Alfie (Left) had sustained terrible injuries from fighting with another boar & as a result does not like other pigs. He was adopted as an indoor piggy by his new owner Kate & given lots of extra human love & attention.
The single boar is a very common way of keeping a pet male guinea pig. But unless you have made a conscious decision that you can cater for the needs of an adult single boar, adopted from a rescue it is a cruel way. Sadly many boars are forced to live solitary lonely lives all alone in a hutch at the bottom of the garden due to myths that boars must be kept separately& people who put what is best for them before what is best for the animal.
Barmy for Boars hold that you should NEVER buy a baby guinea pig to be housed separately. If you are worried about the extra space an extra pig will take did you know that a single boar really needs a cage as large as for 2 pigs so he can get adequate exercise? If you are worried about the extra time & cost of an additional pig did you know that it will take pretty much the same amount of time to clean out a cage that houses 2 pigs as one that houses a lone pig? Bedding costs will be the same & feeding costs only very slightly higher.
And with so many different ways to add a friend to your 1 guinea pig family there really is nothing stopping you! Infact the only reason you should have a single boar is if you have adopted a lovely deserving lonely fellow from a rescue center, who for whatever reason will not accept another pig. And well done to you if you do! These pigs are the most difficult of all to rehome and many stay in the rescue for several months. Maybe longer. They are the most deserving of special homes.
Such single boars should always be kept indoors with you, preferably in the room you spend the most time & lavished with attention and love. It is especially important to provide variety & interest in the single boars quarters to keep him amused. As he will not have another pig around to entertain him. A single boar must never be housed outside or in a shed alone.
A nice way to keep a single boar who has no chance of being paired up in near sows in a SECURE cage. Perhaps if you already have sows you could give a home to an extra special lonely boy in this way. For more information see the bottom of Boars with Sows
However all the love you can give will never replace the lack of a friend and so even in this situation (an adopted single boar) your single pig would be much happier if he could see, hear, or smell other pigs in the house. So please consider housing a single boar either side by side with another lone pig or next to a pair of boars or maybe even sows. Single boars can be kept alone, but if you are unable to get a cage mate it is much nicer for them if they can at least see & hear another guinea pig. The best way to do this is to have another single boar, or a pair housed next to the single boar, or in a cage with a divider. The C&C cages described on side by side & quarters pages make this easy to do. You may need to make these arrangements if, for any reason you have a pair that fall out. If blood is drawn the boars must be kept apart in future.
