What to do when one guinea pig dies

Unfortunately, the time may inevitably come when your guinea pig’s companion/s pass away and they are then living by themselves. At this time, you may have many questions about what you can do to keep your guinea pig content and happy, as well as having questions about why their behaviour may have changed.

 

What should I do?

It’s important to monitor your guinea pig closely after they have lost a companion. Some guinea pigs can get depressed if they are left by themselves when their companion passes away and it could lead to them not eating and drinking. If this happens, they seem lethargic or they just don’t seem quite right, take them to your guinea pig friendly vet as soon as possible. Small pets like guinea pigs can go downhill very quickly if they stop eating and drinking, so it’s important to act straight away if you notice something is not right.

 

Will their behaviour change?

After losing a companion, you may notice that your guinea pig becomes much quieter than they were before, as well as a few other changes:

• They will naturally become less vocal without a companion as they no longer have another guinea pig to talk to.
• Your guinea pig may become a bit more reserved, less confident, more easily spooked or more nervous. As they are a prey species, they feel safer being with others of their own kind and living by themselves can be unsettling for them.
• You may find that they are less active than normal, as they don’t have a companion to follow around and play with.

 

What can I do to help my guinea pig?

The thing that will help your guinea pig the most will be to find a suitable guinea pig companion for them as and when you are ready. Unfortunately, human company cannot replace the 24/7 companionship that they get with another guinea pig. Contact a rescue centre like Woodgreen to see if they can help you find a suitable friend for your guinea pig.

In the meantime, you can also do the following:

• Make sure your small pet has lots of hiding spaces around their enclosure. This will help them in feeling more safe and secure if they have a hiding space close by that they can retreat to if they get scared or spooked by something.
• Ensure they have plenty of bedding to help keep them warm – in particular over the colder months.
• Keep to their normal routine.
• If possible, try to spend a bit more time with them like hand feeding and giving them extra fuss and attention.
• Scatter their food around their enclosure or use puzzle feeders for their dried food rather than feeding them from a bowl. This will encourage them to move around and explore a bit more.
• Add more toys and boredom breakers into their enclosure to keep them occupied.