Guinea Pig

[SeeShmemilyPlay]

Hey, does anyone have any guinea pig forums they could recommend? At the pet store I work at, they have this guy who they’ve neglected his entire life and nobody wants to buy him now that he’s been here so long he’s an adult, so they said I could just… have him. So now he’s at my house with vegetables for the first time in his life and actual space and toys! If by chance anyone who reads this HAS guinea pigs, do you know if it’s too late to bond him to another guinea pig since he’s an adult? And if so, is it possible to give him a good life on his own if I give him enough attention? Thanks!

[Jazlyn]

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/illustrated-bonding-dominance-behaviours-and-dynamics.128361/
You can try this forum! I used to have a guinea pig and as long as I gave him enough attention, he was fine on his own! I had 2 at one point and they would not bond. Some just don’t like each other, thats just a risk you have to take. But I’m sure if you wanted to try, you could most likely bond him.

[Gina.Jenny]

I wouldn’t recommend trying to bond an adult male to another male, maybe a female, but she would need to ne spayed, or he would need to be neutered and wait a month. I’ve twice had males, bonded as youngsters, have to be permanently separated once hormones kick in. Neutering guinea pigs does not change their behaviour like it does rabbits, so that wouldn’t make bonding any easier. When my piggy-mad friend lost the first of her original pair, she took her surviving boy to the local rescue, where he was apparently successfully bonded to a young male, just ready to leave his mum, but when the young one reached adolescence, she had to separate. She later tried bonding again with the younger piggy when the older one dies, again, taking him to be bonded with a youngster, only for the bond to break when the youngster reached puberty. However, on the plus side, unlike most buns, most piggies enjoy laptime, so there’s every likelihood that you will become his bonded buddy. A towel or puppy training pad is recommended, as piggies will just go on the person holding them. Most piggies seem to like being higher up on the chest area during laptime, so cover your whole front, at least to begin with. As you get to know him better, there are subtle restless signs that he wants to go back in his cage/run as he has a full bladder! While he gets to know you, some tasty treat to nibble on your lap will almost certainly work wonders. Parsley is ideal based on the many piggies I have had over the years.

Unlike rabbits, but like us, Piggies cannot make their own vitamin C, and need some provided in the diet every day. This at least partly why piggy pellets cost more than bunny one, its because they are fortified with vit C. Also, unlike bunnies, piggies can be given pretty much unlimited veg, though as with bunnies, anything new needs introducing slowly. Like buns, piggies produce two types of poops, including cecals, which they need to eat! Like buns, piggies need unlimited fresh hay

Hope this helps?

[Azerane]

Also have a look at SkinnyPigs1 on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/skinnypigs1/featured She has giant playlists on bonding, housing, diet, care etc. She’s very informed and I like watching her videos even though I don’t have any intentions of owning piggies because she knows what she’s talking about.

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Azerane on 2/04/2017 5:31 PM

Also have a look at SkinnyPigs1 on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/skinnypigs1/featured She has giant playlists on bonding, housing, diet, care etc. She’s very informed and I like watching her videos even though I don’t have any intentions of owning piggies because she knows what she’s talking about.

I was going to suggest Skinnypigs1! I watch a lot of her videos even though I also have no intention of owning guinea pigs. She’s very passionate about proper care

[Azerane]

Yes, that’s what I love about her. She’s not afraid to tell it straight and correct people, or herself when needed.

[SeeShmemilyPlay]

Thank you so much for the responses!! I’d never heard of skinnypigs1 before, but after reading the suggestions I’ve been watching her nonstop

[SeeShmemilyPlay]

Also, thanks for the bonding tips and care facts! I was unsure of how much a guinea pig and rabbit differed in care.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I had guinea pigs when I was in high school. I bought two young adult males at the pet store that were in the same cage and had them succesfully live together for many years until one passed away. Maybe this is a rarity but they were not fixed.

They were adorable and I loved the little noises they made. However, I found they do not have as big of personalities as bunnies.

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