I personally have two female guinea pigs who enjoy each other's company, although they're not as close as many pigs I've seen. They're more like frenemies who don't like to be apart but who have their occasional tiffs, too.
If you have two or more guinea pigs, you'll need some extra items to make sure your whole herd is getting enough to eat and drink and that everyone has a spot to hang out in peace. This list spells out what you need to keep multiple guinea pigs healthy and happy. And if you decide to get another guinea pig, please adopt it rather than purchasing it from a store or breeder.
1. Two Water Bottles
Water is essential to your guinea pig's health. A water bottle lets you provide a good supply of fresh water to your pet.
If you have more than one guinea pig, it's possible that one of the animals will decide to bully the other and chase it away from the water bottle. Even if this is just temporary behavior, it's not good for a cavy to be prevented from drinking.
Ward off this problem by having two or more water bottles in the cage. Mount them far enough away from each other so that if a territorial piggy guards one, its companion can easily get to the other one.
I prefer having multiple water bottles for another reason, too. Every now and then, one of my bottles has randomly stopped working. I check them each time I refill them, but the problem still crops up once in a while. My pigs would be without water until I noticed it if I only had one bottle. With two, they have a working source and I quickly notice the problem because one water level drops while the other doesn't change by the end of the day.More »
2. Two Food Bowls
Guinea pigs sometimes bully each other away from food, just as they do with water. I serve their pellets in two bowls and also divide up their daily vegetables so I know that Amy and Quinn both get their fair share.
Guinea pigs need unlimited hay every day, too, in order to keep their teeth ground down. I serve it up in two piles so each of my girls has enough to eat, play, and even take a nap on.More »
3. Multiple Spots to Hide
Some guinea pigs are such good friends that they'll pile into the same pigloo and sleep together snuggled up in a ball. Others want their own hiding space and will battle their cage mates to get it.
Always provide your guinea pigs with multiple hideys so each one can have a spot to itself. I like to use different types, like pigloos, wooden huts, and tunnels. The best options have two exits so one pig can't trap another inside. I use one-entrance hideys, but Amy and Quinn also have easy-to-escape options like their tunnels or the area under the elevated shelf in one end of their cage.More »
4. A Large Enough Cage
You might be surprised at just how large a proper guinea pig cage should be, especially when you see the typical small cages in most pet stores. According to the Guinea Pig Cages website, which is one of my favorite resources, a cage for two guinea pigs should be at least 7.5 square feet. If you have male piggies, they need even more space because they can get cranky with each other in close quarters.
That website sells wonderful cubes and Coroplast cages that you can customize. Otherwise, if you can't find a large enough commercial cage, you can build a Frankencage like I did. I have two extra large Living World Deluxe Habitats that I fastened together with an opening so my girls can move freely between the two. One side is a "kitchen" area with all their food and water. The other is a "living room" with their hideys and toys.
Even if you have female guinea pigs, enough space is important to their happiness and well-being. Imagine being housed with your very best friend in the world. You'd probably still get pretty cranky if you were both stuck in a space no larger than a typical living room.More »