How Many? Should I get one more

[twozie]

Hi all, I was considering getting another gp, I have 2 and one of them is really playful, she actually plays with cardboard tubes and runs like crazy, but the other girl isn't active and actually gets upset at the other girl when she wants to play. SO i don't know if it is a good idea to get another one maybe younger so she has a playmate, does she need a playmate?
I am supposed to go look at a couple tomorrow....but not sure yet.
would like to hear what anyone has to say especially those who have had my situation or any advice is welcomed.

 

[tehdoc809]

Well, cavies are social animals, so getting another one couldn't hurt, infact may be welcome. Sows usually accept other sows, but you could look into getting a neutered boar. I find that a boar with my 2 sows provides for a happier environment, although thats just my personal opinion.

 

[twozie]

oh that is a thought, I may also give that a try, I am thinking about taking my girls to meet the potential new member tomorrow, to see how they get along would that be a good idea?

 

[graycurse]

As long as you make the journey as stress-free as possible, it's good. Make sure to follow all of the introduction guidelines. Some bickering is usually inevitable, as dominance might need to be reestablished when a new one is introduced.

 

[Adorable]

I just added a neutered boar to my sows. One is 6 years and the other is 6 months, with the boy estimated to be a year or two old. It has made my young girl so happy and more personable to have a friend to run around with. The two younger ones are always together and I feel like it took a little stress off the old girl.

I brought the girls to meet the new boy but the intro didn’t show much, other than it didn’t seem like they were really going to go at it. My preference would have been not to do that so I could still do a quarantine, but it was the rescue’s policy.

 

[tehdoc809]

oh that is a thought, I may also give that a try, I am thinking about taking my girls to meet the potential new member tomorrow, to see how they get along would that be a good idea?

I highly urge you to not do this. It can be very stressful, plus the cavies you are going to meet could have a diesease and give it to your girls. Plus how they act in the first couple of days isn't necessarily an indicator of how they will act over the rest of their lives, because they could have to establish a new dominance order and what not.

 

[Ly&Pigs]

I am thinking about taking my girls to meet the potential new member tomorrow, to see how they get along would that be a good idea?

While it can be a stressful situation, it can also be helpful at times. Sows will generally get along with other sows, so it's more boars you have to worry about. If it's a shelter/humane society, you should not take them in at all. If it's a reputable guinea pig only rescue, then maybe. But it ruins the whole quarantine process if you do that. Also sometimes the stress can make mites flare up.

Remember quarantine isn't just for new pigs coming in to your home, it's for your existing pigs as well. Sometimes illness have incubation periods and so quarantine protects all the pigs in your care.

 

[twozie]

thank you for all your help I do appreciate it. I will keep that in mind, I actually didn't get a chance to go meet the other piggie but am hoping to do so soon, and it is from an owner who's piggies had an "accident", they are all babies...only a few weeks old. we'll see otherwise I will keep my eye on another piggie who needs a home.