guenie pig dead

Question
My gueanie pig recently died and i dont know what to do about the other one, she is really lonely without her sister. My mum and dad are upset too but say we cant afford to keep another one, and what if they fight? My grandad thinks we should put her down cos shes so sad is this right? please help!!!

Answer
Hi Becky,

First of all, I'm very sorry for your loss. I know how hard it is when you lose a pet you're close to.

What your remaining piggy is going through is perfectly normal, especially since the deceased piggy was her sister, and she had known her her whole life. Guinea pigs who lose their companions almost always go through this kind of depression, but the problem can be solved...

Obviously the first solution WOULD be to get another guinea pig to keep her company. Female guinea pigs almost NEVER fight, and are very sociable creatures, especially if you introduce your piggy to a baby one, as the 'pecking-order' is established immediately. If you went to a local animal or guinea pig rescue, I am sure they would be able to arrange a gradual introduction to your pet(like the rescue I go to does,), to insure they get used to each other and hopefully eventually get along.

However, if this is definately impractical, there ARE other ways to help your piggy get over her depression.

Have you considered buying an indoor cage for her? You can purchase indoor cages for guinea pigs. You could get one for her, and keep her in your room, so then YOU would become her companion. You could give her lots of fuss and cuddles during the day and in the evening, and talk to her and keep her company. This would make her feel more comforted, just knowing you're there for her!

In my opinion (and many people think the same,) a pet should NEVER be put down unnecessarily, and in this case I'm sure your pet will get better with time if you try one of the solutions I've given you.
       At the guinea pig rescue I work at, we had an extreme case once when one of the volunteers accidentally left a pair of piggies in a run overnight, forgetting to bring them indoors. One of them survived, but unfortunately one of them was killed by a fox overnight. This caused the remaining piggy to go into an EXTREME case of depression due to her ordeal. Sje stopped eating, drinking, had dark rings under her eyes, and would just sit in the run or cage in a daze....she was so ill.She had lost the will to live. However, after we had introduced her to a lovely (neutered,) male, she gradually got better...she started to drink again and started to eat more and more, although the process took a little time.  When she was healthy enough, the pair were rehomed. Now they are frequently boarded at the rescue when the owners are on holiday, and shes never looked better!

Anyway, the point of that story was that, even if the depression is REALLY extreme, your piggy will recover, but only with lots of TLC. Like I said, if you cant get another companion for her, try the indoor cage, and you'll soon see an improvement in her.

I hope I was able to help!

Jo x