I have been getting answers saying Guinea Pigs can not live alone at all & others saying they prefer to live..?

I have had one guinea pig mostly although i have had them in pairs and i can assure you that the ones i had alone were just as happy as those that were in pairs, I fact i believe much more happy. If you spend 2 hours a day with your guinea pig it will become attached to you and will be just as happy as a bug in a rug. You then become its companion, and that is all a guinea pig wants. My guinea pigs have their cage set up at the foot of my bed so they can come onto the bed any time they want to get some loving, the usually sleep with me at night,

Living Alone

Guinea pigs are social animals that enjoy the company of another guinea pig. When a companion is lost, the remaining guinea pig may grieve. Some guinea pigs may seem to do fine on their own but it is always wise to monitor closely for illness and to make sure your pet is eating well.

Immediately following the loss of a companion, weigh your remaining guinea pig daily for at least a week. Consider adopting a companion from a rescue or shelter. Quarantine the new animal and make sure your own pet is healthy before introducing them to each other. And spend more time with any pet that is living alone.

On occasion a severely depressed guinea pig can benefit from early introduction to a healthy guinea pig. Rescues may have a stable population and the guinea pig may have been treated for mites and already have been quarantined several weeks to prevent illness.

Fweeprluvr writes:

I usually recommend to people that have a grieving pig after another has died, that they change everything in the pigs life around. New cage setup, new cage location, new feeding times, feeding places, floor areas, floor times, everything. That way, everything is different, and so the pig will be focusing on all the new things that are different, and not just on the one thing that is missing.

You might consider putting the cage in a higher traffic area like the kitchen so he gets more attention.

one Guinea pig is best, other wise they fight, a lot, even if you put them in different cages they squeak the whole 8 years that they live. Also the more you have the less they live. I had a single one that lasted 9 years, and three that lasted 1 1/2 years

the fact is: guineapigs usually live in big herds (okay probably not the right word but anyway theyre extremely social) but you can be the ultimate friend to your guineapig! what ive found out from experience is that males prefer dominating their cage alone (with you as their companion) and females would rather have a guineapig friend. if you are ready to spend time with your guineapig and give it enough attention it WILL live a long and happy life even if there're no other guineapigs around. if you have two they will still love you but wont be too freaked out if you go on holiday and leave them in a "stranger"'s (friend or such) care....either way, i personally think they have equal chances of being happy :)

hope that was helpful!

Guinea pigs can live by their self. but, you should give her extra attention because remember, she doesnt have a cage mate to play with. but it is best to have 2-3. so even if youre not in your house, she will have some company to play with so she would not be stressed and shw might die.

Good Luck!

Mine is happy alone xx