Appropriate company for guinea pigs

Make sure your guinea pig has appropriate company

Facts

• Guinea pigs are naturally sociable and normally prefer to be with another guinea pig.
   
• A guinea pig can develop abnormal behaviour and may suffer if he/she is left without company and has nothing to do for long periods of time.
   
• Guinea pigs kept together will naturally form a “pecking order” with some animals being more dominant than others. If there are not enough places in the accommodation for guinea pigs to spend time away from each other, they can become stressed and may start to bully lower ranking guinea pigs.
   
• Guinea pigs that are brought up together will usually get on with each other, but males introduced for the first time as adults may fight.
   
• Guinea pigs that are well handled by people from a young age can learn to see humans as friends and companions.
   
• Guinea pigs that receive little handling at an early age, or rough handling at any age, may find human contact distressing. This can be expressed as fearfulness, running away and hiding or aggression.
   
• Guinea pigs will usually be scared of cats and dogs because they are natural predators, but if introduced to them carefully early in life can develop friendships.
   

Things you should do

• Keep your guinea pig with at least one other friendly guinea pig, unless advised otherwise by a vet or clinical animal behaviourist. A good combination is a neutered male and one or more females. Two females can also live together. Litter brothers who are neutered may also successfully live together, if they have been brought up together.
   
• Get your male guinea pigs neutered, unless they are intended for breeding and provisions have been made to care for both parents and offspring. It is not common to neuter females as the operation is more complicated. Speak to your vet for advice about neutering.
   
• Handle your guinea pigs every day from an early age. Guinea pigs which live indoors can see humans as important companions. If your guinea pig has to be kept on his/her own for some reason you must provide him/her with companionship by interacting with him/her every day.
   
• Make sure your guinea pigs have places they can go to get away from companions if they want to and that there are enough resources (e.g. shelter, food, water, hiding places) for all your guinea pigs at all times.
   
• Introduce new guinea pigs gradually and under supervision, preferably in a space that is new to both guinea pigs. Seek advice from a guinea pig behaviour expert if you are unsure or have problems.
   
• When you are away make sure your guinea pigs are cared for by a responsible person.
   
• Never leave your guinea pigs unsupervised with another animal or person who may (deliberately or accidentally) harm or frighten them. Never leave your guinea pigs unsupervised with a cat or dog, even if you know they are good friends.