Cage Separated Male/Female Cage? (Also how to tell if a male is neutered)

[PigPandemonium]

Hello there,

So I'm thinking Nova will be staying here quite a while, since he has his special needs, so it will be hard finding him a new home. So I'm wondering what would be best for his cage situation. Right now he is in a cage much to small for him. It's a 2x3 which I know is labeled as the minimum, however the minimum doesn't give him much room to run around and such, so I'd like to get him something bigger.

I was wondering if I could separate a section of my girls' cage for him? The three of them have a 2x5 with a 3x5 connection in an L shape, with a small little loft, so I'm thinking there would be enough space to give him a part of it, I'm just wondering if it would be horrible for him being next to the females but not being able to get to them.

I also had another question not involving the cage, how can I tell if he is a neutered male? I've had problems trying to sex him, since he has his issues with being held, however just from looking at his back side I'm about 99% sure he is a male, however he doesn't look as "Developed" I guess you would call it, as other pictures of males I have seen, and he looks more like some of the other pictures I have seen of neutered males, so I'm wondering if he might be neutered, is there a way I could tell for sure without having to spend $100 dollars at the vet, and having to stress him out with the long car ride and such?

Thanks,
The human, Fus, Ro Dah, Godric, and Nova

 

[madelineelaine]

I too wonder if my pig is neutered, I've been told before that a good way to tell is if they have small testicles. Mine also looks like he has a scar where his testicles would be.

 

[PigPandemonium]

He does ha smaller testicles than most of the males I have seen, however just based off of that, can I assume he is neutered? I want to be sure, since I was thinking about possibly keeping him and putting him with my females (If he is neutered that is) I was just going to rescue him and adopt him out, but with his issues of being held and such, I don't think many people would be interested in him.

 

[madelineelaine]

I really don't know, I posted about this earlier. My pig was neutered when I adopted him, and his cage mate is female so I worry he isn't neutered.

 

[Paula]

There's not really any way to tell for certain other than to have a vet check it out. You can check the Cavy Spirit sexing page, there are photos of both intact and altered males, but my neutered males were all very obviously neutered. Small testicles is not the same as no testicles.

 

[PigPandemonium]

Thanks everyone! Does anyone have an answer to the split cage thing?

 

[mufasa]

Borat's "package" wasn't well developed either, but the vet was able to tell that he was a boy and was not neutered.

Bo's cage is next door to Amy so they can see each other and interact through the bars. It doesn't seem to drive him too crazy living next to her except when she's in heat and flaunts herself at him, which makes him rumblestrut and poke his nose through. They also share a playpen with a grid wall separating them, and they love running back and forth together. Even tho' they're not in the same cage, they get upset when one knows the other is gone if I take one out for lap time.

 

[PigPandemonium]

@mufasa Aw, they sound so cute! So you think it would be ok to do that?

 

[mufasa]

Well, I'll be doing it indefinitely since Borat's neutering can't happen until he recovers and now I'm gunshy to take any chances with him for a while.

I asked the vet if it was okay to keep him next to Amy, and she said it wasn't ideal but she didn't say to absoutely not do it.

 

[madelineelaine]

I don't think my boar has testicles, but he does have some 'lumps' that are round near his penis. I think it would be okay to keep them near each other just ensure they can't get to close.

 

[Paula]

I don't think my boar has testicles, but he does have some 'lumps' that are round near his penis.

The only way he doesn't have testicles is if they've been removed. If you're feeling lumps, I'd remove him from the female he's with (assuming he is) and have a vet check him out to be sure. You said he was neutered when you adopted him - where did you get him?

 

[madelineelaine]

I got him from a rescue, and they've been together for a long time. I don't know how to describe it, but he has one ball around his penis, and then two black dots where his testicles would be, which I assume are scars. The ball seems to be more prominent before he pee's.

 

[lissie]

I got him from a rescue, and they've been together for a long time. I don't know how to describe it, but he has one ball around his penis, and then two black dots where his testicles would be, which I assume are scars. The ball seems to be more prominent before he pee's.

That could be an abscess. Some pigs do get abscess on their neuter site. You should get it checked out. One of mine got abscess about a year after getting neutered.

https://www.guinealynx.info/lumps.html

 

[madelineelaine]

I will do that

 

[PigPandemonium]

One more quick question and also an update So I have a vet that I know quite well that says she will sex Nova and tell if he is neutered or not for free, however she's not very Cavy Savvy, should I still go for it? I'm thinking it would be ok, seeing as it's not like he has a medical issues, it's just sexing him, plus if she gives me any wrong information, such as saying yogurt would be a good probiotic (You'll only get that reference if you know about Phoenix's whole medical fiasco) I know enough to say different.

Also, I've moved Nova into a 3x3 with a loft next to the girls' 3x4 with a 2x2 bedding area. I was prepared for a lot of upheaval, bar biting, etc, however I got none of that. Each of the girls sniffed through the bars at him a few times, however after that, they seem to not even notice or mind that they live together.