Guinea pig has died and am GUTTED!

CrazyRatLady_2

mondello wrote: »

It's normal to grieve for our pets when they pass. It's always a sad time. I have rabbits and I was gutted when two of them passed away eaalier on this year. They are never 'only' rabbits to me. One of them died in my arms, I'd had her from a baby and she was only 6 when she died. :-(

Your gp's passing could have been because of the cold. Guinea pigs are not as hardy as rabbits so in winter it's best to keep them in a shed or bring them inside once the cold weather sets in. Or the rabbit my have accidently kicked the gp. Rabbits have very strong back legs and could kick the gp by accident and cause injury or death.

As above - it's not a good idea to keep rabbits and guinea pigs together, the rabbit can kill the guinea pig. I'm not saying this is what's happened here though.

Sorry for your loss, there's nothing wrong or silly about grieving for a pet.

mammyof7

Blackpool_Saver wrote: »

Can they not be in an area of the house like a dining room maybe? wont the teens be too noisyy and upset them? oh and away from cigarette smoke if anyone does.

Only the hubby smokes and that's only outside. It's impossible to keep them downstairs due to the dog.

The boys are very rarely in and when they are they are fairly quiet. They actually previously complained that the guineas were too loud for them due to them squealing!

Blackpool_Saver

mammyof7 wrote: »

Only the hubby smokes and that's only outside. It's impossible to keep them downstairs due to the dog.

The boys are very rarely in and when they are they are fairly quiet. They actually previously complained that the guineas were too loud for them due to them squealing!

Oh right, they would be scared of the dog yes, I also agree that rabbit and guinea should be separate, I have three cages here in the back bedroom !

Aless

When I was ten our guinea pig had to be put down. He was five and a much loved member of the family. It was over two decades ago and I can still remember how sad I was and how much I loved him. In fact I feel so sad writing this and remembering. Just because they are small creatures it does not mean you should not care for them deeply. My whole family was upset not just the kids and everybody remembers him fondly. In some ways he was a better companion than the cats we have had since.

He used to greet us all when we came in the house and would talk to us too. I think guinea pigs are wonderful creatures.

Maryland_Cookie

So sorry and sending you big (((((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))) GP's make lovely pets, we've had several in the past and my ma and pa have a couple now. They are definitely lively, gregarious characters, more so than bunny's I think - definitely part of the family. Think you've done the right thing bringing your other two in, it's too cold in my humble opinion to be outside during the winter, and I'm sure they'll be fine x

mammyof7

Aless wrote: »

When I was ten our guinea pig had to be put down. He was five and a much loved member of the family. It was over two decades ago and I can still remember how sad I was and how much I loved him. In fact I feel so sad writing this and remembering. Just because they are small creatures it does not mean you should not care for them deeply. My whole family was upset not just the kids and everybody remembers him fondly. In some ways he was a better companion than the cats we have had since.

He used to greet us all when we came in the house and would talk to us too. I think guinea pigs are wonderful creatures.

Thanks Aless
Out of the pair Bramble was my favourite, still cant stop thinking about it:(. He was a brilliant little character.

The minute we opened the front door they would squeal, or if they saw us coming up the path. Love your story, its nice to know there are other GP lovers about:)

mammyof7

Maryland_Cookie wrote: »

So sorry and sending you big (((((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))) GP's make lovely pets, we've had several in the past and my ma and pa have a couple now. They are definitely lively, gregarious characters, more so than bunny's I think - definitely part of the family. Think you've done the right thing bringing your other two in, it's too cold in my humble opinion to be outside during the winter, and I'm sure they'll be fine x

Thanks Maryland Cookie
If I'm honest I do much prefer the guineas. Our rabbit is rather unsociable!

Maryland_Cookie

Have you thought about getting another GP (same sex of course!) and keeping the rabbit separate? You could always put the hutches facing each other so they can still see each other. It's something we did a while ago and integrating the pigs was really easy and no trouble.

krlyr

mammyof7 wrote: »

Thanks Maryland Cookie
If I'm honest I do much prefer the guineas. Our rabbit is rather unsociable!

Is he/she neutered or spayed? Hormones can make them a bit off-ish and cause issues like cage-territorial aggression. Rabbits have varying personalities but neutering can have a huge positive impact so I'd consider that if it's not been done already.

Also have to agree with those saying that it's best to house them seperately, several health risks to the guinea pigs - injury (accidentally, e.g. playful bunny catches them with a flick of his feet, or on purpose in a fight), different dietary needs causing issues for either species, bordetella which rabbits can carry but can be fatal to guinea pigs. Definately not a recommended pairing.

mammyof7

Maryland_Cookie wrote: »

Have you thought about getting another GP (same sex of course!) and keeping the rabbit separate? You could always put the hutches facing each other so they can still see each other. It's something we did a while ago and integrating the pigs was really easy and no trouble.

I couldn't even think about another one at the moment but I am quite worried about Tiddles (my 7 year old choose his name!) as they've always been together. It is something that we could think about when the time is right though.