My guinea pig needs a buddy?

[tainag1]

I have a guinea pig. My cage is about medium but I don't think it's big enough for two guinea pigs. Could I buy him a playmate that's like a hamster or something related to them but not a guinea pig and put them in the same cage? I don't want two guinea pigs. But I want him to have a friend.

[Cheryl]

Your guinea pig needs another guinea pig. If you put another animal that's not a guinea pig, they are most likely not even touch each other, or fight to the death (I'm exaggerating).

Either you have to buy a new cage and a new guinea pig, or just let your guinea pig die from loneliness. I'm sorry, it's for the best.

[Peggy]

I'm sorry, but you can only have guinea pigs together, its very dangerous to the animals if there are different types of animals in 1 cage. One reason being the different diets, another being the lifestyle, and also being that one of the animals could very easily harm the other. If you truly want him to have a friend, I would really suggest another pig.

[Oxygen]

All guinea pigs need buddies. They are very social animals, and living alone is rather unnatural. A pair of piggies will play, eat, groom, sleep, etc together. A single guinea pig lives a much lonier life by comparison. Please get it another guinea pig, of the same gender. If you didn't want two guinea pigs, you should not have gotten one in the first place - they do need companions.

The minimum cage requirements for one OR two pigs is about 7 square feet. If your cage is any smaller, you need a larger one even if you do not get another pig. Introducing them is very easy if you take the time to research how to do it properly over neutral territory. If you just stick them together right away, they will fight, but this can be avoided. Please just read this: http://cavyspirit.com/sociallife.htm

You cannot mix guinea pigs and rabbits. Not only do the two require extremely different care to the point that they can't live in one cage and both be healthy. But they aren't able to communicate, and can potentially injure or kill one another (well, the guinea pig can get killed anyway). Never mix different species of animals in one cage.

[Torrie A]

If you were not prepared to own two guinea pigs, you shouldn't have gotten one. You are forcing your pet to live a lonely, boring, and sad life. Its unnatural for a guinea pig to be on its own.

Get a big enough cage, and get a same-sex guinea pig buddy.

You can not mix species. First, each animal has different dietary and habitat needs. A hamster needs hamster food, guinea pigs need hay and pellets and lots of veggies. You would never be able to house them together. Different animals can not communicate and keep each other company. They will only get stressed and one will probably kill the other.