When you’re growing your furry family, you might wonder if one gender is better than the other when it comes to male vs. female guinea pigs. The honest answer is, no!
There are differences, and things to consider as you’re putting together your herd of cavies, but one gender isn’t better than the other when it comes to having guinea pigs as pets.
Saskia is talking about male vs. female guinea pigs on YouTube!
The biggest thing that you need to consider with gender is what guinea pigs you’re pairing together. Guinea pigs will create a hierarchy system among themselves in their herd. A combination of dominant and submissive guinea pigs helps them fall into place.
Male guinea pigs (boars) fall into place together much easier if there aren’t any females (sows) around but we will talk more about that in a minute!
What Makes Male and Female Guinea Pigs Different
Let’s start with their physical appearance and how you can tell guinea pigs apart and then we’ll get into how they may act differently!
Physical Differences
Male guinea pigs can be larger than females. Sows usually range from 1.5 - 2.25 lbs and boars are generally 2 - 2.75 lbs. With the right genetics, you may get a boar that's 3 lbs.
A male guinea pig has smaller nipples than a sow. The genital opening in females is usually a “Y” shape and the male’s looks more like an “i”. However, unless you have a female and male together to compare then you may not be able to tell.
This is why it’s best to have a vet determine the gender, especially before putting your guinea pigs together! You don’t want any accidental breeding because of misgendering.
Behavioral Differences in Male Vs. Female Guinea Pigs
The general consensus on the internet may be that male guinea pigs are more aggressive than female guinea pigs. If you understand why this has been observed you can see how it can also be avoided.
Every guinea pig has their own personality and when it comes to bonding multiple guinea pigs, success comes from the right mixture of personalities.
Guinea pigs clash when they both want to be dominant over the other. This is where a fight may break out. This has been seen to happen more with boars than sows. A male guinea pig is more likely to want to be the dominant cavy if they’re unneutered and there are female guinea pigs around.
Male guinea pigs are sometimes said to have bolder personalities which can be a lot of fun! Their way of putting themselves out there is not necessarily a bad thing. They may be more willing to make friends with a large human while a female guinea pig may be more reserved.
Males can live together very happily as long as you have the right personalities together. We will talk more about bonding guinea pigs soon!
Reproductive Differences in Male VS. Female Guinea Pigs
In most cases, guinea pigs will be housed with their same gender and whether they’re spayed or neutered isn’t a big concern. If you do want to have a male and female together, the boar needs to be neutered.
Neutering male guinea pigs is common and it cuts back on their hormones that tell them they need to be the dominant guinea pig. It also helps prevent reproductive diseases. When considering male vs. female, getting your boars neutered is something to consider.
Spaying females is a much more complicated procedure and usually not necessary.
If a sow gets pregnant for the first time after they’re 6 months old it’s very dangerous. Part of their pelvis fuses together at about 8 months old. In order to safely give birth this need to separate. At around 2 months old guinea pigs can be sexually mature.
It’s very important to have your guinea pigs gendered correctly and housed with proper housemates!
Bonding Guinea Pigs Together
The easiest way to put guinea pigs together is to get them when they’re young. Also, simply bringing home two guinea pigs at the same time so they experience their new home for the first time together helps the companionship go smoothly.
Guinea pigs are very social animals and you really do want to house more than one together! Taking your time to bond guinea pigs successfully is definitely worth it.
Check out our guide to bonding guinea pigs for the best tips on taking things slow and understanding your guinea pigs and how they work together. It’s important you understand how to keep your cavies comfortable and are aware when they aren’t!
Males do best in pairings of just two or three. If you’re looking to have a large herd then you may want to stick with sows. As always, if you’re putting a male and female cavy together make sure the male is neutered!
Guinea pig bonding goes fairly smoothly as long as you have done your research and understand your cavies. Guinea pigs can be very territorial! When you have two cavies who think they are the boss, they can get aggressive with each other.
It’s up to you to respect their emotions and personalities to keep them out of situations where they may be uncomfortable or suffer from an aggressive meeting.
Male VS Female Guinea Pigs: Plenty To Love With Both
Guinea pigs are curious and playful. Any gender will be a lot of fun and any gender will need to be understood and respected.
The only time I’d suggest females over males is if you want to have a large herd of cavies (sounds fun!). In that case, you will still need to go slow with bonding your guinea pigs but you might have more success with sows.
Have fun growing your cavy family!
We are not veterinarians, and none of our information should be construed as veterinary advice.
Before adding any new product, please consult your exotic veterinarian. If your pet is acting unwell and you have concerns for their well being, please contact your vet immediately.
