COMPANIONSHIP

Domestic guinea pigs are communal animals in the same way that their wild cousins and ancestors live in large colonies. They are highly social and must be kept in pairs, trios or groups. In short - the bigger the group, the happier they are. Of course group size will be restricted by accommodation size and owners' circumstances. They can be kept in same sex groups of any number.

BOARS
Contrary to popular opinion, boars can live perfectly happily together in pairs or groups as long as none of them comes into contact with a sow. There are many ill-informed people who believe that, after adolescence, boars will fight. In our experience, fights are much more down to personality differences than to gender. Boars are no more temperamental than sows. If, however, a boar enjoys the company of a sow (or several) for any length of time then he will be unlikely to rejoin a group of boars afterwards. But even this is not always the case. We, at Cavy Haven, very often unite a lonely rescued boar with a couple of young boar pups and they settle down very happily.

SOWS
Sows are generally perfectly amicable in groups but, before complete harmony is reached there is sometimes a certain amount of (usually) minor friction while a hierarchy is established. This can occur just as much with a group of youngsters growing up together as with an established group having a newcomer introduced. However, aggression is relatively unusual. Sometimes a newcomer will provoke a time of loud squeaking, drumming and perhaps an occasional nip to the ears, neck or rump but this is generally as far as it goes. It is not unknown for personality clashes to lead to real aggression among sows, but this is relatively rare. Generally, a group of sows form a happy, harmonious bond that lasts throughout their lives.

MIXED SEX PAIRS / GROUPS
A single boar will, almost without exception, live very happily with any number of sows, but it is unusual for two or more boars to get on in the company of one or more sows.
Obviously, a mixed sex pair or group, will result in an expanding population unless measures are takento prevent this: The simplest and least expensive option is to have the boar castrated. That way he can live with any number of sows without consequence. The alternative is to have the sows spayed. This is generally more expensive and is a more serious operation. It also only prevents pregnancy in that one sow.

To avoid unwanted offspring, a boar MUST be castrated at least 3 weeks prior to his introduction to a sow or group of sows. A spayed sow should have fully recovered from her surgery before being put with a boar

Any new introduction into a mixed gender group will be greeted with enthusiastic amorous advances from the boar (even after castration). This flurry of activity will soon subside and peace will resume and prevail.

A newcomer to any group; single- or mixed-sex, often sets of a certain amount of very mild aggression within the whole group. This is quite normal and is the guinea pigs' way of reasserting authority and setting their hierarchy. It usually subsides after a couple of hours and, within just a few days the whole group will settle down and it will seem that they have always been best friends.

Often the introduction of a castrated boar to a group of fractious sows will help to settle arguments and differences, and thus restore harmony.