Hello Reddit,
A few months ago in late October, I adopted a 3 month old guinea pig from my local pet store (I named her "Sushi"). A week or so pass, she's quite shy, her cage was a 2x1 feet with food, veggies, water and a hideaway. My parents were reading online about how guinea pigs are extremely social animals and how they do much better in pairs/ groups. They payed for a second guinea pig against my wishes (I only felt I could handle one at the time due to having two jobs, school, two cats and a dog, I didn't want to commit to a second pet). This new guinea pig (also female, "Tofu") was even more shy than Sushi, Tofu only hid when I would take her out to play. Scurrying away when I would open the cage, squealing loudly when I would attempt to hold her.
This continued for two weeks with little to no behavioral change, she would occasionally nip and bite the other piggy, Sushi. At night I would hear them both squealing loudly. Eventually I talked to my parents and we figured it would be best to return her and get a refund. We told the pet store that it wasn't working out with our other Guinea Pig, they were very sorry and gladly took her back.
Looking back I realize the cage was FAR too small for two piggies, 2 square feet. Two. Square. Feet. As I stated, I'm a student with two jobs and bought her without much research. The cage was 80$ and I was not looking to replace it for 100-140 dollars.
Fast forward two months, Sushi still was living in her small cage but a friend of mine gave me their old rat cage. I opened up one side of it, opened up one side of the piggy cage and connected them. A week later, my boyfriends mom offered their old RABBIT cage. Of course I said yes and traded Sushi's original cage for this larger cage. Now her cage-condo-monstrosity takes up my entire desk, roughly 5 feet by 2, for a total of 10 sq feet, the rat cage is two tiered so that adds another 2 sq feet.
The question is whether I should get another guinea pig. I have plenty of time, I've learned to manage better, I'm up for the commitment. (I like to think that I've become a guinea pig expert.) I have watched countless YouTube videos and read many articles on how to properly introduce them. I'm worried my guinea pig may be too dominant for a second piggy since she's had this cage for a month. If they really don't get along I wouldn't be able to buy another cage (I have legit no room for a cage) and my parents would be mega pissed that I was wrong in buying a companion/friend for her.
I don't want to deprive my lil gorl of fun and happiness since piggies thrive in groups but I don't know how introducing a baby pig to her would be.
Please help
-WorriedPiggyMom
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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/ax01tl/help_please_guinea_pig_issues/
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