Lone guinea pig - what to do?

[Fifipop185]

One of our piggies died yesterday, she was about 6 and lived a good life, was adored by us all. Sadly, we have one girl left all on her own.

I'm worried that she will be very lonely, we are not looking to get her a friend and she will be our last GP.

Everything I've read suggests they shouldn't be kept alone as they're social animals. My DC's are older and bring the pigs inside daily for cuddles and playtime.

I'm thinking of buying a big indoor cage for the remaining pig, so she isn't alone outside. Is this the best thing to do? She would be put out in her run if the weather is dry during the day, like usual.

Should we look to rehome her? I don't think I could bare to do that but I would if it was the best thing for her.

TIA

I'm sorry for your loss, OP :(
you might find this thread on the same topic helpful x
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/super_furry_animals/3054232-How-best-to-care-for-my-lonely-guinea-pig

Thank you. I didn't see this pop up in my search. Will have a read.

Our last guinea pig has been on his own for 3 years now (he is 8), we didn't think he'd tolerate a new friend. We just make sure he has lots of cuddles and attention, hes in the living room so there is always someone around. He seems fine with this and I don't think he would have lived so long if he wasn't happy.

Yes to lots of cuddles and contact with your GP's human buddies. My friend put a mirror in her solo gerbil's cage (Different animal, I know. But they too need to be paired). Actually, it worked out very well. Sort of like Narcissus but with a happy ending. You could try it.

Sorry for your loss. I think your idea of moving her indoors is a good one.

We lost one of our piggies in Sept 17 at the age of 4. The remaining one lived outside for 6 months then moved indoors when we moved house.

She was perfectly happy & content and passed away peacefully in my arms a couple of months ago aged 6.5

Thanks everyone. We have followed advice and bought a suitable indoor cage which we can keep safely in my eldest DS's room. She has settled in ok, has been munching her way through her veggies and popping about as if nothing has changed. DS has been watching her closely and has been talking to her all day, but he'd never admit it.

@MintyCedric Gorgeous piggy!

We did this, put her where she could see us coming and going. She lived for another two years on her own, to nearly 8. Cuddles, chats, strawberry tops.

You can pop a mirror in the cage to make them think there is another piggy.
Some piggies are quite content alone

Slight aside here...

In Switzerland it's illegal to keep them on their own so they run a loan system so you don't get stuck in the endless loop of having to get more 😍

Thanks @Fifipop185ifipop she was a cutie and had the most lovely temperament. She'd snuggle on my shoulder and lick my cheek and loved a warm bath and blow dry! That photo was taken after a pamper session a couple of weeks before she died.

Glad your piggie is settling ok. One thing I did notice is that the amount of fresh food Luna got through on her own was the same as both of them, but she never out a huge amount of weight on. She also never ate apple after Bella died...although it was Bella's favourite. Funny little creatures.

We went from 3 to 2 to 1 over the space of six months .
,
Our sow pair and the Boar Next Door (his wives had died but bonding with the other two girls didn't work)

We moved them all indoors 24/7 in their last winter , GP5 was euthanised in the October , we married the remaining sow and the boar. They were happy but he died in the January .

We kept GP7 on her own (the pigs had the small bedroom, there's no door on it ) DD used to take her into her bedroom , she was next to our room.

She had an eye ulcer , we thought she'd lose the eye but it healed. Though when she had pig company , any eye injuries healed up quickly because they used to groom each other .
She was seen by the Vet on a Friday and given the All Clear , but passed away on the Sunday night , very peacefully .
They were all about 5 yo , so getting on a bit in pig years.

She was a strong minded sow who only tolerated our boar because he knew his place . They had a massive C&C and space to chill out.
Even her long term cagemate GP8 got the sharp edge of her tongue now and again.
Personally with her , a new cagemate would've upset the applecart .

It is a difficult dilema when you have one left .
Last Feb (2019) we had some lovely warm dry days where she could go in her run to graze and listen to the garden.

I love the idea of listening to the garden.

We've just had the death of our 'last' pig, last week. However we temporarily fostered twin guinea pigs and now it's lockdown we've decided it's not the time to rehome them this is the official excuse so we now have two more. They really will be the Last Pigs as the DCs will have left home when these pigs are elderly.

Bringing your lone pig inside is the best idea though you might want to fit a silencer to the fridge door first.

😂 silenced on the fridge door and kitchen door!!!

I had my old lone piggy inside in the living / dining area. Lots of company for her and she knew when the fridge was being opened 🤷‍♀️.
I'd had them for for 20yrs and it was so easy to get stuck in a loop of getting new ones.

Cross posted about the fridge door .

Guinea pigs are expert fridge door detectors

Our kitchen door squeaks so there is no escaping from their super ears. I'm off out in the garden in a mo to get laundry in, they will know and expect dandelions.

Fridges and you cannot eat a bag of crisps without the chorus of "We have mouths too y'know"

I was looking out in my NDN garden late night at the hugest fox and felt that sick dread for a second that always comes with foxes in the garden.
Our pigs had a Fort Knox of a pighouse but I never trusted foxes ever .

Yes to the crisp packs. You know you are a servant to pigs when your children say 'you buy more vegetables for them than you do for us' - but then they would get as many if they actually ate them!

I'm sorry for your loss OP, it's so hard when we lose a little one
We keep our pigs indoors (girls in living room, boys in kitchen) and your piggie would enjoy being around people for company, certainly a lot more than being outdoors.
We all interact with our pigs all day so I'm sure your girl would be spoilt too. I too don't want to add more pigs to the house so we'll end up having a single pig one day too and will keep them in the living room cage and make sure they spend a lot of time with us (they usually watch TV with us on the sofa at night).

Could you get a rescue pig for a friend and pass it back to the rescue if that one is left solo? Or a rescue of the same age?

I guess I will be the same with my rabbits at some point, there comes a point when you have to stop getting a new friend.

i run a guinea pig rescue and you cant put boars with another boar they have to be together from the start ie brothers. we recently had one boar die and his mate is on his own sadly but she has an indoor cage so lots of company. we also have another lone male scampy but he has a cage indoors but spends all day wandering around the house quite happily. finally inside we have tinsel and her two babies who are now grown up! thats three females always happy together so we leave them as they are. we do have another lone male but he is quite happy alone. all you can really do is give him lots of fuss and if he is indoors if its in a busy area he will benefit from it.

We've got a pair of boars together but like the PP said they are brothers which have been together since birth. They will square up to each other like they are about to fight but then one of them finds a bit of hay or other food to eat and forgets about the scrap. It helps that we have a two level c&c so they can retreat when they want to. It's got 6 different things to hide in so they have a choice of where to hide.