Have come home with a guinea pig and forgotten everything I once knew! Help!

[Flightattendant27]

Have been on mad dash to get a hutch for her as we had nothing. Is now furnished with newspaper, wood shavings, lots of meadow hay and a few toys plus food and water bottle.

I've put her in it in the box we brought her home in, which has familiar smelling hay in it. She looks so scared though - I feel awful having separated her from her family, she was the last of the litter and am waiting for her auntie to give birth, then if there is another girl we'll have two.

But she is poor lonely lost little pig atm
I held her earlier for a while and she ran up into my hair, she was very nervous.

I'm also worried about her being outside. We got an outdoor hutch, it's stood on some blocks and I'll cover it with blanket and waterproof sheet tonight however the catch isn't very strong and am concerned about foxes etc.

Can anyone offer any advice please? Thanks

She's about 5-6 weeks btw.

Bump

I'm quite worried about her, have moved hutch into conservatory as warmer and less dangerous (we get sparrow hawks in this garden, sure there will be foxes)

But it'll be a good few weeks before her companion is ready and I'm afraid she'll be terribly lonely and scared.

Has anyone else had a single pig and managed to make them happy? She ran right up my sleeve earlier and stayed there ages!!

We have a single pig as the other one died and she is fine. You can get furry bags from pets at home that they can sit in while you hold them and makes them feel all safe and secure. Ours love them and it means they don't dig their claws in. She'll get used to you. Just handle her lots and keep things quiet for a bit and she'll be fine.

I'm really glad she is no longer outside as she will be very very frightened outside on her own and will also find it hard/maybe impossible to keep warm.

I think you should get her a friend as soon as you can - maybe from a guinea pig sanctuary as she may be very stressed on her own. If her aunty has not given birth yet she will have at least 6 weeks on her own which I don't think is acceptable. If you look up the RSPCA guide to guinea pigs they say that they need companionship.

Thanks both - I understand what you're saying silver. I'm not sure why the lady let me have her on her own, maybe she was worried about potential breeding with her others...but she did say she would need a friend.
I'll call our sanctuary and ask if she has any we might try to introduce. How would you go about introducing two females? I'm a bit worried that they won't get on.

I'd have gone to the sanctuary initially but the woman there is a bit funny, I've had a couple of cats from her - one was put to sleep with their vet and they wouldn't let me have the body to bury, she kept lying about it and the second I had to return to her after a year or two as I couldn't afford his medical treatment (It was specialised and v expensive)

So not sure she will be willing to let me have any more animals from there! Although it was a long time ago with the cats and we've had our current puss about 5 years without any probs.

Thanks again, BN I did wonder what those furry gloves were for at the shop!! I'll try and have her up my sleeve/ in my bra as much as possible...

Poor pig.

I'm just wondering...there is a little two week old male available as well, althoguh the lady said we must wait until he is 6 weeks old.

If I were to have him in a few weeks as well, would it be unethical to let them mate once before neutering - that way they would have a whole gang!

I'd be happy to have several, obviously the little boys would want neutering as well if they had any, but at least the original two would already be familiar iyswim.

What do people think? Alternatively I could take the little boy to be neutered before introducing them back to each other - but not sure how nice this is for the male, I don't want to upset him too much when he could just be homed with another male and not have to be 'done'.

Ideally more than one is better but I did have a single girl once. As long as she gets lots of attention it will be fine. BTW they breed ...well like guinea pigs ie v fast! So if you aren't careful it won't just be one litter. And the babies become fertile very young. I had an entire breeding colony within months of getting a second 'female' gp....

Lol Orm!! See I would LOVE a million little pigs running about beneath our feet but sadly I have a 20mo and a cat, it would Just Not Do...

Well, it's fab news as I've just rung round all the pet shops I can find in the yellow pages, and located a lone chocolate female who is 11 weeks old! Hurrah!

So have asked them to put a little reserved sticker on her and we're off to pick her up any minute.

I hope to goodness they will like each other! How on earth do we introduce them?

Do you think little pig is small enough not to be a threat to big pig? Do not wish to insitgate pig wars.

oh i am pretty sure they are young enough to be introduced.

Thankyou therealph..erm...yes.

Well we went and got her (she is a darling) and I held her while mum held Gloria and we let them have a mutual sniff for a minute, nothing happned so have bunged both in the hutch and there is utter silence

Either they are bonding, or maybe quietly knitting.

As long as there isn't bloodshed I don't care tbh

lol

Our little pig is alone too since rabbit friend died waiting until we can get a friend in 2 weeks.

Talkking of breeding them - I have a friend who spent some time in S America where guinea pigs live and breed under a stone bench near the fireplace in the kitchen and run about the floor! (If you are of a delicate disposition, don't ask what becomes of all the fresh meat little pigs.)

Is it really really sad that I am excited to hear how they have been getting on?

i have 2 guinea pigs out side even in the bad snow /weather they have been fine,seen foxes but mine are so safe nothing can get at them as long as they got plenty food/straw ect they will be fine also had rabbits out side you can always get an inside cage for now if u have the space

at the mere suggestion of culinary uses!

Giraffes you are wonderful, I am sad enough that I was hoping someone would ask for an update!!

They seem Ok. There was much squeaking on and off yesterday, and a few dashes around the hutch

but this morning I went in to give them their brekky, and opened the sleep bit and there they were huddled in the corner (awww)

The best thing was that instead of running away when I put my hand in, the tiny one stayed still and let me stroke her! So progress is being made. I can't wait until they come and greet me in the morning asking for their carrot/pear/whatever.

so all good so far. phew!

aww how cute at them sleeping cuddled up!

But bloody hell is they ask for pear "hello FA give us some pear" then I would contact the daily mail and vets - in that order.

I remember my rabbit first used to run in his wee den bit when I came in the room, now he runs up to me and circles my feet while grunting..I have read that means he wants to have his wicked way with me but I choose to see it as "good morning my lovely food provider"

Lol!!!

Aww you have a bun. Buns are lovely. Yes from experience I think it does mean he wants his wicked way. But that's the blessing of their not being able to actually, you know, talk