Why shouldn’t guinea pigs live alone?
If you have a lone piggie because one has died or you only ever had one, we would definitely recommend getting a friend. A piggie might appear to be doing OK on their own, but when they have a friend, you will notice they are happier, confident and more active. Piggies are social animals that do much better in groups; there is never a good reason to have a single piggie.
If your piggie’s friend has died, you will need to find them a new friend. If your piggie seems bright and is eating there’s no rush so wait until you feel ready. If your piggie is unusually quiet or not eating well, you need to act quickly. Contact us and we will find your piggie a new friend.
If you feel that you are stuck in the piggie cycle and you would like to stop, you have two options. As hard as it would be, you could hand your piggie into us and we will find them a new friend and home. The second option, especially if you have an older piggie, is to adopt a friend from us with the agreement that when the piggie is left alone, they come back to us. So while we don’t foster out piggies in this situation, we are happy for you to adopt knowing that they will come back to us in time.
Why do we neuter all our boys?
We neuter all boars for one main reason, it prevents any accidental pregnancies meaning that if pairs of boys fall out, or if one dies, in the future, they can be quickly and easily bonded with girls.
Are you adopting a neutered boar to live with a sow?
A neutered boar and a pair (or more!) is a great combination. There’s always something going on, and it changes the group dynamics. If you have girls that bicker, adding a boar can help settle them down. When you first add a boar, the girls are usually a bit grumpy but they’ll soon settle down; it’s a natural bond!
If you can keep your new boar separate from your sow(s), you can take him from us at four weeks post-neuter. The boar will need to be separated from your sow(s) for another two weeks. As it is a short time, the cage does not need to be the minimum size (100cm is acceptable and we often have these available to go with a boar).
Is it normal for girls to mount other girls?
It’s important to note that girls will also mount other girls, this doesn’t mean you accidentally have a boy and a girl! Girls will do it to prove dominance and put the other girl in her place, it’s normal behaviour.
