Can you have just one guinea pig?

Question

I know its probably better to have 2, but is it ok to just get one?

Answer 1

Yes, i had just one, but since they are going to be lonely, you might want to spend more time with it!  :D

Answer 2

yes i did for a while and she used to "talk" to me and squeak and loved a fuss more than i think she would if she was with a chum. if u want a close realtion ship with it then keep her alone.

hope this helps milliexx

Answer 3

Not really.

Guinea pigs may seem "fine" on their own, but the people saying that usually don't have any experience with what a happy guinea pig really looks like. Happy guinea pigs - those living in groups - will engage in a variety of social behaviors and will feel much more secure. They'll be more active and outgoing. I bet few people with one pig have ever seen it popcorn or run.

Lone guinea pigs tend to just sit in their cage and eat. That's where they get their reputation as a "boring" pet that never moves.

I got my first guinea pigs, a pair, years ago. One died of old age and I got another one to keep the survivor company. When the older pig died, I was in the middle of a move and couldn't get another pig for a little while. The remaining pig went from an outgoing pig to a withdrawn one who just sat in one place. Even when I took her out for floor time, she wouldn't budge. She was also very quiet. When I was able to, I got two more pigs, and now the three of them are incredibly loud, outgoing, and active. I put them on the floor and they play "follow the leader" and explore as a group. They're much happier than a single pig.

So please, don't get a single guinea pig. Some pigs won't get along with other pigs no matter what, but they are the exception, and even those grumpy pigs tend to like the presence of pigs in other cages that they can see and smell and talk to.

Answer 4

Yea it's fine, just make sure you give it lots of love and attention.  You might want to buy it a cozy or something it can snuggle up with, it'll help it if it gets lonely!  But, you really need to get two because guinea pigs are social animals and live in ''herds''.

Answer 5

Yes, it is fine to have just one.  Though, you might have to spend more time with it, because you don't have another one to keep it company.

Answer 6

No, it's best to have two. Guinea pigs are very social animals & need a companion. It would not be fair to get just one. Guinea pigs can actually die of loneliness. It you can't get two, it's best not to get a guinea pig at all.

Good luck anyways, I hope this helps.

Lily

Answer 7

I would say no, it's not okay. Can you? Yes. But it's not really fair to the guinea pig. Human interaction can't replace same species interaction no matter how much time you spend with the pig.

Answer 8

Of course! I used to only have one! Its fine!

Answer 9

yes its ok to have just one it might not live 5-8yrs but around 4 just give it lot of attention they need it, spoil it!

Answer 10

Yes mine was alone for 2 years and she was perfectly fine but she was always asking for attention. Then we got her a friend but sadly not even a year went by and she died :-( Now she is alone again but she seems fine. Just try to give them more attention and if you ever decide to get her a friend she will have more company then ever.

Answer 11

Can you just have one? Yes.

SHOULD you just get one? NO!

Really whether you decide to get one or more depends on how much you actually care about the welfare of the animal(s) concerned.

1) Guinea pigs are a social species. Their ancestors and their wild relatives are social species. Guinea pigs never naturally live alone.

It is established scientific fact that social animals suffer from a variety of welfare and health problems when housed alone, including:

Abnormal behaviour (e.g. stereotypies, depression)

Reduced immune response and increased healing time

Reduced learning ability and memory

Even reduced lifespan.

In terms of purely psychological welfare a singly housed animal (of a social species) is almost certainly going to be more lonely, bored and fearful. It will suffer.

2) You will constantly get people telling you its fine to have a single piggie if you spend lots of time with it.

Sorry.... totally wrong, it doesn't work like that.

Certainly a guinea pig can form a bond with its owner. It may show affection, and learn to enjoy the attentions of humans. But a human is not a guinea pig. You are a totally different species - you can not possibly communicate and interact with your piggie in a natural and meaningful way. You don't have dominance issues to worry about. You don't sleep or eat together, and squabble over the best bits. You don't play chase or run laps and popcorn together...

Spending time with your guinea pig is great - but it can never make up for the company of another piggie.

And even if it could... how much time can you really spend with your piggie? Most people are out during the day at work or school. When you are home you have things like cooking and eating, chores, relaxing and socialising etc. And then you spend the night asleep in bed. Which means even if you could provide suitable company for your guinea pig, it would still be alone for the vast majority of its day - every day - for life!

3) Keeping pets is a choice.

It is up to you whether to keep animals or not - you don't HAVE to do it, you do so because you want to.

What excuse can there be for CHOOSING to get an animal even when you KNOW you can not, or will not, give it what it needs to be happy and healthy? Surely it is just another form of deliberately causing an animal to suffer.

So there you go. It is morally wrong to cause unnecessary suffering. Choosing to get a single pet guinea pig is unecessary - and causes suffering.

If you can only get one, you really shouldn't get one at all.

Answer 12

its best to have two together as you may find they get stressed being on their own and we can not give them 24/7 attention i recommend two females

Answer 13

Well, you can just have one cavy, but, especially if you don't give them loads of attention every day, they are bound to get lonely. Guinea pigs are herd animals, and I would advise against only having one. Asking if you can have just one cavy is kinda like asking if you can have just one Lay's potato chip. They get addicting, I've had four and counting. ;-)