Introductions Will my guinea pig be ok?

He should be OK for a little bit without a pal. What cage are you putting him in? C&C cages are best. They are bigger than store bought cage and a lot cheaper

Guinea pigs are social critters are do thrive with company. If you bought Ringo, I fear you also bought one of the cages the store offers (correct me if I'm wrong). If that's the case, the cage you have will be too small - for one pig much less two. Before you adopt a friend for Ringo, you need to make sure the cage is large enough. Guinea pigs (males in particular) will fight without enough space.


3 hours is not a long way to go to adopt a pig. Many members here have gone farther than that to adopt. I know someone suggested Petfinder to you. Did you check petfinder to see the shelters & rescues closest to you? What is your zip code? Someone here might be able to find one close to you. Alternately, have you tried Craigslist? Or maybe the classifieds in your local paper? You can also mention at local vet offices that you are looking. Sometimes people abandon their pigs at the vet, thinking they will get taken care of. Also contact your local shelters, even if they only house cats & dogs. Let them know you are looking for a guinea pig. People often turn in guinea pigs.

a good way to introduce new pigs is to go in a hallway or some open space and let them both just mingle with each other to see how they react at first before you plop the new guy in a closed cage with your piggy

Thank you for the advice and help. I checked Craigslist, Petfinder, & shelters within 200 miles east of me. I'm from Nebraska and this state is not known for it's exotic pets. We have them but mostly in Lincoln and Omaha. As of right now there are no guinea pigs at the shelters. Which surprises me since the last times I checked they had a few. But I'll keep checking and hoping. Unfortunately it seems that shelters get guinea pigs a lot. So I know it's just a matter of time. Since I do not have my drivers license (for personal reasons) I can't just go to cities on any given day. And about the cage, yes, sadly it's store bought. But it's going back. I've purchased a C&C cage and it's big enough for two boars. It'll be here Tuesday. So I'm quite happy that Ringo will be in a much bigger cage.

The good news is that I've talked it over with my mom and we'll be making a trip to Lincoln after Thanksgiving. So Ringo doesn't have to wait until January. Again, thank you for the advice and help.

Hello and welcome to the forum!

I have a single guinea pig and I felt bad about not having a partner, for a while. But, then I realized, if he has a lot of attention by humans and a large enough cage to play, then he should be fine. Maybe you can think about getting another, when the time comes and you feel right for it. Good luck and welcome to the forum!!!

What direction are you from Omaha? Are you near Kearny or North Platte? Have you tried calling the humane societies in those communities to ask if they have pigs? I know shelters that specialize in dogs and cats will usually take in other animals and try to find it a home or a shelter that is better equipped for it. If you live in rural areas you likely have some breeders for 4H or other kids projects. The unwanted pigs they produce go somewhere. If you are 200 miles away from Lincoln you must be somewhat close to either KS, SD, CO, or WY. Have you looked across the border? I believe there is a pig rescue in northern CO (maybe near Ft. Collins I'm thinking).

pigslave1 said:

I have a single guinea pig and I felt bad about not having a partner, for a while. But, then I realized, if he has a lot of attention by humans and a large enough cage to play, then he should be fine. Maybe you can think about getting another, when the time comes and you feel right for it. Good luck and welcome to the forum!!!

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Imagine that you are abducted by aliens. They bring you to their planet, where you are the only human-being. The aliens interact with you all the time. They carry you around their house (or whatever it is aliens live in). They cuddle with you. They sing to you. They feed you every day, and care for you in the best way possible. What's the issue? These aliens don't speak your language. They are only with you for a few hours a day. They don't have anything in common with you. Even if you are kept in the largest room possible... Even if you are cared for well... Even if these aliens spent hours with you each day... It's not going to be the same, is it? It's not going to be the same as having a human to interact with.

While a single guinea pig might be "fine" for a while, he definitely won't be living a fully fulfilled and happy life. If you need to wait a few weeks, in order to find a good companion for your piggy, then I'm sure your pig will be "a-okay". However, you shouldn't procrastinate on this. Guinea pigs are herd animals, and require at least one companion in order to live a fulfilled life.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

My daughter spends so much time with our piggie chloe, and i do as well. She is loved, well fed, gets floor time, a clean cage and toys. Many humans don't have it as good as she does. She's a guinea pig .... Don't beat yourself up for only having one, it all good he/ she will be fine i've been searching around for other people to arrange a piggie play date once in a while with my chloe. Thought that could be fun? If your a conciensous pet owner and taking really good care of your pet , don't feel guilty. I think some people need to chill a bot on this subject, not everyone can house more than one pet for certain reasons.

Thank you, @kimzano! Often times when I bring up this subject, it tends to get offensive. I agree with you.

@kimzano a play date for your guinea pig will in no way benefit her. They do not work in the same way as dogs, who meet and will play. Guinea pigs will meet and immediately begin dominance behaviour to see who is top pig. This lasts hours or days and is initially stressful for the pigs. It is unfair and confusing to a pig to be introduced for a couple hours for a "play date" only to be separated they won't play and enjoy their time.

I'm just going to second what @sallyvh said about the play date thing... It wont do any good for your and whoever else's Guinea pig you go on a play date on @kimzano.

Yeah, what @Lishar and @sallyvh said. Guinea pig play dates are not a good idea.
@kimzano You said "She's a guinea pig", and yes she is. Guinea pigs are social creates who thrive with the companionship of their own species. I adopted a 7+ year old pig this summer who had spent her life as a lone pig. Having pigs for 5.5 years now I can tell you that pig was not a happy pig. Her owners thought she was happy, they spent time with her and read her a bedtime story every night. When Daisy arrived she couldn't even speak to the other guinea pigs, she didn't know their language. It took her weeks to figure it out, and once she did her personality came alive. She was dying when I adopted her, but she lived far longer than anyone thought she would and I believe it's because of the other pigs, as did the veterinarians. I can't imagine spending a life alone without anyone else to talk to. I feel so blessed to have given her the opportunity to be a pig before she died. Guinea pigs are not dogs, they are not cats, they are a unique species with unique needs that people need to take the time to research before getting them.

ETA: I just read this, and it may come off as a bit harsh. It's not my intention. I have become so passionate about this after Daisy, because I saw the difference with my own eyes and it broke my heart to know her life was so lonely before. She had a lot of human interaction, she was very friendly to people and social with humans. But, it's not the same thing and seeing it makes a believer of me. We all want the best for our animals, but sometimes we are not giving them what they need. I think even lone pigs need to communicate with other pigs. Daisy lived alone, she was too sick to live with other pigs (she had cancer, so it was not contagious). But, she could see and hear my other girls, and talk to them. After she found her voice they would chatter back and forth all the time. She passed about a month ago, and I still catch my Clementine standing on the 2nd story looking over in the direction Daisy used to be and chatting away.