Lonely guinea pig??

[thatboysmum]

I got 2 guinea pigs for DS just over a year ago. They were kept in a cage, inside until may when we moved to a house with a garden and have since lived in the shed.
About a week ago I went out one morning to find one of them had died. I have brought the other one inside today to have a run around in an animal pen (normally I would have put them on the grass in the pen but it's too cold) and she is going absolutely mad, chewing at the bars. Why is she doing that? Is she lonely or something? She was never the friendliest of the two and much less comfortable being held or stroked but since the other one has died she seems worse.
Any ideas?

Sorry to hear that your piggie has died. You will have to get her at least one friend as they should not live on their own.

Please consider getting a rescue GP. There are many lovely but unwanted piggies that would love a great new home. Take a look at the website Rescue Review.co.uk and which lists loads of rescue and rehoming centres by searchable fields - so you can find one near you. Best of luck.

she could have a problem with her teeth?

guinea pigs do get lonely though like the other posters have said, she may be lonely, ours started pulling out his hair when his companion died.

Guinea pigs grieve deeply when their companions die. They are rarely happy on their own so it's important to find a new companion for your sow.

With males, it's usually advised to introduce a new young. Boar, but with females, the can bee paired up with one or more sows or a neutered boar of any age. It tends to be down to individual animals how well they get on.

Definitely consider a rescue animal as I know many rescues are bursting with guineas at the moment. It's far better to give a rescue a small donation and give an animal a new home than to pay a pet shop probably more. They sell for profit and this encourages breeding of even more animals, many of which will suffer, die or if lucky, be turned over to rescues.

Are you able to keep your pets indoors? Some rescues only rehome with those who can as the climate in the UK isn't suitable for cavies to be outdoors unless owners take elaborate steps to keep them warm and dry (e.g. Heating sources, bedding change at least daily, suitable insullation, etc.) It's much easier to monitor their health and welfare when indoors and to bond with and enjoy their company.

Another option would be to rehome your sow with someone who has a space for her. Your local rescue can help and advise. Good luck.

Sorry about the typos - silly phone keypad is so small!