How To Introduce Guinea Pigs - PDSA

Guinea pigs are very sociable creatures and need to live in pairs or small groups, as they would in the wild. We recommend always having two or more guinea pigs together, with safe introductions to keep them happy.

Our guinea pigs need other guinea pigs. They love nothing more than the company of their own kind; this allows them to express their natural behaviours and meets their social needs. Our company is not enough - if you have one guinea pig on their own, or your guinea pig recently lost their pal, they will often struggle. We’re not able to stay with our pets 24/7 and they need a friend of their own species to understand them and communicate with.

It’s really important that if you’re planning to bring a new guinea pig into your current guinea pig’s life (or into an already existing social circle) you do it very carefully. This will stop any disagreements – after all, it’s not easy to live with someone you don’t know!

Which friend is right for my guinea pig?

Getting the right friend for your guinea pig is vital for them to get along well. Some guinea pigs can have big personality clashes so it’s important to make sure they have the right companion to share their life and home. Wherever possible, we’d recommend getting your guinea pigs as established friends – whether they are littermates or a previously bonded pair. But if you lose one of your guinea pigs, or you already have just one guinea pig at home, you need to know how to find the right new friend to keep them both happy. Here’s some advice on picking a companion for your guinea pig:

• Their friend should always be a guinea pig (rabbits and guinea pigs don’t tend to get along well together and some rabbits will bully guinea pigs. Rabbits can also carry a bacteria which usually doesn’t affect them, but can make guinea pigs really ill).
• Guinea pigs are commonly kept in single sex groups, so a pair of males or a pair of females. Siblings or father-son/ mother-daughter pairings often live well together.
• Pairings of male and female guinea pigs can also work well - just make sure they are neutered to prevent any unwanted litters! Sometimes, a mixed sex group (males with females) will get on better than single sex groups- but this depends more on their individual personalities than if they’re male or female.
• If you have a group of three or more guinea pigs, it’s often recommended to have only one male- in the wild, most groups live as a single male with several females.
• Think about whether the guinea pigs are compatible. It’s important to think about your guinea pig’s personality and pick a friend that will suit them. For example, if your guinea pig is really active, choose them a friend that loves to play, but if they’d rather snuggle up, a quieter companion might be better. Or if you have a dominant and confident guinea pig, a less opinionated friend could be good for them (or the other way round if you have a laid back guinea pig). If you’re rehoming a guinea pig from a centre or using a bonding service, the staff will want to know about your guinea pig’s personality so they can help you pick a friend.

Social groups in the wild can vary from pairs to both small and large groups, but guinea pigs always feel safer and comfortable with their own kind so shouldn’t be kept alone. Remember to make sure they have the perfect home.

Guinea pig bonding: step-by-step

If you've found the perfect friend for your guinea pig (or guinea pigs if you already have a small group!), you’ll be really keen to start introducing them. But it’s important to take things slowly.

We would recommend keeping them apart until you are sure your new guinea pig is healthy Give them a couple of days to settle in on their own- coming to a new home can be quite stressful, which can lead to illnesses they could pass on to your existing guinea pig(s). If your guinea pigs develop any symptoms of illness, get them checked by your vet before you start introductions.

Never try to put your guinea pigs together straight away – give them time to get to know each other first, allowing them to start to become friends before they start living together all the time.

Some rescue centres offer a ‘bonding service’, which can be really helpful if you’ve not had any experience bonding guinea pigs before or if you don’t have enough space for two full size guinea pig homes until they’ve made friends. Contact local rescue centres to see how they can help, even if you didn’t get your new guinea pig from them.

Step one - seeing each other