G-Piggy & friends..

PLEASE NOTE* before getting another Guinea Pig, you need to do the following: 1. Get an EXOTIC VET or Guinea Pig rescuer to sex your current critter. GP vets do not always sex them correctly and most definitely not any petshops staff (they are not qualified and often tell someone what they want to hear in order to make a sale). Please never allow any breeding! 2. Make sure if you have a female that she is not pregnant. They are fertile from very young and their gestation period is 59 to 72 days.

3. Make sure your piggy is healthy by having an exotic vet do a full check-up and make sure you have done your research on how to care for them properly before taking on another.

Here is some info on Guinea Pig pairing: The best gift you can give your guinea pig is the gift of company of its own kind. Guinea pigs are herd animals and live in large social groups in the wild. As prey animals they get much comfort from being part of a herd where members of the herd watch out for each other as well as providing social interaction. The vocal range of guinea pigs is legendary and is often the reason people choose them as pets. The noises they make are cute and entertaining but they serve a much larger purpose to the animals themselves. Without their almost constant chatter and interaction, lone pigs are very isolated and live in an unnatural state. Just because guinea pigs have been domesticated does not mean that they no longer require the social contact that has been essential to their lives throughout their existence. There are many options for piggy companionship.

1. Two sows or a group of sows live happily together though they will sometimes have the odd bicker when feeling hormonal.

2. A neutered male with a sow or group of sows is also fantastic. In a herd situation the male is often the glue that binds the group together. Obviously a group situation requires a generous amount of space. Many people think that boars have to live alone and this is not the case. Neutering by an experienced exotic vet is a very good option but there are some risks and proper after care for the recovery is very necessary. Please ask an experienced rescuer for advice on surgery aftercare. After neutering, the male will need to remain separate for several weeks to ensure the hormones are gone and live sperm is not a risk. Neutering has to be done by an experienced vet who has done many of these surgeries successfully.

3. Two unneutered boars which have grown up together can remain good friends as long as no females (even if sterilized) are ever in the surrounding area’s

4. OR 2 very young males can be introduced and get on well if their personalities are complimentary and the bonding is done carefully and correctly. They do not need to be neutered. Never introduce a female to any males (even if sterilized) as they will fight and will have to be separated.

*It is unlikely that introducing 2 adult males from different places will get along

If one of your piggies has passed away, please seek a new companion for him/her as they will be grieving and lonely. You must first ensure that your piggy did not die from anything caused in your environment or diet etc. If you are unsure, then it would be best to do more research and quarantine any new piggies for a period of several weeks. The best way to ensure a good partnership is to ADOPT from a rescuer who has the experience and their best interests at heart