So sad and need advice .

[Swingoutsistersledge2]

Sad morning . My much loved Guinea pig Annie has passed away this morning . We knew it would happen as she was poorly last night and we held her and made sure she was comfortable .
I now need to know what to do for Coco she is 18 months and will be lonely however she can be quite bossy and ruled the roost in their pen. I don't know if getting a young Piggie would be a good choice . Does anyone know of any rescue centres to contact to see if they have any mature females to keep Coco company as I know they can't live alone. Thank you xxx

Whereabouts are you?

Sorry you lost your guinea pig.

Thank you . I'm in Newcastle upon Tyne.

I am so sorry for your loss! That must be so difficult for you and your piggy. Guinea pigs can also feel a great deal of grief when they have lost a friend, so it is important to keep a close eye on her (ie. eating, drinking, and keeping on weight). Here is a great UK guinea pig rescue map from Kavee.

Thank you for your reply . Coco is just lying in her hutch I'll keep a close eye on her and give her some special treats . Thanks for link too really grateful for your advice .

Because she is quite dominant you may be better off adding a baby rather than another adult female. I know buying from pet shops isn’t ideal but if she’s pining badly you will need to get a friend ASAP as they can often stop eating. What breed is she? There are some breeds which are more mellow.

Hi. Coco is Peruvian. Do you think a baby would be better ? . I've just Emailed a rescue centre but most of them are in pairs as you would expect so a baby may be the way forward. Thank you .

2 babies? With a gap you risk a baby being alone in time. Vicious circle isn't it? Not sure how GP work but they sound amazing!

Such a sad time when you lose a little friend. Our local Pets At Home offers a bonding service but I do think it's quite a skill to determine if two will get on together.
Ours has lived alone for over a year now - her cage is inside and she comes out for a play and cuddles in the lounge every evening. We had an unsuccessful bonding once before so decided not to try it this time round, although if our little girl seemed to be pining then we would have done of course.
Coco could live with a neutered boar as well as with another female. Lots of love xx

If you are planning on keeping guinea pigs longer term I would try and find her a companion. I had three but had to separate one due to fighting. She was quite happy as a singleton - but did get lots of extra attention from me compared to the others.

I'm keeping Coco and will be looking to introduce a new piglet over the weekend I've just put in a clean soft toy to keep her company for now and she is snuggled into it . The good thing is they are kept in my kitchen so there is always someone around to keep an eye. Thanks again everyone for your great advice .

Peruvians and Abyssinians can be spiky little things with their personalities. Generally I have found crested and rexes to be the most laid back. Teddies can also be pretty chilled. I’d avoid any of the longer haired breeds such as Peruvians or shelties as they can be quite highly strung. Hope that helps. I’d definitely go for a younger one, older sows tend to ‘mother’ babies but can take against an older female.

I didn’t mean avoid Peruvians all together, just as a companion for your existing Peru 🤣

I totally agree my Coco is v fiesty. A Teddy sounds lovely My Annie was Abyssinian . Wish me luck . Coco has been with us tonight and seems to be OK. Still v sad and I'm sure she misses her as they were always cuddled up together .

I don't know if you've got your new pigletty one but ......

Teddy pigs are lovely with their springey coarse fur but we found ours was very allergenic . (My DD was fine with smooth and Abby , bit sensitive to Rex but massively allergic to our Teddy)

Have you considered a castrated boar ?
When we were suddenly left with our young Rex boar ( 1.4kg and quite a boary boar) we got him two feisty sows to live next to while he went sterile . Then did the introductions
When the Rex boy died we got the (already castrated but had to go sterile ) Teddy
The girls were "ok , been there /done that" and took No Nonsense From Him. (though he was a Gent among Piggies )

Hope you get a lovely companion (or more ) for Coco