Thinking about
adopting a new pig into your herd? You should think carefully about what will need to change before you adopt a new bundle of furry joy. Here are some things to consider:
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| Broccoli is the newest member of the herd. |
Interactions between us takes interesting new twists and turns
Since guinea pigs are herd animals by nature, throwing a new pig into the mix forces us to reassess our social hierarchy. The battle for top pig begins all over again, so be sure you introduce us carefully and monitor us so
the fighting doesn't get too ugly.
You'll need more space (and an extra pigloo)
The number of pigs you have should determine how many square feet our cage should be. Check out the
guineapigcages.com handy guide for exact measurements.
Make sure you can handle the extra expenses
You may think that since you already invested in cage, hay, pellets, your water bottle, bedding, etc., that another pig won't be a big deal, but consider that if you have one pig and get a second, your vet bills will double. If you have two and are adding a third, that's triple the vet bills. In our experience, vet bills are always the biggest expense, and can be as little as $20 here and there for
nail trims to $80 for check ups each year, to
$400 for major surgeries. So just remember that you'll have to put some extra cash aside for your new furry friend. We love the saying, "If you can't afford the vet, you can't afford the pet."
We get a bit louder
Our need to communicate broadens from just chatting with you, the human, to this new pig. Be aware that we will have a lot to say, and we might not stop chatting just because you've gone to sleep at night.
