Adding another guinea pig to our family

Question
We adopted a female guinea pig about 3 week ago. We love her so much that we are thinking of adopting another. We have a large cage that should be big enough for two girls. Do you have any advice?

Answer
Guinea pigs are as infectious as potato chips, you can't stop at just one. The best advice I can give you is make sure you are getting another of the same sex.  That's the biggest and most common mistake new owners make.

Most often it's because the people in the pet store don't know how to tell the difference, so a pig is sold as a female and turns out to be a male, then weeks later I get questions from people about "Why is my pig getting fatter?"

If your current pig is a grown pig it's best to get a baby. That way it eliminates the territorial issues that come up when two grown pigs are suddenly housed together.

There may be a bit of pushing and shoving at first as the newcomer has 'invaded' the space. That's normal and will stop in a few days. If your current pig is young she'll take to a room mate very quickly.

Congratulations on your choice for a great pet. You'll discover things about guinea pigs that most people never know. They are very social and enjoy their humans. They have a language that you'll learn as you go. It doesn't take long before you know exactly what she's telling you, and you'll jump right to her needs.