I'm new to guinea pigs, and I'm afraid I didn't do enough research on them before I took the plunge. My daughter fell in love with a male guinea pig and we took him home. The pet store didn't know how old he was but guesstimated that he might already be a year old when we got him. He is rather large. I don't want for him to be lonely or bored. At my daughter's urging, I got a second male guinea pig (who was from his litter I believe) and put them together. Anyway, they did NOT get along, and I was afraid they would do some serious harm to one another so I took gp #2 back to the store. So we are back to being a one-guinea pig family. But I still worry that the little guy will be lonely. Having done more research, I see I should have introduce them properly & slowly on neutral ground (etc) and perhaps gotten a younger male gp companion. Trouble is, I just don't know if I have the SPACE needed to house two big male pigs. Can ONE be happy? I worry so.
2007-02-28 07:03:21 · 11 answers · asked by Zippy 7 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
First allow me to debunk some of the persistant myths presented as truth by several of the above responders:
A. A male/female pair is NOT a good idea! Soon you'll have more guinea pigs than you can handle, not to mention the risks of breeding to the female. And neutering the male is an expense you'd probably rather live without!
B. "Wheels" and "balls" can seriously hurt your piggie. They aren't built like flexible little hamsters, and their spines just won't sustain the stress placed on them in such exercise tools.
C. Males will not "fight to the death." Usually, you can take two young males from different litters and after a couple weeks of chasing/humping/getting used to each other/establishing who's dominant, they will become fast friends. Every ONCE in awhile you'll stumble upon an extremely agressive male who won't get along with anyone, but that is rare. It seems you've already discovered that were they introduced differently, your new guy probably would have done okay. But that's alright! Because...
To answer your actual question, yes! As a couple others have mentioned, a guinea pig can be okay by himself - you just have to devote a little more time to him than usual and become his stand-in "buddy." Also think about giving him a large free-roaming play area (blocked off room, for example) where he can feel adventurous and do some exploring to relieve a little of the boredom of solitary life. I think http://www.guineapigcages.com has already been mentioned, but let me re-emphasize it as an EXCELLENT resource for guinea pig info.
Below is a link to my guinea pig's site (yes...they have their own website...) which tells their story, but might give you ideas as to personality, habitat, and care along the way. The "gallery page" link at the top will take you to a page of pictures which might provide ideas for toys and, further towards the bottom, pictures of their final cage layout and an idea of how big an oversized cage for three can be and how much of my apartment it takes up! =) Good luck with your little guy, and as for belated researching, better late than never! =)
http://www.secondstarillustrations.com/threepigs.htm
2007-02-28 15:27:39 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Guinea pigs are social (herd) animals and are happier kept in groups, or even a same sex pair. However, males can have issues and fight. Trying a baby male is your best bet for peace.
It's true that piggies require large cages (not the ones they will try and sell you in the pet stores!) but you can make one yourself for very reasonable cost.
Check out this site:
www.guineapigcages.com/index.htm
You are right, though...not every home has the space for something that big.
I have had single guinea pigs after a companion died, and if there is a LOT of attention from the humans, they do get along alright. Perhaps not living as they would chose, but the other side of the coin is that many people get guinea pigs as impulse-buy pets for their children and then when the thrill is gone they end up in a shelter or being neglected, so this little guy is certainly better off on his own in a loving, caring home than in a shelter somewhere.
Good for you for being concerned!! I'd say that, while not ideal, if you put him in a very central location where he'll get lots of attention and see the family a lot, he'll be alright. If you can manage to get him a young friend, and have room for the cage, I'm sure he'd positively thrive. In the end, you have to do what works for your household and will allow you to take the best care of your pet at the same time.
Hope this helped!
2007-02-28 07:17:18 · answer #2 · answered by ratgrrl 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The guinea pig might get lonely. Believe me, I have 4 guinea pigs. It is best to get to females at first because they get along. The boys you got are probably not from the same litter if they fight. It costs quite a bit, but it would be a good idea to to get a female to put with him and fix either 1. That is what I had to do with my guinea pigs and they are the best of friends now.
2007-02-28 07:56:50 · answer #3 · answered by Jenna F 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i worked at a pet store and probably have more pets than necessary but he will be happy as long as you give him attention and he gets exercise just get him a wheel or a ball that he can run around in if you are not comfortable with him just running around on the floor (watch wires and outlets) but i had a dwarf rabbit and a guinea pig that lived together happily (the rabbit was a male and the guinea pig was a female) but if you are worried about space he'll be fine as long as you pay attention to him
2007-02-28 07:10:37 · answer #4 · answered by allattitude247 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
solitary guinea pig happy
2016-02-01 02:56:01 · answer #5 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes! I had a male guinea pig for a number of years (they can live up to 6 or more years in captivity) that was very happy with me. It is best for these gregarious creatures to be in small groups (e.g. one neutered boar, one/two/three sows) to fulfill their social needs, but you yourself can substitute in a pinch. The key is to give him LOTS of personal attention every day, petting him and snuggling with him; I used to occasionally carry mine around in a hand towel, and settle down with a good book somewhere while he dozed in my lap--get him used to your smell and he will associate it with security. Augment his chow with nutritious vegetables (not just the sweet stuff, carrots and apples, which will make him fat, but also dark leafy greens, bell pepper, etc), and occasionally take him outside for a little mental stimulation and grazing activity. Guinea pigs do not make their own vitamin C (like us) so fresh greens are a very good idea for optimal health. Captive animals should always be given high-quality produce, never "scraps" because captivity raises their stress level and thus decreases immune system activity. He should be protected from direct sun, kept in a protected area, and when outside allowed to graze on clean (no chemicals) grass and weeds. Also, keep his cage clean and use hypoallergenic litter (no pine or cedar shavings). Lone social animals can suffer stress and depression, so the idea is to give him a high quality life to keep him healthy mentally and physically. Good luck!
2007-02-28 09:10:03 · answer #6 · answered by brigida 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had one guinea pig and he was just fine by himself. If you give him lots of love and care, I'm sure he won't notice the absence of others of his kind. Good luck with the guinea pig, I know they can be a handful.
2007-02-28 07:20:35 · answer #7 · answered by asdfjkl; 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
your gp should be fine being alone. If you don't plan on mating him I leave the house hold to 1gp. As long as your child plays with it everyday for 20min a day he should be happy and stay happy. Pets love affection just like we do keep that in mind. I know he will be okay with out gp2
2007-02-28 07:15:04 · answer #8 · answered by alwaysmoody7 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
a femal / male would been better. and yes they just like a husband and wife need there space. your male pig dont have a garage to run to to be alone. so what you can do is have to cages with a connector between them so when they need there alone time the can get it
2007-02-28 07:10:28 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes,if you devote a lot of time to it,and play with it alot
2007-02-28 13:58:28 · answer #10 · answered by bowiegirls_eye 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋