My guinea pig is lonely. Should I get a second, and what age is best?

You can get a young pig or one closer in age. Which ever you choose, have her examined by your veterinarian to confirm good health. Introduction should be gradual. Begin by having them in separate cages side by side. This way they can see, hear and smell one another but have no physical contact. Once they are acclimated, you can gradually introduce them for short periods of time under supervision. Clean and rearrange the cage you choose so it appears to be "neutral ground for both pigs. Rub some of the bedding from your first pig onto the new one before introduction. This scent transfer will help acclimation. Allow them to spend more and more time together while monitoring for signs of aggression. Provide extra food bowls, water bottles, etc to prevent resource protection or food aggression.

I am so sorry that you lost one of your guinea pigs! You are right that guinea pigs are social creatures and tend to like other guinea pig's company. However, you need to consider some things before getting another one. First - do you know why your guinea pig died? If it had an infectious disease, you would be putting a new guinea pig at risk too. In this case, I would recommend following your veterinarians advice. Also, do you have an adult male or an older female? Males tend to fight if you end up getting another male, but females can do well together - especially if they are relatively young. If you do get another guinea pig, try and introduce them in a way that they cannot fight - with a screen separating them or in cages that are close together for a while. Once they seem comfortable with each other, then you can try them together! There is no reason for you to wait to get another one, unless you think your guinea pig died from an infectious disease. Again, I am sorry you lost one of your pets.

I'm so sorry you lost your guinea pig, please accept my condolences for your loss. Parsley may be just fine, he may not even be aware of it. I'd hold off on getting another companion for now, as that may stress him out. Just keep an eye on it, and if you notice a decrease in appetite or activity, those can be signs another companion can be needed. Give him lots of love and attention. Again, I'm sorry.

I am so sorry for your loss. I would recommend taking ozzy to the vet to make sure he is healthy before introducing a new friend. It is possible that your guinea pig that passed away did not have an infectious disease but it would be good to make sure. Sometimes guinea pigs will get along and sometimes they will not. If you decide to get ozzy a friend I would introduce them slowly to make sure they get along. Hope that helps

Thank you for submitting your question regarding a potential guinea pig. It is perfectly fine to get one pig if you can give him or her plenty of social interaction. I typically only recommend housing same sex pigs together if they have been raised together. Otherwise pigs of the opposite gender or those who have not been raised together should be housed separately. I think they make great little pets. Enjoy!

I'm very sorry for the loss of your pet. Without a post mortem exam, it is difficult to say what could have caused such a sudden death. It may have been a genetic condition, infection or something in the environment. These little critters are very adept at concealing illness or injury even from experienced owners. You should take some solace in knowing she likely did not suffer. Monitor your remaining pig for any unusual symptoms or behaviors. Gradually reacclimate her to you. This can be done by introducing your hand into the cage for short periods of time and slowly increasing the length as she progresses. Provide small treats each time you interact with her. Once she has accepted your hand IN the cage, try petting her gently for increasing periods of time. Talk softly and move slowly. If she allows you to hold her, start off again with short periods of time until she accepts handling. It may take some time but be patient and be consistent.

Sounds like you are on the right track! I see that Sebastian is a male, and I assume that you are getting another male - I apologize if that is not correct, as that is what I will be speaking to. To introduce the boys, you can put their cages next to each other - they will have visual and auditory (hearing) contact, but no physical contact. If you don't see any signs of aggression, such as putting up their hair, chattering their teeth, or lunging at one another, then you can move towards supervised contact. I usually wait 4-5 days to do this - this will allow for your new guinea pig to get used to your house as well. During supervised contact, I will often feed the guinea pigs, as this will create positive experiences with one another. After a few days of putting the pigs together for sessions, then you can put them together. The part that worries me is that if both of your guinea pigs are intact males, that they may end up fighting in the future. I would recommend getting them castrated if there is a veterinarian in your area who is comfortable with performing the procedure. I hope that this helps!