We felt this was an important topic to cover, especially for people who may be considering guinea pigs as pets! Guinea pigs are NOT solitary creatures. They are very social animals and are the most content when living with other piggies. Did you know that in the wild, guinea pigs live in herds! While you might come across the occasional pig that doesn’t seem to get along well with others, the general rule of thumb is – guinea pigs are social and should be kept in pairs or groups.\
Some things to consider when pairing or grouping piggies:
Think about keeping same sex piggies together to avoid unwanted pregnancies.
Or consider spaying or neutering your pigs, if you do want to keep opposite sex piggies in the same area.
If you do seem to have a piggie that doesn’t play well with others, consider keeping the difficult piggie in a separate area, but close enough to other pigs that he/she can hear/smell and communicate with the other piggies from a safe distance. This way they won’t feel isolated!
When introducing new pigs that are going to be living together, introduce them in a neutral area with some snacks, to see how they get along! This gives them time to get to know each other over food…their favorite thing!
Socializing also includes the time YOU spend with your piggies. They need social interaction with piggies and their people! You should aim to dedicate a couple hours a day with your pigs. They will learn your voice, routine and can even be taught tricks, if you want to try training them! And for us, there is nothing so rewarding as piggie cuddles! And there is always plenty of that here at Broken Oak Sanctuary!