How Many Female Guinea Pigs Can Live Together? (Explained!)

You know that female guinea pigs do better in groups, but you don’t know how many is too many. So, how many female guinea pigs can live together?

Typically, 2 to 8 female guinea pigs can live together happily live together. It’s more likely to work well if their personalities fit, the habitat is large enough, there’s enough food, water, and toys. No matter how many guinea pigs you decide to get, make sure you can take good care of all of them.

Guinea pigs do well in groups, but that does not mean that you should get a lot of them.

You should think about everything you need to give them a happy, long life before you decide how many guinea pigs to get. If you make the wrong decision, it could be very bad for the guinea pigs and they could well…die.

But, don’t worry. I’m gonna help you figure out how many guinea pigs is the right number for you. Shall we?

How Many Female Guinea Pigs Can Live Together?

The number of guinea pigs you can have together depends on space and resources, and how well they get along. You need at least 2 and no more than 8 guinea pigs. If everything is in order, your guinea pigs will be happy no matter how many are together.

Guinea pigs are social animals. They like to spend time with other guinea pigs. In the wild, guinea pigs live in colonies of 10 or more piggies – of BOTH sexes. Of course, that’s before they became domesticated pets.

After we started keeping pigs as pets, things changed. We usually don’t keep both male and female pigs together because of different reasons – including (but no limited to) not wanting a bunch of guinea pig babies. Plus, the average guinea pig parent just doesn’t keep large groups of piggies.

When you get piggies, you have to take care of them.

(And forget that myth about guinea pigs being easy to care for. Guinea pigs are high-maintenance pets).

Giving your fur babies everything that they need to be healthy and happy often takes a lot of time and money – especially at first. And it’s not always easy to decide how many sows can live together because there’s a lot of things to think about.

• You’ll need a large enough home for your furry friends.
• And they’ll need enough food, water, and toys.
• A vet emergency fund is a MUST if you’re keeping guinea pigs.
• You also have to make sure that their personalities match up well, or you could have some big problems on your hands. Namely, your piggies having a huge fight and falling out with each other.

These are a few of many reasons why you can’t have an unlimited number of female guinea pigs.

Will Female Guinea Pigs Fight?

Female guinea pigs will fight if they don’t like each other. They might also fight if there isn’t enough space or resources. But if you do some research before putting them together, you can avoid these problems.

If guinea pigs fight and blood is drawn, then that’s a wrap.

Piggies hold grudges and they’ll never able to live in the same enclosure again. So, it’s important that you have enough resources and that you do the introduction correctly.

Can Female Guinea Pigs Get Along?

Yes, female guinea pigs can get along as long as they’re paired properly by personality AND they like each other. Plus, you need to make sure that there’s food, water, and space for all of them.

Asking whether sows can get along is similar to asking whether you can get along with everyone. It all depends on whether they are compatible.

There’s some people you just cannot seem to get along with, no matter how hard you try. But there are others where it seems like you have known them all your life.

This is also true for guinea pigs. Some females become friends right away. For some, it may take a while before they’re finally friends. But for others, getting along is something that can never happen, no matter how much time they have.

You shouldn’t just magically assume that any female guinea pigs that you toss together into an enclosure will make a good match. That’s now how it works – despite what some people may say.

Aquita of Squeaks, Scales, and Tails

Even if the guinea pigs have different personalities, they can still be friends. As their caregiver, you need to help them get along. If you don’t, then they won’t be friends, no matter what their personalities are like.

So, hat can you do to make sure your female guinea pigs get along?

Here’s some ideas:

Lots Of Space

Guinea pigs are small, but don’t let that fool you. Guinea pigs need lots of space. They’re little balls of energy that love to run and play. Happy piggies are active piggies. And they need room to run.

A good rule to follow is that a guinea pig’s cage should have at least 7.5 square feet of space. If you have room for a bigger cage, then go for it.

Just remember that the 7.5 square-feet is just for one guinea pig. If you want to put more than one guinea pig in the cage, you will need to increase the size of the cage accordingly.

Here’s the preferred space need for each guinea pig;

• 1 Guinea Pig: 7.5 Sq. Ft.
• 2 Guinea Pigs: 10.5 Sq. Ft.
• 3 Guinea Pigs: 13 Sq. Ft.
• 4 Guinea Pigs: 15.8 Sq. Ft.

Basically, you need to increase the space by at least 2 square-feet for each extra guinea pig. There can never be a cage too big for your piggies. They’ll just love all that space to run, play, and explore. 

Plenty of Huts and Hideys

Piggies, especially the girls, are very jumpy. So, they need lots of places to hide in their cage. Huts and hideys make them feel safe and secure. These places also give them a sense of ownership and belonging. That makes them more confident, which is always good for socialization.

So, get as many huts and hideys as you can – or at least as many as you can comfortably fit inside the enclosure (#morespaceisgood).

At the very least, have one hut or hidey for each guinea pig. But if you can get more, then that’s even better.

You can make houses for your piggies out of cardboard boxes. But make sure that the houses are strong enough to hold your piggies’ weight.

Groupings Based On Personality

You need to decide which guinea pigs will get along. You have to know each guinea pig’s personality.

If you have a problem, I’d get some advice from a local guinea pig rescue (if you have one near by, they’re a great resource and they also have piggies that need to be adopted!).

You should also get help from a professional if you can.

A veterinarian or guinea pig behaviorist would be able to help you figure out which guinea pigs can become friends and which ones will always butt heads with each other.

If you want some more information guinea pig fights and aggression, check out these articles that I wrote: 10 Crazy Reasons Why Female Guinea Pigs Fight (You Need This Now) and How to Tell If Guinea Pigs Are Playing or Fighting (9 Simple Tips)

Have Even Numbered Groupings When Possible

Groups of 3 tend to be a problem.

If you have an odd number of guinea pigs, put 2 together and have one by itself. Or just get another guinea pig to form a group of 4.

The reason for this is that guinea pigs will always have a pecking order (which I’ll talk more about in the next section). When there’s an odd number, there’s always be one guinea pig that feels left out.

And left out piggies end up getting bullied or depressed. So, it’s best to just have an even number of guinea pigs in each group.

Regular Health Checks

There are some good things about keeping a group of piggies. But there are also some risks. One risk is that diseases can spread quickly from one guinea pig to the others.

And no one wants that. That’s why you always keep a close eye on their health. It’s pretty standard to weigh and do a visual check on your guinea pigs every week.

Weighing your little friends is particularly important because you need to make sure that they’re not losing too much weight. Losing a large amount of weight is a sign that your piggie is sick. And sometimes it’s the only sign.

Doing regular health checks also allows you to spot any early signs of illness. That way, you can get your guinea pigs the treatment they need right away – which will increase the odds that your fur babies will recover.

Now don’t get me wrong. If you notice any changes in their behavior, appearance, or appetite, then you should check them out right away.

Appropriate Amounts of Food and Water

Guinea pigs can argue about food and water. So, make sure there is enough for all of them.

Most of their diet should be hay because it is good for their health. But you can also give them special treats sometimes. Just don’t overdo it.

It’s important to make sure that the water you give your guinea pigs is always clean and fresh.

They’re very susceptible to infections, so dirty water is a big problem. Change their water daily to avoid any issues.

If you want some information on good food choices for your little friends, check out: What Guinea Pigs Can Eat (Everything You Need to Know) and What Herbs Can Guinea Pigs Eat (The Good, The Bad, The Tasty)

How Many Female Guinea Pigs Do Guinea Pig Owners Keep? (Pet Parents Weigh In)

I wanted to get a little more insight into what pet parents are doing when it comes to their guinea pigs.

So, I took it to the streets- or rather, the internet- and surveyed 40 guinea pig owners (from all over the world). The goal was one – to find out how many female guinea pigs they owned.

Here are the findings:

Out of the 18 people that responded, 45% said they owned two female piggies. Out of that number, 6 people had two females paired with a male, resulting in three piggies total.

The second most popular number of female guinea pigs per household was 1. We also had cases of three and four piggies.

From the survey, I also discovered the following;

• Most people don’t keep more than 2 boars in the same cage.
• Females tend to get along in in larger numbers than males.
• Adding females to a pair of matched males is a big no-no. The males will start fighting each other for possession of the females.

Cases of pigs that have been wrongly sexed are common – especially for people who get their guinea pigs from pet stores. They usually don’t realize the mistakes until their “male” piggies gives birth.

Can You Have 4 Female Guinea Pigs Together?

Yes, you can have 4 female guinea pigs together. Sometimes it’s actually easier to have 4 females than 2 of each sex because they won’t fight with each other during mating season.

A quartet of females is fine. Just make sure that you have enough space for each of them and that they’ve been properly matched. No bullying or fighting should take place between them

Can 3 Female Guinea Pigs Live Together?

Three guinea pigs can live together, but it might not be the best idea. Three is an odd number, which means that one guinea pig might feel left out. It is usually better to have two guinea pigs or four guinea pigs instead of three.

Working with an odd number is not impossible, but it can be a little trickier. The problem pops up when two piggies create a stronger bond with each other – so much so that they end up ignoring the third piggie. But if all the piggies get along, then there’s no problem.

Can Two Female Guinea Pigs Live Together?

Two guinea pigs can live together and be friends. But it is important that one guinea pig is more dominant than the other. This way, they can create a social hierarchy, which will help prevent them from fighting with each other.

It’s also a good idea to have a younger piggy and an older piggy together. In fact, that is the best combination for two piggies.

The size difference makes it clear who is the boss from the beginning. Just make sure that the younger piggie isn’t too aggressive to avoid fights.

I wrote all about making this sort of pairing in Can You Put a Baby Guinea Pig with an Older One? (Find Out Now). You should check it out.

Is It Better To Have 1 Or 2 Guinea Pigs?

It’s better to have two guinea pigs than one. The majority of guinea pigs need the company of other guinea pigs to remain healthy, active and happy.

Without company, your furry friend will become depressed and this’ll make them sick. They could even die from some of these illnesses.

Is 3 Guinea Pigs A Good Number?

3 guinea pigs can be a good number if all the guinea pigs get along. But, it’s a little risky – especially if you have male guinea pigs. A trio of males typically falls out with each other. It’s not unusual to see them fighting and even drawing blood.

If you want to have 3 guinea pigs, the best option is to get 2 females and 1 male. Another option is to get 1 neutered male and 2 females. Typically, these combinations usually work well together.

Is It Better To Have 2 Male Or 2 Female Guinea Pigs?

It depends on the personality of your guinea pigs whether it is better to have two male or two female guinea pigs.

If they all have compatible personalities, then the sex doesn’t matter as much. But usually, male guinea pigs are more aggressive and territorial than female guinea pigs. So, if you have two males, they are more likely to fight with each other.

And whether you choose male or female, remember that a young and an old guinea pig make the best combo. The size difference goes a long way to prevent fights. But remember to not get a stubborn pup. 

Can 2 Female And 1 Male Guinea Pigs Live Together?

Two female guinea pigs and one male guinea pig can be happy living together. But you need to take some safety measures first.

Have the male guinea pig neutered so you can avoid an accidental pregnancy. Raising a bunch of guinea pigs is a lot of work and can get expensive quickly.

Final Thoughts

When it comes down to it, the best number of female guinea pigs to have is two. This way, your furry friends will always have a friend to snuggle with, play with and cuddle.

You can always consider getting more piggies, but having 2 to 8 female guinea pigs living together seems to be the norm.

Just make sure you consider your guinea pigs’ temperament, gender and age combination if you want to have a harmonious group that’s not trying to kill each other all the time.

Do you have more than one guinea pig? How many do you have and what has your experience been like? Let me know in the comments below.