Bonding What is the best way to bond a new guinea pig to a bonded pair?

[Simpsonspiggie8]

Hi guys! tomorrow I am going to a local rescue to get a New Guinea pig! I already have 2 female guinea pigs they are both 2 years old! Im bringing my pigs to the rescue to see which guinea pig they will get along with but there is one piggie in particular that i believe will work ! idk how old she is but she is already an adult. I think the best way to do bonding is all at once in one long day bonding session in a large playpen in a neutral area and once they calm down putting them in a clean cage together but the rescue suggests slowly bonding them over several weeks. I don't want to go against the rescue but, I believe that putting them together then taking them apart every day will do more harm than good. What do you guys think! I want to do best by my piggies and I really don't think what the rescue suggests is the best. I need opinions from people that have bonding experience because I have none. Thanks in advance !

 

[bpatters]

You can't "bond" pigs. You can introduce them, and they may or may not bond, but it's up to them. And "bonding" means different things to different people. If you're expecting snuggly, cuddly pigs who nap together and cuddle a lot, you may be in for a big disappointment.

You also should be prepared for the fact that introducing a pair and a singleton is harder than introducing two singles, and it's possible that you may wind up with three lone pigs, none of which will live with either of the others. The fact that you have two that currently live together peacefully is no guarantee that they'll even tolerate each other after you put the other pig with them.

If you're still determined to go ahead, I would NOT introduce over a period of weeks. See https://guinea-pigs.livejournal.com/3002707.html for how to go about it.