Poppy with Estella is a failure - is that right?
Caterpillar and Inca with Estella - may be a failure

I think it would be helpful to us if you could confirm that you have tried these bondings properly in neutral territory. That you haven’t just put Estella in one of the pairs cages.

When you tried bonding in neutral territory was it an immediate failure?
When you moved them to the cage following several hours in neutral territory, did you ensure there were enough resources?
Did you ensure the cages are big enough. That is 180x60cm or a 5x2 c&c cage.

How long has she been living alongside them as a single?

You have only two options if the bondings with both pairs have definitely failed:

1. Keep her single but alongside
2. Get her a new friend of her own.

What you cannot do is move her to another room. A single piggy needs to be alongside others. If she goes to your room then she will get very lonely without any piggy companionship.
If she is truly struggling being alone, then I can appreciate why you don’t want to get a pet shop baby but it would be best for Estella if you look into it.