Bonding Bonding Boars

[Kerrie Johnston]

Hello,

I adopted two boars from a rescue center at the end of February, today we decided to get another two however the pet shop only had the one (didn't want to get another two from the rescue place because of the problems we are having with one of the ones we already have) so me being a bit soppy and feeling sorry for the one that was on his own told my son to buy him, they tried to tell my son that he won't be able to bond him to another and yet I've read differently on the internet. The Guinea pig is three months old according to the person in the shop.

What I want to know is, would I be better getting another baby guinea and bonding them or would I be able to bond him with the two that I already have? I've read that you can keep Guinea Pigs on their own but I want what's best for the new addition to the family. Any advice would be appreciated

When I got the two from the rescue place she said they were around 18 months old, not that I trust what she says much because I'm starting to think they weren't even brothers for reasons I won't go into atm, plus trying to tell us they were the same size when we got them when they actually wasn't, one was smaller due to a lesion (that the vet thinks he has) causing different health problems, we've managed to bulk him up now but he tends to get a lot of ear infections and he has other health problems, I pretty much think whoever owned him before was just cruel and neglecting him.

Thanks in advance

Kerrie

 

[daisy1cow]

Personal experience...... I have two older boys. I rescued a younger one, but he was like 6 months old and there was to much of everyone wanting to be dominant. My older pair had their's sorted, then the new guy wanted to be boss as he was boss before and it just didn't work. I ended up getting a baby (3weeks) for the one that didn't get into the pair. It worked out wonderfully. This was last year.
In May, I had an accidental litter. It was a baby boy so he couldn't stay with him mommy obviously. At 2.5 weeks, I put him in with that original pair and what do you know. 5 weeks later and all is still good.
So I think a baby is best. Just my opinion
Good luck

 

[PiggieWigglies]

If you got the baby from a pet-shop you might need to quarantine him for 3 weeks. Different clothes between feeding the other pigs and him or you could get an apron. Wash your hands between handling them, and have them in separate rooms. If you didn't like the one rescue your first pair of boars came from, maybe there are other rescues around you or craigslist, guinea pig zone, or newspaper ads for pigs instead of the pet-shop.

 

[Kerrie Johnston]

What's wrong with getting a Guinea Pig from a pet shop? Just asking out of curiosity. I actually only got him because he was on his own in the pet shop which made me feel a bit sorry for him, the pet shop person said they very rarely have Guinea Pigs in, he was in a clean cage with food, water and hay. Normally I would get from a rescue place but after my last experience plus I'm limited as to where I can go as I suffer with social anxiety disorder and agoraphobia. I'm from the UK by the way.

The original people I got my piggies from have annoyed me by making claims that aren't true and by basically giving me a sick guinea pig that has cost me a lot of money since we got them 4 months ago.

So the best place to get a baby from would be a rescue place or the RSPCA?

Thanks again.

 

[Princess_Piggie]

Guinea pigs in pet shops are products of cruel breeding mills, and buying them sends the message you're okay with that.

If I have the right member, you're in Liverpool too aren't you @Kerrie Johnston? I can direct you to the best guinea pig rescue around if you want, they only adopt out pigs to people who have C&C cages and are very knowledgeable. They aren't pig specific, but they know their stuff.

 

[Kerrie Johnston]

Ahh well yeah that's true, but like I said, I got him because he was on his own, I didn't think it was fair on the guinea pig in all honesty and the people in the shop didn't seem to know what they were talking about, so for me I feel I was saving him from some pillocks and from feeling scared.. well I hope I did, but I wouldn't buy from a pet shop again, this one was a one off.

No I live in Nottingham.

Another question I have is, do you need to quarantine all Guinea Pigs, even if they come from a rescue place? Obviously the two boys I already had were together.

I'm still learning, so friendly criticism and advice is more than welcome, just as long as people remember that I am only human and I do make mistakes

 

[daisy1cow]

So being over the pond, I don't know what all you have available over there. Check Craigslist. There are always gpigs on there here in the states. I got my first pair from there, some lady advertising them needing to go that day, didn't care if they went as feeder food or would let them loose in the yard!!! OMG, Chicken and Waffles are the coolest gpigs ever!
I found my baby on there as well.
The others I found on the adoptable table at our local Petco. They were previously bought, for whatever reason returned as they can't "resell" so put up for adoption.
I have taken my to the vet within the first couple of days. I have never quarantined but for a few days to make sure the ok from the vet first. Its a reasonable fee here anyway.
Good luck, you will know the right pig when it comes along!!!

 

[Princess_Piggie]

Ah, I must have you mixed up with someone else. My bad.

If the rescue hasn't already done quarantine, then yes, you need to do a three week quarantine, preferably with the pig in a separate room.

There are two ways to look at the Pet Store situation- your way, and the "full picture" - Yes you're leaving a pig in a pet store, but the more people do it, the more chance we have of it being stopped all together. Of course we all understand how hard it is to resist a pig when you can see it needs your help though.

 

[Kerrie Johnston]

It's ok I found some info on quarantining.

That's true too.. Don't worry I won't buy from one again, even if I feel sorry for the Guinea Pig lol.

 

[Princess_Piggie]

The best thing you can do is if you feel the pig is in a truly terrible situation (overly dirty living area, no water/food, looks sick or underweight) is to give the RSPCA a call, and take pictures to prove the conditions. If it's not that bad, but also not great politely ask the staff about it, pretending you're a potential buyer so as they don't become defensive, and if they don't seem to know what they're talking about, give them some subtle advice.

 

[Kerrie Johnston]

Ok will do

My son's just moving the baby pig, hopefully he hasn't got anything because he's been in the same room as out other two for a few hours! I didn't realise you had to quarantine until someone mentioned it on this post

 

[Kerrie Johnston]

By the way, the other reason why I thought it was ok to buy our new boar from the pet shop we got him from is because it's an old pet shop that has been open since I was a child and the pets have always been clean, fed and well looked after. They had a parrot at one point that would talk to the customers. I would NEVER buy a pet from pets at home because they are meant to be irresponsible when it comes to animals. As I said above though, I won't be buying guinea pigs from another pet shop, I'll try and adopt one from the RSPCA or a guinea pig rescue center.

Guinea pig is now in quarantine Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Kerrie Johnston]

Thanks Daisy, I only just saw your post, duh me.

I have been feeling a bit low since getting the Guinea Pig because even though I thought I was helping him, I now feel like I've done something wrong by getting him, my son has said to ignore people because we were actually only trying to help the Guinea Pig, but with me suffering from anxiety disorders I tend to take things to heart.

I totally understand what people mean about those horrible people who are just breeding animals to make money and don't actually care about the animal's well being, but I would have felt really bad by leaving this young pig in the pet shop and my son could see that he wasn't very happy on his own, the pet shop people didn't seem to have a clue and one had to ask the other to catch him, like I said, they very rarely have Guinea Pigs in, my son has said they mainly have rabbits. There is nothing wrong with the shop itself, it's very clean, they feed the animals, they clean them out, they don't have much of a choice though because it's in the city center.

As I said the rescue place where I got my first two from annoyed me. I'll try and explain.

So when I first said I wanted to adopt I thought we'd get a choice but no she got them out let us meet them, did the paperwork, took the money and then we were off. She told me that the one we called Big E was very sociable and easy to handle, that they were brothers and off of the same owner, we always noticed that Sheamus was smaller than Big E, then after a month or so they both got conjunctivitis, so they were taken to the vets rather than waiting for an appointment with the PDSA, that cost me £80, then one morning I woke up and freaked out totally because Sheamus had a nasty head tilt, he was taken straight away to the PDSA who got him in on an emergency appointment, they said he had an ear infection and they also thought/think he had/has a lesion on his brain, a week later we had to take him back again because he then had a URI, again they said it was probably due to the lesion, so he gets better and then Big E gets a URI *sigh* obviously from Sheamus, he's ok though because he's a tough pig and after his meds he was perfectly fine, a couple of weeks ago Sheamus has yet another ear infection and he was already going to the vets with his brother to have their claws sorted out, the vet said he will probably keep getting problems like this because of the lesion. During the first bout of him being ill, the woman from the rescue place sent two people out to look at the piggies, they did something I don't think they should have done because from what I was told mite drops are only prescription? they put mite drops on him, they tried telling us that he had lost weight when he was that weigh all along and when I told them this they said that the woman that sent them claimed he was the same size as Big E, he never was and I tried to tell them again that he wasn't and they were like well she wouldn't let him go if he had been like this... yeah right.

Also it turned out that Big E isn't sociable, he's not easy to pick up, he bites and moans when he's picked up, he's only just recently started to calm down, the other thing is, I don't think they are brothers because it looks like Big E was treated way better than what Sheamus has, plus he looks like he been castrated but Sheamus hasn't, Sheamus also looks as though he got problems with two of his paws, Big E is basically perfect apart from being skittish.

So this is exactly why I didn't want to bother getting anymore Guinea Pigs from this rescue place and any other rescue place is miles away from me, due to my SAD and agoraphobia I have to go by taxi or get a lift to places. I believe that the woman at the rescue center is trying to do a good thing but I don't think she knows or remembers they guinea pigs which would be really understandable seeing how many she rescues, but she shouldn't be telling people things that are incorrect and basically lies.

Like I said though, I won't be buying from a pet shop again, I'll do as suggest and look at adverts and such. There is an adoption part in a pet shop, is that just the same principle as getting them from the pet shop anyway?

 

[pigger123]

Yeah, don't get pigs from the adoption part of the pet shop either. I think usually those are just piggies that they couldn't sell in the regular place or piggies that people bought and then returned, so they put them up for "adoption."

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with that rescue. Mites can actually be treated without a prescription. In fact, it was probably because of the mites that your pig that doesn't like being touched. Having mites or skin problems makes handling very uncomfortable for them.

 

[Kerrie Johnston]

No it wasn't the skittish one they treated it was the sick one, well the vet must have told my son the wrong info then, they told him it was prescription only because I wanted to buy some.

The skittish guinea has only ever caught stuff from the one with a lesion (skittish = Big E the other is Sheamus), he caught conjunctivitis then the URI. They had no skin problems, the rescue center would have treated them for all of that and mites. Big E in my opinion just hasn't been handled enough, Sheamus is probably the same because when we first handled him he would shake, BUT Sheamus is much more friendlier than Big E, he does have his off days, but don't we all.

Ok I won't adopt from one either, I've put an ad on a site called preloved for a guinea pig, I've said it wouldn't be for a couple of weeks and they would need bonding first. I hope that was ok to do? I'm still learning and just want our guinea pigs to be happy.

 

[daisy1cow]

Yeah, don't get pigs from the adoption part of the pet shop either. I think usually those are just piggies that they couldn't sell in the regular place or piggies that people bought and then returned, so they put them up for "adoption."

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with that rescue. Mites can actually be treated without a prescription. In fact, it was probably because of the mites that your pig that doesn't like being touched. Having mites or skin problems makes handling very uncomfortable for them.

I have adopted several from the adoption table. They are NOT ones they couldn't sell. They come with paper work about them from the previous owner and such. I have called one of the people one time to get a bit more back ground. They are "returned" from families who's kids are "tired" of them already or whatever family circumstances.
You are mistaken and these animals are unwanted and sometimes have horrible backgrounds so please don't make that assumption.
Here is my story....
Peanut Butter was bought as a pair. After a few months and her failing to grow, the people returned just her. She was in a small 10 gallon tank in the back room of Petco, alone, sad, thin and scared. They said she had an URI. I fell in love, took her for nothing and brought her home. She was very thin. She didn't seem to get better, wouldn't popcorn and barely wheek. Took her to my vet, they said URI and another round of meds. After 30 days of meds I asked for an xray as no one else in my herd was sick. Come to find out, her heart was clear to the left of her body, sitting on her only good lung, her right lung was collapsed and nothing could be done. I continued to spoil and love her, giving her all the veggies she could stand and a cage mate. She passsed in my arms 2.5 months later. You would deny a pig that kind of life? You would leave them in the back room alone and scare to die alone??? Wow. They didn't ask to be returned, or be bought because they thought they were easy pets. I can't deny an animal a chance at a good life. I spent several hundred dollars on sweet Peanut Butter and she is cremated and still here near me. That is the life she deserved.
Sorry, but your comment upset me.

 

[Kerrie Johnston]

Aww It's just like with Sheamus and the lesion he has due to his old owners, he'll probably keep being ill now and yeah it'll cost me money to sort him out when he is ill, but as someone with social anxiety disorder I really am not keen on humans, I would prefer a house full of pets, I'm fine with my mum and son but anyone else no. I have a dog also, he's 13 now and he has problems, ear infections and arthritis in his back legs for which he's on meds for, again it costs me money to take care of him, but as I get so much pleasure from my pets and as long as I can afford it, my pets will continue to get the help that they need.

I'm glad I'm not the only person that will take an animal if they see it's in distress. My son bought a crow home the other month, it turned out it was a baby, we kept it here all night until the RSPCA picked it up, it had a broken leg and it's feathers were damaged, but that's how much we like animals, we'll help them if we can.