How many guinea pigs should you have?
Hi readers, I thought this would be a good post as I have already done where to get guinea pigs and lots of people get only one (I did to start with) but should you get one, a pair or a herd? Here's what I think.
A single guinea pig can get lonely unless you are at home all day, or it can interact with any other guinea pigs through Bars/Plexiglas/Mesh.
As most of you will know, I have a young female guinea pig called Maisie, who lives on her own due to her not getting on with Bramble and Patches, but she is happy and healthy anyway. As I have 2 other guinea pigs, if I lose one, Maisie will hopefully become their friend (just putting that I am unlikely to lose on of them anytime soon!).
When I first decided to get a guinea pig I only got one (Patches). But she was lonely, so I got another, (Bramble) so she wouldn't be lonely and they got on well.
Then I got Maisie, after the neutered male I was going to get had to be put to sleep. I would never recommend getting a single guinea pig unless it was recommended by a rescue, or you're at home all day to give it attention. If you are at home all day and you don't have larger pets like dogs or cats you can litter train your guinea pig and have it free range.
Many males are fine alone but a better option is to get him neutered and get a female for company.
A pair of guinea pigs is a good idea if you are out during the day, or don't have time to play with your guinea pig for around an hour each day. From my experience I would recommend getting a pair from the same litter at the same time, other wise you could end up with 2 single guinea pigs if they don't get on! They will take up more space than a single but they are fun to watch especially when playing tug of war with hay/veggies!
A herd of guinea pigs is a lot more work than a single or a pair, as more space, food, bedding and time is needed. A good example of a herd is Erin from Pets Palace TV. Erin has 9 guinea pigs, 1 neutered male and 8 females who have all gradually been introduced to each other. It is hard to get a herd to get along but if you do this gradually, they should get along, or just put them all in together! A herd of guinea pigs is more than 3 guinea pigs (1 is a single, 2 is a pair, 3 is a trio and more than 3 is a herd). I am unlikely to ever have a herd unless I have more space, or buy a female that has an unexpected pregnancy (I wouldn't choose to breed my guinea pigs)
I hope you find this useful when deciding how many guinea pigs to get,
Book Worm :)
A single guinea pig can get lonely unless you are at home all day, or it can interact with any other guinea pigs through Bars/Plexiglas/Mesh.
As most of you will know, I have a young female guinea pig called Maisie, who lives on her own due to her not getting on with Bramble and Patches, but she is happy and healthy anyway. As I have 2 other guinea pigs, if I lose one, Maisie will hopefully become their friend (just putting that I am unlikely to lose on of them anytime soon!).
When I first decided to get a guinea pig I only got one (Patches). But she was lonely, so I got another, (Bramble) so she wouldn't be lonely and they got on well.
Then I got Maisie, after the neutered male I was going to get had to be put to sleep. I would never recommend getting a single guinea pig unless it was recommended by a rescue, or you're at home all day to give it attention. If you are at home all day and you don't have larger pets like dogs or cats you can litter train your guinea pig and have it free range.
Many males are fine alone but a better option is to get him neutered and get a female for company.
A pair of guinea pigs is a good idea if you are out during the day, or don't have time to play with your guinea pig for around an hour each day. From my experience I would recommend getting a pair from the same litter at the same time, other wise you could end up with 2 single guinea pigs if they don't get on! They will take up more space than a single but they are fun to watch especially when playing tug of war with hay/veggies!
A herd of guinea pigs is a lot more work than a single or a pair, as more space, food, bedding and time is needed. A good example of a herd is Erin from Pets Palace TV. Erin has 9 guinea pigs, 1 neutered male and 8 females who have all gradually been introduced to each other. It is hard to get a herd to get along but if you do this gradually, they should get along, or just put them all in together! A herd of guinea pigs is more than 3 guinea pigs (1 is a single, 2 is a pair, 3 is a trio and more than 3 is a herd). I am unlikely to ever have a herd unless I have more space, or buy a female that has an unexpected pregnancy (I wouldn't choose to breed my guinea pigs)
I hope you find this useful when deciding how many guinea pigs to get,
Book Worm :)
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