How many food/water dishes do I need

[KmKrazy9]

If I get another guinea pig do I have to get new water bottles and food dishes or do both cavys eat/drink out of the same one?

[Treen]

You generally only need one water bottle and one bowl for each kind of food you give them in the same cage (I have three bowls - one for pellets, one for readigrass [a dried grass] and one for veggies, and one water bottle).

Sometimes they can get a little territorial and argue over access to food, in which case adding an extra bowl/ bottle takes the tension off and heads off potential conflict. But in general, pigs will share quite happily.

[ChadWPB]

I disagree. One water bottle and food dish for each pig works better for keeping the peace, especially fgor those new to guinea pigs that might get frustrated if piggies unbond due to fighting over limited feeding areas. Some pigs are quite territorial and it can be difficult to tell until he/she is exposed to another pig.

I strongly recommend the "one of each" approach, and a cage large enough to fit it all.

[KmKrazy9]

Thanks. I guess I will try the "one for each" since Amy has been by herself for 4 years. I dont know how she will react to having to share all the sudden

[cavylover]

It all depends on the SIZE of the waterbottle and How much your pigs Drink.I have a litre bottle and its gone in a Day.split between 2 pigs.I have another litre bottle split between 4 pigs and takes abit longer to drain it.As for food If your only gnna have 2 pigs on dish is enough.Also with one bottle i guess.

[ChadWPB]

Originally Posted by cavylover

It all depends on the SIZE of the waterbottle and How much your pigs Drink.I have a litre bottle and its gone in a Day.split between 2 pigs.I have another litre bottle split between 4 pigs and takes abit longer to drain it.As for food If your only gnna have 2 pigs on dish is enough.Also with one bottle i guess.

Wrong. It's not a matter of size, but rather how many food/water outlets the cage has. An aggressive, territorial pig will defend a water bottle, so if there's one, the beta pig will be unable to drink, regardless of the size of the bottle. It wouldn't matter is the bottle was the size of a fish tank. Same with food dishes.

We have an aggressive sow who will bully other pigs from the food dish and eat the food. If we had only one dish, the others wouldn't be able to eat, or get only the scraps. Since we have many food/watering holes, she gives up and settles in with the others.

[NoVeil]

As with many things, it is a question of piggy personality. I apparently have laid back piggies. They share one water bottle although there are 2 in the cage. One is routinely drained, the other is not touched. They eat from the same bowl, usually at the same time (and again, there was a second one)

These two are not siblings and were not raised together prior to me introducing them.

I would certainly start with 2 of everything and if it looks peaceful, you can change the set up. I stopped putting in two bowls of veggies and pellets since only one was being used.

[kennethlhm]

I have 2 gals. They have 2 water bottles & 2 food dishes (1 for pellets, 1 for vege/fruit). Although they have 2 water bottles but they like to share the same bottle.