Can you only get one guinea pig?
After reading the other answers, they all seem to be missing a key point. Female guinea pigs are social creates who require small groups. Males are strictly solitary in the wild. Housing multiple males is possible, as the rest suggest, but is a massive pain the the arse and actually can shorten their life expentency. Female pigs require small groups of 2–4, however due to their size, pens need to be a good size, but a single male will do you very well.Guinea Pigs are also not very active creatures. Getting them a wheel is actually dangerous, as they aren't built for running but for burrowing and a wheel can cause them to trip and break a leg. Also, like all rodents, their teeth continuously grow so you need to provide them with a few small wooden blocks they can go and chew on.Another thing about them is their nutrition is a bit funny as well. About 75–80% of their diet is hay while the rest is the complete diet pellets you can get them. Also make sure to pick up Vitman C infused treats, (at least I'm pretty sure it was C) for them as they cannot naturally create it and require it in their diet. Whoever you buy him from should be able to answer and if they can't, I wouldn't buy from them.As far as outdoor access goes, Make sure they are in a penned in area where nothing can get to them and keep a close eye on them if there are hawks in your area. They really don't like running around much and like to slowly romp around eating grass and purring/squeaking.Source: Pet Store worker and Girlfriend who is obsessed with small animals and mother to many pigs.
Is it too late to get another guinea pig?
It's never too late to get another guinea pig! Although please be aware that when you introduce a new guinea pig to a herd, you alter the dynamics of the group and the hierarchy has to be re-established. This means that in some cases, your originally bonded pair can suddenly start fighting because of a new addition to the group and may continue to fight even when the new pig is taken away. Boar trios can work very successfully though, on certain conditions. If you do decide to get a new guinea pig, a young guinea pig (ideally one that is somewhere between 6 weeks and 3 months) is your best option. The young pig will be less likely to fight with your older pigs and your pigs will not see him as so much of a threat. On some occasions you can experience problems when the new pig goes through adolescence but usually it will settle down. Adult boars can be introduced but it is harder since they will not be afraid to challenge the alpha pig! Please consider adopting the new guinea pig. Adopting saves a guinea pig's life, gives him a second chance to a loving home and supports a great cause. Guinea pigs in rescue centres are correctly sexed, healthy and are calmer around humans since they get handled regularly. Some rescue centres will even allow you to take in your guinea pigs and give them a 'piggy play date' with other guinea pigs, to see who they get along with. If your guinea pigs are fairly dominant, be sure to pick out a guinea pig that is more recessive, to avoid personality clashes. Look for a pig that is calm with others and plays nicely. For advice on how to introduce the guinea pigs, please visit this website - http://www.cavyspirit.com/sociallife.htm... Be sure to take introductions slowly and carefully. Gradual introductions are the most rewarding, rushed introductions often end ugly. To increase the chance of your boars getting along when they are all living in the same cage, make sure it is large enough with room for the pigs to get away from eachother if they need to. For 3 boars, the cage should be a minimum size of 13 square feet. Please see http://www.guineapigcages.com/ for more information about cages. Try to have 3 hidey huts and 3 pellet dishes. Have more than one water bottle and provide either more than one hay rack or a very large hay rack. The less items they have to share, the less bickering there will be. I hope this helps you. Good luck. :)
Should I get a third guinea pig?
Lol my female guinea pig Reese's gets on top of the others and makes that weird growl-ish sound. That means they're in her spot or that she wants them to go away. So your guinea pig is making sure the other knows who's boss. XD You COULD get another guinea pig but when it comes to male guinea pigs and dominance- it may be a bit scary for the new guy. Getting a new guinea pig within a month of buying yours would've been better but I'm not so sure about now. You may have to get another cage to hold that one guinea pig in (Or try to get a divider)until you take your other 2 out to play with- you can take the new one out and let them get familiar with each other. If someone tries to fight- then hurry and hold the new one and comfort him. You may have to keep them separated for a while until they get used to the new one- but you can get one if you want. Make sure your cage is big enough and that the new guinea pig will have his own place to hide that the other 2 haven't claimed yet. He's going to be REALLY nervous so a lot of interaction from you will make him feel better about being around new guinea pigs that he's never seen before. (Try to make sure your new guinea pig keeps its distance away from the dominant one if you can. Just to be safe for now.)
My Guinea Pig Died, Should I get another one?
iv had this happen to me. i had 2 and one died and i did get another one. it is highly suggested that guinea pigs should have at least one other guinea pig to live with. you dont have to get another but its not a bad idea. another one of the same age and size is a good way to go. although my guinea pig was 2 when her friend died and i got a young one. but its up to you. hope i help and im sorry for your loss
Should I get a male or female guinea pig?
Female if you’re getting multiples.. male if just one.. males will attack and kill each other if they aren’t put together from the cradle so to speak.. and if you ever move them to separate surroundings they will do the same if you try to put them back together after more than 24–48 hours of separation… trust me on this as I learned the hard way.
Should I get a second guinea pig?
Yes, a guinea pig needs the company of his own kind. If he is a baby, it is good to find another baby boy his same age. If your guinea pig is a baby girl, it is best to find another baby girl about her age.If your guinea pig is an adult male, do not try to introduce another adult male to him. They will probably fight. If you introduce your adult male to a baby boy, he could attack and really hurt that baby.The best thing to do if you have an adult male is to get him neutered, and wait until he can no longer father babies, and then find an unspayed female who likes him, and they can share the same cage. You can find an adult female at the Humane Society, a guinea pig rescue organization, sometimes from a pet store, or from a person who runs or answers an ad, maybe in the paper or on Craig’s list.If you have an adult female, the best thing is to find a neutered male to live with her. If you can’t find one, you might want to buy or adopt one and have him neutered. First you want to make sure she likes the male, and you can tell that by keeping them in cages near each other, or in a cage divided in half. If she is not interested, she will never change her mind, so in that case try to find another male.Also it is best to find an adult who is about the same age as your guinea pig. If one is old and the other is young, the younger one will probably lose their room mate and go through a trauma. Also a young adult may annoy an older cage mate.
Do guinea pigs need a friend?
"Need" is an interesting choice--no, a guinea pig won't die for lack of a friend, but yes, a guinea pig is much, much happier with a friend. If you aren't in a position to be home with them a lot and interact with them, you really should get another guinea pig. I would also argue that you'll have a lot more fun with two guinea pigs--they interact and talk with each other in very entertaining ways, and you'll see behaviors that you'd miss without another pig around. I've had one pig at a time for a few months because one passed away and I didn't immediately get a new cagemate for the remaining pig, but it wasn't as enjoyable and I was very worried about the single pig feeling lonely and bored. Having two guinea pigs is a lot more fun for me and for the guinea pigs.If you're thinking of getting a new friend for a guinea pig, be sure to research introducing them. Like most animals, you can't just get another guinea pig, throw it into the cage and expect them to be best buds. (Or you could end up with way too many piggies if you didn't sex them correctly!) Check out the following link if you'd like more information about why having two pigs is better than one:Guinea Lynx :: Companionship
Is getting 2 guinea pigs harder than 1?
Absolutely not. Two guinea pigs is the same amount of work as one. They live together, so they don't take up that much more space and the cage cleaning is the same. The increase in food price is only roughly 25% more, which isn't a lot at all. They can be held together and come out for floortime together. And your guinea pig will be SO much happier. It will make her more active, friendly, perky, and all around happy. They enjoy having cagemates so much, they are some of the most social small animals out there. I wouldn't, but some guinea pigs don't mind. Dressing her up will probably agitate her, but you never know. Just make sure nothing's too tight or painful to her whatsoever. I wouldn't recommend it though.
My dad won’t let me get another guinea pig and he said if I ask again he would sell my only guinea pig away what do I do?
I would stop asking. You don't want your dad to follow through with the threat if selling your current guniea pig.Wait a while before you bring up the subject again. While you let time pass, do a little research to learn the benefits for your pig to have a friend. Do your chores and continue to show how responsible you are. Save your money in case.When the time is right, bring up the subject again. Talk about how it would be good for your current out to have a friend. Talk about how you can handle the responsibility if caring for two. And as a last resort say you will pay for the new one, if allowed to have another.Basically, let it go for now and when you bring it up again, have reasons and facts to help support your argument in getting a new friend.And if your dad says yes, check your local animal shelter: some have more than just cats and dogs