Bonding Sessions

If you have a single, lonely Guinea Pig or you have a small group you would like to add to, we are very happy to offer bonding sessions prior to adoption.

 

This is a great way to check that Guinea Pigs are compatible before you commit to an adoption and to set them up for success in their future relationship - think of it like a first date.

 

We can bond sow pairs and groups, or a single neutered boar to one or more sows. We also offer boar bonding, however please be advised that boars can be a little trickier and you might need several visits to find a good match. If you have a boar aged 4 and under, we would strongly advise you have them neutered to bond with sows - for a much greater chance of success. You will need to pass our virtual homecheck before you can book a bonding session.

 

We do not charge for bonding, but you are more than welcome to make a donation.

 

Ideally, we need your Guinea Pig to be dropped off at the rescue in the morning in order to fit in a full day of bonding, and collected late afternoon/evening.

 

Please keep an open mind and be ready to be flexible! If we have several options, try not to set your heart on one - your Guinea Pig might not necessarily be the best match for the one you find cutest! Although we are always happy to try that one first! If a bonding session has gone well, we won’t try any more pairings to compare as that would be really stressful. 

 

The bonding will be closely monitored by a member of the team and we will give you an honest opinion on how we feel the bonding has gone. We will be very upfront with you if we don’t think it’s going to work out - we understand it’s really disappointing to go home without a new friend but we’d rather not risk injury to either Guinea Pig. Whilst we do monitor very closely, and there is always someone on hand with a big glove to separate a fight, there is always a small chance of minor scrapes (it’s not happened yet though!)

 

If all goes well, we ask that you be ready to take the new friend home with you that day, otherwise we’d have to redo the whole session and that’s very disruptive for all concerned. 

 

Please do remember, Guinea Pigs, like all animals, can be unpredictable. Whilst we will give you our best judgement, we cannot absolutely promise that they will be best friends forever - things do occasionally go wrong further down the line. However, here are some tips to help things go smoothly when you get your freshly bonded pair/group home:

 

• Give their home a really good deep clean, to make it into a neutral territory. This will help prevent your Guinea Pig from feeling too territorial!

• I advise bringing a second carrier for the journey home. It can be quite stressful for a pair who have met that day to share a very confined space, and the last thing you want is to hear a fight erupt in the carrier halfway up the motorway and you can’t stop it!

• Have two water bottles, two bowls (or scatter feed!) to prevent conflict over sharing. Avoid hides with only one exit. Use big piles of hay and plenty of enrichment to keep them busy.

• Keep an eye on them but avoid standing over them and staring…it can really unnerve them! If you are feeling anxious, they will pick up on it and the bond can be disrupted. Watch them from a few paces away, or use a remote camera.

• Avoid any big changes in the first few weeks, such as moving house, going to boarding etc. I would also avoid putting them out in a run or free roaming until they are well bonded. 

• When you clean them out, save a small bit of used hay to put back in. If everything is squeaky clean, it becomes a neutral space again and they may feel the need to re-establish who is boss.

• Leave them to it! You may see some dominance behaviours such as chasing, mounting/humping, rumbling and teeth chattering. Both males and females do this, but you do tend to see more of it with boars. This is all normal, and although it can look really mean! It’s really important for them to establish who is boss and it should settle down. Don’t separate them unless you really have to. If blood is drawn then you do have to separate immediately. If the dominance behaviours are absolutely constant, and the Guinea Pigs aren’t able to eat, drink or rest properly, then you will also need to separate. 

 

We will always take “our” Guinea Pig back if the bond doesn’t work out in the long run!

 

Please drop us an email to enquire about a bonding session.