Guinea pigs are social animals who enjoy the company of other piggies.
Can guinea pigs be kept alone?
They can but it is not good for them.
They thrive off social interaction and being together will help them lead happier lives.
If a guinea pig is kept alone they will survive but they won’t be happy unfortunately.
Eventually it will affect not only their psychological health but their physical health as well.
An error that inexperienced owners often make
An error that inexperienced owners often make is to keep one guinea pig by themselves instead of adopting a pair of cavies.
When they are in their natural habitat, guinea pigs gather in large communities and spend vast amounts of time interacting with each other.
If they are more domesticated, guinea pigs don’t usually have the availability to that kind of social structure.
In their natural habitat, they have more opportunity for interaction.
When a guinea pig is left alone
When a guinea pig is left alone they tend to be much more on edge, more fearful and skitish as well.
They become prone to depression because they are let alone.
A guinea pig that is kept alone will also miss some of the other things they benefit from being with other cavies.
When two guinea pigs are kept together
When two guinea pigs are kept together, they look out for each other.
If one develops an ailment, they other has been know to help them by giving them food.
Maybe one becomes stuck in some kind of uncomfortable situation, then another may wheak for attention.
If the guinea pigs form a close bond together, they may develop more empathy with one another.
Not every guinea pig forms such a close bond with another cavy, but they have a better chance of living a better quality life.
Guinea pigs that live together will also help keep each other lead a more active life.
They naturally enjoy chasing around and playing.
Even cavies that don’t actually get along that well, can help each other as they can keep each other active and alert when it comes to making sure that each other has the right amount of food.
A guinea pig that is kept alone is more likely to stay still and be much less active.
In the end, it can have a negative effect on their health.
There are cases where a guinea pig that is kept alone can bond with their owner.
However, this requires a great amount of time and attention on the part of the owner.
Unless you have 2-3 hours a day to spend with them they are not going to get the best from you that they need.
It is much better to adopt another guinea pig to keep them company.
