Pairing an older female with two younger, neutered males?

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Winnie the Pooh

Post   » Fri Nov 19, 2021 5:45 pm


Hello! I was an active member on this site many years ago, and grateful it is still around and thriving.

I have had two females for about four years (they were rescued as adults, so I don't know their exact age), but lost one today to cancer. I'm trying hard to put it out of my mind for now. I don't want my girl, Ophelia, to be alone after so long of having had a partner. My preference would be to add two young females and have a trio. They will live in a 2 x 5 C & C cage.

I went on Pet Finder and found several bonded young males, but very limited young females, even using a 100 mile radius. I would prefer to get a pair of young ones, because although my remaining pig is doing fine, she does have a mammary tumor and is under the care of the vet. When her time comes, ugggh, I don't want the new pig to be alone.

I've always had only girls or only boys, and have never housed males and females together (she is spayed and I would make sure the boys were neutered). I just thought I'd see what others have experienced. I can wait for the right pair of females, but don't want my girl to be alone too long.

Thank you for your help!

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Fri Nov 19, 2021 10:54 pm


You can't put two males with females regardless of whether they're neutered.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Nov 19, 2021 11:18 pm


I am sorry for your loss. Bpatters knows of what she speaks! Rescues will have a room with both sexes. Even the presence of another guinea pig (or two) can be comforting to a lone guinea pig.

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Fri Nov 19, 2021 11:53 pm


Ditto, Lynx. You can't put two boars with a female unless you want to have vet bills. My suggestion is to try and find a female close to her age to put with with her, as a younger one may harass or annoy her. If you can't, a younger female could work,but you'll have to monitor them closely and separate them if there's a problem.

In the absence of any suitable females, you could put paired males close enough to her cage so she knows she's not alone but not right up against, as the boys may sense her and fight over her. My girl's cage is about 5 feet from the boys and I have no issues. The two that are located closest to the girls are about 7 months old and very hormonal. They don't even realize that their neighbors are females.

One other thing to consider is that a single pig can be happy by herself. You'll have to double up on the attention you give her, but it can work. These are just some things to consider.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Nov 20, 2021 8:18 am


This page may help for now:
https://www.guinealynx.info/alone.html

Winnie the Pooh

Post   » Sat Nov 20, 2021 9:12 am


Thank you! You gave me a lot to think about. I'm definitely not going to house her with boys. Now I need to decide if I'm going for an older female or a younger one. In the past, when I've had boys, I've always paired my older boy with a younger boy (or boys) and they ended up getting along really well. Maybe it's different with females? In the meantime, I will do what I can to keep her happy alone. Thanks for the link, Lynx! It's really starting to sink in that my girl, Claire, is really gone. :(

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Nov 20, 2021 6:56 pm


A single neutered male is a possibility too. It will all come down to personality - and as guinea pigs get older, it can change.

Hope all goes well for Ophelia!

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sat Nov 20, 2021 7:38 pm


I'm sorry for your loss as well. Is Sellersburg too far to travel? I'm very familiar with the rescue there, and she almost always has females. I think she has a couple of bonded pairs right now, in fact.

Winnie the Pooh

Post   » Sat Nov 20, 2021 9:28 pm


Thank you for the suggestions! I originally was going to go for a young pair of girls, but am considering adding a single female. There is a single one-year-old at the local Animal Control Center. She is adorable and her coloring makes it look like she is wearing a black jacket. If not, I will probably try EARPS first, which is about 2-3 hours away. I fostered for them many moons ago. If not, I checked out the Sellersburg website. They do have some cute pairs. I would be willing to do the 5 hour drive for the right pigs. Decisions, decisions.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sun Nov 21, 2021 10:44 am


Oh, yes---EARPS would be closer. Did you know Sarah? She is no longer there, from what I understand.

Good luck. I hope things work out with whatever you decide.

Winnie the Pooh

Post   » Tue Nov 23, 2021 3:57 pm


Sorry to bug you again, but I'm in a quandary. I did find two girls in Auburn at a small rescue that look promising. My issue- there is a girl at Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control that is adorable, and I'm worried that it is not a "no-kill" shelter. I would rather adopt a pig that has a time-limit than two that are safe at a rescue. Do you happen to know if that is a no-kill shelter? I looked it up and didn't see anything either way. I'm reluctant to call and ask if they euthanize unwanted animals. :(

P.S. Sarah sounds familiar, but it's been about 15-20 years. My mind is no longer a "steel trap".

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Tue Nov 23, 2021 5:13 pm


If I'm looking at the right website, they have two females right now: Snickerdoodle and Kiwi. Both are adorable. :)

I have a sense that they are not a kill-shelter, just based on some of the things they say about rehabilitation and care on their website, but they don't actually spell it out.

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