Do Guinea Pigs Know When One other Guinea Pig Dies? (How They Grieve)

The loss of life of a pet is a tough blow for anybody, together with different pets in the home. As social animals, guinea pigs do finest after they reside with a companion and can kind shut bonds with different guinea pigs that they reside with. Guinea pigs undoubtedly perceive when their buddy dies and can grieve the loss similar to you do.

Understanding how your guinea pig reacts to the loss of life of their companion will allow you to decide tips on how to assist their restoration. Supporting your surviving guinea pig may also assist ease your ache too.

Do Guinea Pigs Grieve the Lack of Their Buddy?

When you’ve by no means misplaced a guinea pig earlier than, you’re most likely not aware of how different guinea pigs will react to the lack of their buddy. You may also be questioning whether or not they grieve the loss themselves. Relying on how sturdy the bond between the guinea pigs is, the surviving guinea pig will miss their companion and grieve for them in several methods.

For instance, you probably have a gaggle of guinea pigs, the loss could be tempered by the presence of the others, although some people that have been nearer to the misplaced guinea pig may really feel the loss extra. When you solely have two guinea pigs, the loss of life of 1 could be a laborious blow to the remaining guinea pig, and so they may present a a lot stronger response.

The best way to Inform If Your Guinea Pig Is Grieving

Since they will’t communicate, understanding what your guinea pig is feeling could be powerful. When you’re not aware of the indicators of a guinea pig’s grieving course of, it may be straightforward to venture your devastation onto them and even assume that they don’t care in any respect, particularly in the event that they proceed as traditional. Like us, although, particular person guinea pigs have distinctive methods of coping with loss.

Your guinea pig will present their grief in a number of methods. Some will lose their urge for food, stare into area for lengthy intervals, or refuse to play, whereas others will search relentlessly for his or her lacking buddy.

You have to monitor your guinea pig carefully after the loss of life of their companion. Sudden adjustments of their surroundings, just like the lack of a buddy, can stress them out and put them off their meals. In the event that they don’t eat for a very long time attributable to their grief, it might result in liver issues.

Serving to Your Guinea Pig Grieve

A part of the restoration course of for you and your guinea pig helps them settle for the lack of their companion. Serving to them grieve will enable you each to course of and modify to the absence. Listed below are a couple of methods that can assist you and your guinea pig grieve.

Let Them Say Goodbye

Though it might sound unusual, putting the deceased guinea pig again of their cage for some time may also help your remaining guinea pigs modify. If the loss of life occurred in a single day, your different guinea pigs seemingly already interacted with their companion’s physique, and you’ll take away it.

Nonetheless, if the guinea pig dies after they’re exterior of the cage attributable to an accident or throughout a visit to the vet, your remaining pets will miss out on this time to say goodbye. By putting the lifeless guinea pig again within the cage for a couple of minutes, you’ll be giving your remaining guinea pigs the time that they should begin grieving.

Some guinea pigs will ignore the physique, whereas others will work together with it by sniffing, licking, or making an attempt to awaken them. Whereas this may be heartbreaking to observe—particularly while you’re coping with the loss your self—it’s a necessary a part of serving to your guinea pig perceive and start therapeutic from the loss.

Clear Out the Cage

Some guinea pig house owners will completely clear the cage after the loss of life of one among their pets. This may take away the lingering scent of your misplaced guinea pig and make it simpler on your surviving guinea pig to grasp their absence.

In case your guinea pig can nonetheless scent the presence of their buddy, it would confuse them and encourage them to spend longer trying to find their companion moderately than coping with the loss. Utterly exchange the bedding and toys, and clear any bowls utilized by the opposite guinea pig.

Alternatively, if you happen to don’t need to take away the scent of their buddy utterly—particularly you probably have a timid guinea pig that will get careworn simply—give your guinea pig one thing new as an alternative. Introduce new toys to play with, or make a brand new cardboard home for them to discover.

Spend High quality Time Collectively

Guinea pigs are social animals, and in the event that they’re on their very own after shedding a companion, loneliness could make their restoration course of longer. This makes it much more essential so that you can put aside time to socialize together with your guinea pig.

Even when they reside in a gaggle, your guinea pigs can nonetheless profit from spending high quality time with you. By interacting with them, you may assist stop them from dwelling on their misplaced companion by giving them one thing else to give attention to. They’ll nonetheless miss their buddy, however they’ll even be distracted by the consolation that you just provide them. Spending time with them may also assist construct a bond.

Give Them Time

Above all else, crucial factor about coping with bereavement is permitting for time. The loss of life of a companion—whether or not it’s a buddy or a beloved pet—is devastating for everybody, even when the animal is as small as your guinea pig. Neither you nor your guinea pig is predicted to recuperate from the loss instantly.

Whereas some guinea pigs may solely want a couple of days or every week, others may miss their buddy for a number of weeks. Regardless of how lengthy it takes or how heartbreaking their unhappiness is, giving them the time they want is important to assist their restoration.

Ought to You Get One other Guinea Pig?

The ache of shedding your guinea pig could make the prospect of adopting one other one daunting. That is one thing to noticeably think about, although, notably in case your remaining guinea pig is on their very own. You don’t want to leap straight into adopting a brand new pe, in fact. Give your self and your guinea pig a couple of weeks to recover from the loss earlier than wanting into adoption.

Introducing a brand new guinea pig may also help your surviving guinea pig by giving them one other companion to bond with. Sadly, we will’t spend all day with our guinea pig, however one other furry buddy will present consolation by way of their presence.

We really helpful adoption over shopping for a brand new guinea pig. This fashion, you’ll be serving to one other animal. Keep in mind to introduce the guinea pigs slowly by conserving them in separate cages earlier than step by step rising the time that they spend collectively.

Conclusion

Though small, guinea pigs take up a considerable amount of area in our hearts. Shedding one could be devastating. It’s not simply you who will grieve the loss of life of a guinea pig, although; the surviving guinea pig—or pigs, you probably have a couple of—will grieve the loss too.

To assist your guinea pig modify, give them time to say goodbye and spend loads of time with them. Additionally, think about introducing a brand new guinea pig for them to bond with as soon as they’ve recovered from the preliminary loss.

Featured Picture Credit score: Charleen Magne, Shutterstock