Animal Welfare I hate when people say that guinea pigs don't need a friend.

PiggleLove2013 · May 9, 2014

"I don't need to get a second piggy! I play with my pig for [insert short time frame here] per day and he/she is sooooooooO happy!!!1"

I cannot even comprehend such stupidity. It's even worse when they use excuses like "two pigs is more expensive!" or "my piggy won't love me it will just love its friend!!". I simply hate it. In addition to those "reasons" having no truth to them at all, that's really just selfish. When you take a pet into your home they are your responsibility. You take a pet to care for it, not for it to care for you. In other words, an animal is not to fit to you, you are to fit to the animal. It was YOUR decision to bring the animal into your home, and you are responsible for the care that it gets. Are you so selfish that when it comes to the animal all that matters is what YOU think, not how the animal feels? I want to just explode sometimes when others say things like this.

It's the same when they do intros wrong and then assume the pigs don't like each other. Or when two or more pigs are shoved into tiny litter boxes. It's like "No wonder they do not get along!". You cannot just shove them into a tiny space and expect them to get along. That's as if someone were to introduce you to another person and shove you in a tiny bathroom with them. Weird, right? Not different for the pigs.

Frustrated person is frustrated.

pinky · May 9, 2014

There are guinea pigs that won't tolerate another. They can make good singles as long as their owner gives them plenty of attention. I've had a couple of singles that lived long and happy lives.

PiggleLove2013 · May 9, 2014

I forgot to mention the few pigs that don't get along with other pigs, so sorry. I just realized that. But with this I mean in general, with pigs that can get along fine with other pigs, and are just missing out on social interaction with their own species because of a person's selfishness.

spudsthepiget · May 9, 2014

I had an ex-friend that was like that; she kept all 3 of hers separate. I always felt so bad for the pigs every time I went over there. It's incredibly frustrating dealing with people like that, especially when she ignored all the links to this site that I sent her.

PiggleLove2013 · May 9, 2014

Yes, agreed. I hate seeing people mis-caring for their pets. I also hate when people say they can't put males together because they will "surely fight". *cough* bull *cough cough*.

Starthecavy123 · May 9, 2014

People are frustrating. My boys get along fine. Once in a while they'll bicker but thats just because one did something the other didn't like. Like sometimes if Cinna is chewing on something and Gin-Gin wants it he'll try and take it out of Cinna's mouth, and Cinna will snap at him like saying "what are you doing". Its so cute and funny at the same time.

foggycreekcavy · May 9, 2014

pinky said:
There are guinea pigs that won't tolerate another. They can make good singles as long as their owner gives them plenty of attention. I've had a couple of singles that lived long and happy lives.

I don't believe in keeping singles as your only pig. If you have a pig that absolutely won't get along with another, at least have another pig in an adjacent cage so they have some sort of companionship with a member of their own species.

PiggleLove2013 · May 9, 2014

Agreed @foggycreekcavy. Even with plenty of human interaction, it's nice to be around your own species. It's like being the only human but having an animal around. We love animals but the human interaction is simply needed. I don't see it any different from their view. Whether or not they get along it's nice to just have one next to them to have a buddy to talk to.

claudinehere · May 9, 2014

I see people like this all the time! I try to tell them that guinea pigs need companions but they just refuse to listen because they care more about the entertainment that guinea pigs bring them. It's so annoying that they don't think about their pet's feelings. There was this one person who would rather keep her females in separate cages because the pigs might "turn lesbian" (sorry, that was really the term the person used) and mate with one another instead. What kind of reasoning is that?!

Artista · May 9, 2014

I wouldn't say the 'need' a companion however one is highly desirable for them to be happy. Humans do better not being alone either but alas circumstances can be as such that some are and do ok. So ideal yes a companion, a must, no.

Artista · May 9, 2014

PiggleLove2013 said:
"I don't need to get a second piggy! I play with my pig for [insert short time frame here] per day and he/she is sooooooooO happy!!!1"

I cannot even comprehend such stupidity. It's even worse when they use excuses like "two pigs is more expensive!" or "my piggy won't love me it will just love its friend!!". I simply hate it. In addition to those "reasons" having no truth to them at all, that's really just selfish. When you take a pet into your home they are your responsibility. You take a pet to care for it, not for it to care for you. In other words, an animal is not to fit to you, you are to fit to the animal. It was YOUR decision to bring the animal into your home, and you are responsible for the care that it gets. Are you so selfish that when it comes to the animal all that matters is what YOU think, not how the animal feels? I want to just explode sometimes when others say things like this.

It's the same when they do intros wrong and then assume the pigs don't like each other. Or when two or more pigs are shoved into tiny litter boxes. It's like "No wonder they do not get along!". You cannot just shove them into a tiny space and expect them to get along. That's as if someone were to introduce you to another person and shove you in a tiny bathroom with them. Weird, right? Not different for the pigs.

Frustrated person is frustrated.

There's nothing weird about thinking more than 1 could cost more than having 1 pg. I kind of take offense to that as I have 1. I do realize that 1 pig could cost more than someone who has 2 pigs in vet bills, but there is a better chance that 2 will cost more. I'm on fixed income and now no income. But my girl still gets top quality hay, not the cheapy stuff, KMS pellets, plenty of veggies some of which I don't like/eat, reverse osmosis water, and a nice spaceous 2x4 c & c cage with fleece flippers.

Within the 1st 6 months of having her (she was healthy when I got her) I spend over $1000 in vet bills. She had a heart murmur and a URI. I had to pay for a cardiologist to perform tests on her make sure her heart was ok and she didn't need meds. I was on disability last year. This year I'm on nothing and not sure if I will be accepted for social security disability right off the bat. So there is no way I'm getting a second pig under my circumstances financially. Should things turn around and I'm not clinging to my pennies so to speak, then for sure I'd upgrade the cage to 2 x 5 and get another one.

Rywen · May 9, 2014

Ferb is definitely happier with Penny as a companion. He used to make the lonely piggie sound a lot so I used to give him head rubs. He hasn't made the lonely piggie sound once since she came home with us (but I still give him head rubs!). That said, I still think it's better to have one well cared for piggie than two or more that are not well cared for, or they are well cared for but you know you don't have the resources to cover it if they get sick. Ferb and Penny both developed URIs about a week after I adopted Penny. The vet was $275 for both (they got full checkups/physicals including their back teeth) and the antibiotics were another $30. It can get expensive very quickly. Hermit piggies I totally understand and they are a special case. I am a hermit person, okay, not really, but I do prefer to live alone. In general if you have the resources (space, funds, time, etc.) then you should have more than one piggie. If you don't then I think that one piggie is still better off than an ill cared for pair of piggies.

Artista · May 9, 2014

I agree @Rywen. I would love to have 2. However with my situation and the fact that my girl eats better than I do and is cared for more than I care for myself, I would have to do the same with 2 including vet care. Possibly running up a credit card is not a great option when your income is zero right now. Everything in CA is outrageously expensive and vets are no exception. I actually feel more for her than myself as I am isolated myself too. However since she was on clearance which I can only imagine what the next step would have been, she is in a much better situation with me. So we are both without companions. I have the internet and one friend I see every couple of weeks so not much of a social thing for me. But Mooshy and I have each other for now with hopes of it changing.

Starthecavy123 · May 9, 2014

@claudinehere, Thats what I hate I find two or give better entertainment and joy than one. Its just so neat watching them interact with one another.

Starthecavy123 · May 9, 2014

@claudinehere, really she was worried they would turn lesbian. I'm sorry but thats actually pretty funny. Animals don't even know what lesbianism even is. People come on give me a break. (Not you the lady who said it). Wow some people have the strangest reasoning ever.

PiggleLove2013 · May 10, 2014

@Artista I have respect for you, though, in that situation. You cannot afford two pigs right now but you still CARE for your piggy and want the best for them, like you said, Mooshy even eats better than you do (I think that's true for a lot of us cavy owners lol), and you simply don't have the money. I'm simply referring to the general population that sees them as playthings and not life. They don't care about the social interaction for that animal or think about ITS needs for once, they only care about "oooh cute fuffy ball of fat lemme play wit it". When it comes to those in your situation you care a LOT about your animal and only want what is best for it, but simply don't have the requirements for a second pig. You actually want to do it though, unlike those who don't care and don't look out for the animal's best interests.

starrgazerr · Jul 10, 2014

My friend told me that in i believe it was Switzerland it's illegal to have a single guinea pig because they're such social animals! I recently adopted a single who has been a single his whole life but I'm going to look into getting him a friend.

Flowering · Aug 23, 2014

The worst is when someone trys to match their guinea pig and they don't become friend and just give up! You need to try more than one pig

AmazingPiggie · Aug 23, 2014

Flowering said:
The worst is when someone trys to match their guinea pig and they don't become friend and just give up! You need to try more than one pig

I agree, I have LITTER mates who don't get along and I thought Oh no if they can't get along even though they have grown up together who will they get along with, we'll then I found a darling boy who I got neutered and I introduced them to and it all calmed down and they started to get along with each other until recently and I have one of the two sisters on her own because she is one of them ones who doesn't get along well with other pigs and attacked any pig I introduced her to. My neutered boar gets along with any piggy it's amazing, he was kept on his own from day one and I think he is just happy around any of his species because of the fact they are of his species and not some young child who feed him the wrong foods and held him wrong.

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Animal Welfare I hate when people say that guinea pigs don't need a friend.

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