hyun yu

My wife and I want to get a couple of guinea pigs, but the local pet stores
have one boy and one girl, respectively. I know we shouldn't let them live
together unless we want a bunch of little 'uns running around.

I know they are social animals and should have company... but would it be
bad for them to be alone for about 5-7 days until we can get another guinea
pig of the same ***?

Thanks very much in advance for any help.

Hyun Yu

mike & jenna zeidler

I really encourage you to check out your local human society. Lately, mine
has been over run with guinea pigs. Fact is, they're almost always cheaper
at the humane society also. And you're saving a life, not feeding the
petstore machine. Please consider this in your search for a piggie!

Jenna

incs

"Hyun Yu" <hyunster@cox.net> schreef in bericht
news:bjqr7g$lrgei$1@ID-126468.news.uni-berlin.de...

stores

live


guinea

No it's not *bad* to have them by themselves for a couple of days, but the
introducing to you, the cage and each other will be much harder. Two girls
can almost always get along just fine, a neutered male and a female too. Two
males *can*, but don't have to, mean trouble. If you want two boars; young
brothers stand the best chance of liking each other, even after puberty.

Try to be patient and don't get yourself and your future piggies into the
mess of introducing them after a couple of days; the first one might already
have accepted the cage, the house and you as 'private property' so the new
piggy doesn't get a fair chance. When they're together in their new cage and
new house, getting used to you, they will be friends almost immediately.

Patience... (it's hard, knowing you're gonna get those cuties but still have
to wait..) :-)

Incs
CaviAria; ode to guinea pigs!
http://devoted.to/caviaria

alison

Hi ,
you could have the little boy neutered.

--
Alison

Rescues.
http://mysite.freeserve.com/AnimalRescueLinksUK/

Links to animal information websites
http://mysite.freeserve.com/petinfolinks/

john jones

IMO: 5-7 days won't traumatize them. Before you introduce them
to each other, clean and disinfect the cage and everything else
they will share. Wash the pigs and put Vicks Vapor rub (camphor,
methyl salicylate, and menthol in petroleum jelly) on their noses
and rear-ends.

This is a tip I learned here on apgp, and it works well for me.
It doesn't /make/ them like each other, but it minimizes fighting
in the early days.