Companionship
Guinea pigs are social animals and should not live alone. They love the company of other guinea pigs and should always live in pairs or a herd. Single sex herds or pairs are ideal, with littermates making the best companions. However, male and female guinea pigs can live together but to avoid your guinea pigs mating, it is important to have the male neutered first.
Guinea pigs should never be kept with other species such as rabbits or chinchillas. They have completely different needs from food to housing and may fight. Unfortunately, many rabbits carry a bacteria called Bordetella Bronchiseptica which can lead to severe pneumonia in guinea pigs.
How to introduce new guinea pigs
If you need to introduce your guinea pigs for the first time because they aren’t littermates or if your guinea pig’s companion has sadly passed away and you want to introduce a new companion then this needs to be done very slowly and carefully.
Before you bring a new guinea pig home, always consider the gender of your current guinea pig, and whether they are neutered. If you have a female guinea pig in need of a companion it may be best to consider bringing home a neutered male, as this can be more successful. However personality types need to be considered also. A confident guinea pig might prefer a quieter housemate, to avoid issues with dominance.
Never put your guinea pigs together straight away. Start slowly by putting their housing beside each other and get them used to each others smell by swapping their toys over. After a while, move them into the same enclosure, but with a safety barrier between them. When they are ready to meet for the first time make sure it is on neutral ground with lots of tunnels and holes for them to hide in. Also provide them with their favourite food. Always keep an eye on them for any signs of aggression!
It can take time to build a good relationship between new guinea pigs but with patience and knowing the right things to look out for, you can help build a long lasting relationship between your guinea pigs.
