Introductions Does she need a buddy?

GuineaPigParty · Aug 9, 2014

As some of you guys know Juniper passed away last night.

Juni and Willow where really close with each other... Even if she was there with her when Juniper when she passed away I think Willow thinks she is coming back.

Willow has been eating and drinking the same. A bit more skittish but that is it.

I am a little bit nervous about Willow. I know she may not look depressed but guinea pig's tend to hide there symptoms.

Does anyone have more experience with this then me? and if so can you tell me what to look for in a depressed guinea pig.

RainyDay · Aug 9, 2014

I'm so sorry for your loss. I just lost a piggy who was stressed out due to her companion passing. Of course, she was old and I'm sure that's not the norm. With my piggy, it was serious and she stopped eating and drinking. She would walk around the cage looking for her friend and huddle in the corner with her neck hair puffed up. But as long as your pig is eating and drinking, you should be fine. I would try and get Willow a friend as soon as possible. It will help you both get over the loss of Juniper.

GuineaPigParty · Aug 9, 2014

RainyDay said:
I'm so sorry for your loss. I just lost a piggy who was stressed out due to her companion passing. Of course, she was old and I'm sure that's not the norm. With my piggy, it was serious and she stopped eating and drinking. She would walk around the cage looking for her friend and huddle in the corner with her neck hair puffed up. But as long as your pig is eating and drinking, you should be fine. I would try and get Willow a friend as soon as possible. It will help you both get over the loss of Juniper.

How long do you think she will be alright without a buddy?

I am asking this because where I am it is a 5 hour drive to the closest guinea pig rescue.

RainyDay · Aug 9, 2014

I'm sure you have a few days. How old is Willow? If she's a younger piggy, I think you can take more time. Are there any shelters closer to you? 5 hours is a long drive. Maybe you could check CL. Of course, then you'd have to quarantine. Any guineapigzone listings near you? You could probably cut down on the quarantine time a bit if the piggy came from a good home. Overall, I wouldn't panic or anything. You have time. Keep Willow busy, maybe rearrange her cage and add some new toys. My girl took almost a week before she became visibly depressed.

GuineaPigParty · Aug 9, 2014

Willow is about 4 years old.

Thank you so much @RainyDay for helping me with this.

CavyHouse · Aug 10, 2014

I would weigh your pig daily for a while until it's obvious that she's not losing weight. It sounds like she is eating ok but if she started dropping weight, I would get a new buddy sooner rather than later.

if possible, I'd get one from a rescue because you have a better chance of returning the piggy if they end up not getting along.

GuineaPigParty · Aug 10, 2014

spy9doc said:
You know.....we're all talking about Willow, but what about you? Creatures living and dying is a cycle of life both for them and for us. All of us come with an expiration date. Perhaps you need time to grieve?

As I said, give both yourself and Willow a little time to grieve. These little creatures are so good at stealing a part of one's heart, but they give so much in return. I now wonder why I waited years to have guinea pigs again. I was listening to a program on WNPR a couple of days ago and the subject was centered around the soul connection that is possible with some animals. I don't often talk about that because unless people are truly animal lovers, they think you are delusional.

I might start to look for a new roommate for Willow and perhaps do a meet-and-greet with possible candidates if you find a rescue that will set it up. Don't rush the process. Both you and Willow will know when the time is right.

I think I have found some piggie's that may work with willow.

But I am not going to get or even meet them right away... I would feel like I was replacing Juniper.

After some time I may get another piggie for Willow. I never had any experience with this situation before that is why I am asking.

Thank you for helping me.

GuineaPigParty · Oct 22, 2014

*Update*

Alright so it has been a couple months since Juniper's passing and I have been looking for the right guinea pig for Willow.
I do have some questions about picking the right piggie.

What kind of personality would fit with Willow? Willow is a sweet calm and non-dominant piggie. Do I need to look for a more dominant piggie then?

How would I do an intro with a younger piggie?

Overall I want this to be the most stress free as possible.

Rywen · Oct 22, 2014

Do you have the option for Willow to pick her own new friend? When I adopted Penny I took Ferb to a meet at the rescue and he picked her.

GuineaPigParty · Oct 23, 2014

I wish I could do that! but sadly I don't live close to any guinea pig rescue's. I would be adopting from a animal shelter.
There is a rescue 5 hours away from me but I don't want to adopt from them again.

How does a guinea pig pick his/her own buddy?

pinky · Oct 23, 2014

GuineaPigParty said:
I wish I could do that! but sadly I don't live close to any guinea pig rescue's. I would be adopting from a animal shelter.
There is a rescue 5 hours away from me but I don't want to adopt from them again.

How does a guinea pig pick his/her own buddy?

You can quickly tell if a guinea pig is receptive to another one or not. You'll see a lot more dominant behavior between guinea pigs that aren't a good match. When you find a very compatible pair, they almost ignore one another. They might do some careful sniffing but without the assertive or aggressive behavior. The first time I introduced by senior and neutered males, they just looked at each other and continue eating. The never chased or mounted one another. I'd hear a purr once in awhile if one took the other's food. I took that as a mild reprimand. They were buddies.

GuineaPigParty · Oct 23, 2014

Would getting a fixed male or female make any difference in a intro?

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Introductions Does she need a buddy?

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