2 Female Pigs

[Jen_Den41318]

Hello!
My name is Jennifer. My husband and I recently became piggy parents and I just need a little advice! Neither of us have owned guinea pigs before.

To start, we were intending to only get one pig for now and add another later. We had the cage ready to go for when we brought her home. But we ended up getting a second! So the cage is smaller than we would like but we are picking up a bigger one tomorrow as soon as that paycheck hits!

The ladies - Rina and Lana - were already living together when we got them so we didn't think there would be much trouble. Rina - she looks like a fat squirrel - is definitely the boss. She gets annoyed with Lana - a tri-color beauty - easily and sometimes will keep her out of the hideout. She snaps at her if Lana spends too much time too close, but doesn't give her a back off sound first. Lana does not fight back. She runs away, crying. Every. Single. Time.

We have had them for almost a week now and Lana is starting to open up to me. She lets both my husband and I pet her on occasion but runs like lightning if we try to pick her up. Rina still won't let us pet her and you can forget about picking her up.

They adore their hay and pellets and go nuts over romaine lettuce. I've tried to just get them used to our presence and voices and everyday life. They are in the living room where we spend most of our time.

A little more about their personalities. Rina is the boss. She gets irritated with Lana a few times a day - something I hope will lessen when we get them a bigger cage and more toys and hideaways - and she will steal toys from Lana. She will climb up and stand up to investigate noises and smells, but hides or runs when you open the cage, even if it's with food. She will tentatively eat veggies from my hand. She doesn't make much noise at all. Occasionally she will "talk" with Lana.

Lana is the sweeter of the two. I think once she opens up more, she will be a cuddlebug. She will let you pet her a little, but stay away from her rump! She gets irritated if you pet too close to her backside very quickly! She seems to like staying on all fours 95% of the time. She doesn't stand up for much of anything and will run and hide if something startled her or sometimes freeze beneath their waterbottle. She has yet to accept food from my hand but she shoved me out of her way yesterday while I was cleaning the cage so I think she's getting used to me being in there as long as I'm not coming for her to pick her up. She makes a lot of noise. She wheeks a lot, even with food in their bowl and if I have just finished giving them attention. She cries when Rina is mean to her and talks almost constantly, even if Rina isn't adding much to the conversation.

Is there anything I can do to make them open up more or allow me or my husband to pick them up? I interact with them every day in small doses so I don't stress them out, but I'm afraid to just grab them. I don't want to scare them. I want them to know they are safe with me.

And should I watch out for Rina being too mean? I know it isn't a big deal unless there is bloodshed, but she is pretty mean to Lana for no evident reason.

Any tips are greatly appreciated. Sorry this got so long winded!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Hi. To be honest, getting two straight off is probably a lot easier on your piggies than getting one and it being alone until you got a second.
It sounds like You are doing all the right things. You’ve had them for such a short time and they sound like they are doing well already. Just go slow and steady and let them come to you when they are ready. I’ve had my two boys for three months now and only one of them will let me touch him, the other one still runs off as soon as he sees me. He has got better but he just doesn’t have the confidence. I can’t pick either of mine up very easily. The more confident will let me pick him up out of a pet carrier box but there is no hope of picking the other one up, and certainly not just straight from their cage.
Have a look at the guides on here about behaviour and dominance. You say Lana runs away crying every time - it may sound like that to you, but it may well be that in guinea pig language she is actually saying ‘ok, you’re the boss, I’ll move’. This is perfectly normal submissive behaviour. It may appear that she is being mean for no reason, but there is probably a lot going on that only they understand. If blood is drawn then you need to take action but otherwise leave them to it to sort themselves out.
Having double of all equipment can help - two bowls, bottles etc. Have several hidey houses, preferably ones with open ends so that nobody can get cornered.

 

[Jen_Den41318]

Hi. To be honest, getting two straight off is probably a lot easier on your piggies than getting one and it being alone until you got a second.
It sounds like You are doing all the right things. You’ve had them for such a short time and they sound like they are doing well already. Just go slow and steady and let them come to you when they are ready. I’ve had my two boys for three months now and only one of them will let me touch him, the other one still runs off as soon as he sees me. He has got better but he just doesn’t have the confidence. I can’t pick either of mine up very easily. The more confident will let me pick him up out of a pet carrier box but there is no hope of picking the other one up, and certainly not just straight from their cage.
Have a look at the guides on here about behaviour and dominance. You say Lana runs away crying every time - it may sound like that to you, but it may well be that in guinea pig language she is actually saying ‘ok, you’re the boss, I’ll move’. This is perfectly normal submissive behaviour. It may appear that she is being mean for no reason, but there is probably a lot going on that only they understand. If blood is drawn then you need to take action but otherwise leave them to it to sort themselves out.
Having double of all equipment can help - two bowls, bottles etc. Have several hidey houses, preferably ones with open ends so that nobody can get cornered.

Yeah, we plan to double up as soon as we get the bigger cage. I was able to scoop Rina up yesterday for a few seconds in an upside down pigloo before she started planning an escape. She jumped out of her box when we were putting her in the cage the first time. I guess I just hoped they wouldn't take too long, but I don't think they were very well taken care of or handled very often. I've got my work cut out. Thanks for the reply!

 

[Wiebke]

Hello!
My name is Jennifer. My husband and I recently became piggy parents and I just need a little advice! Neither of us have owned guinea pigs before.

To start, we were intending to only get one pig for now and add another later. We had the cage ready to go for when we brought her home. But we ended up getting a second! So the cage is smaller than we would like but we are picking up a bigger one tomorrow as soon as that paycheck hits!

The ladies - Rina and Lana - were already living together when we got them so we didn't think there would be much trouble. Rina - she looks like a fat squirrel - is definitely the boss. She gets annoyed with Lana - a tri-color beauty - easily and sometimes will keep her out of the hideout. She snaps at her if Lana spends too much time too close, but doesn't give her a back off sound first. Lana does not fight back. She runs away, crying. Every. Single. Time.

We have had them for almost a week now and Lana is starting to open up to me. She lets both my husband and I pet her on occasion but runs like lightning if we try to pick her up. Rina still won't let us pet her and you can forget about picking her up.

They adore their hay and pellets and go nuts over romaine lettuce. I've tried to just get them used to our presence and voices and everyday life. They are in the living room where we spend most of our time.

A little more about their personalities. Rina is the boss. She gets irritated with Lana a few times a day - something I hope will lessen when we get them a bigger cage and more toys and hideaways - and she will steal toys from Lana. She will climb up and stand up to investigate noises and smells, but hides or runs when you open the cage, even if it's with food. She will tentatively eat veggies from my hand. She doesn't make much noise at all. Occasionally she will "talk" with Lana.

Lana is the sweeter of the two. I think once she opens up more, she will be a cuddlebug. She will let you pet her a little, but stay away from her rump! She gets irritated if you pet too close to her backside very quickly! She seems to like staying on all fours 95% of the time. She doesn't stand up for much of anything and will run and hide if something startled her or sometimes freeze beneath their waterbottle. She has yet to accept food from my hand but she shoved me out of her way yesterday while I was cleaning the cage so I think she's getting used to me being in there as long as I'm not coming for her to pick her up. She makes a lot of noise. She wheeks a lot, even with food in their bowl and if I have just finished giving them attention. She cries when Rina is mean to her and talks almost constantly, even if Rina isn't adding much to the conversation.

Is there anything I can do to make them open up more or allow me or my husband to pick them up? I interact with them every day in small doses so I don't stress them out, but I'm afraid to just grab them. I don't want to scare them. I want them to know they are safe with me.

And should I watch out for Rina being too mean? I know it isn't a big deal unless there is bloodshed, but she is pretty mean to Lana for no evident reason.

Any tips are greatly appreciated. Sorry this got so long winded!

Hi and welcome!

Good that you have got two at the same time. guinea pigs are group animals and not wired to be on their own.
Please make sure that you have got everything in twos - hideys (each with two exits), bowls (which you feed veg and pellets in that can be eaten in one go and then remove between meals) and water bottles. Over 80% of the daily food intake is unlimited hay, so your girls are not going without and will actually be healthier and live longer.

As to the behaviour: Guinea pigs live in a strictly hierarchical society. The hierarchy is established with dominance behaviours behaviours like nipping (which is a carefully judged, NOT painful festure of power), chucking the underpiggy out of hideys and off bowls and generally throwing the weight around. The correct response from the underpiggy is submission screaming (which is NOT pain, but a message that says 'I am no thread to you!' The dominance phase lasts until your top girl feels secure in her new position and home. Keep in mind that as a baby she would be very much looking for the guidance of her elders and that she is rather insecure in her new position.

Please take the time to read these guides here to understand what is going on. You should find them very helpful:
Bonding: Illustrated Dominance Behaviours And Dynamics
Sow Behaviour
When Sows Experience A Strong Season (videos)

What to check and look out for in new guinea pigs (vet checks, sexing, parasites&illness)

You may also find our other guides in our New Owners collection helpful and interesting as we address all the areas that cause the most worries and questions and that hopefully help you to as smooth a start as possible. There is a whole section on how to settle in, pick up and make friends with your piggies, as well as bedding and tips for a long term balanced diet that avoid causing bladder stones, learning what is normal and what not and how to spot illness early on etc.
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

 

[Betsy]

The more you let your new piggies get used to you on their terms the better it is for them. Being patient is hard at the beginning as you want to hold and cuddle your new pets which is only natural. The more patient you are now will pay you back tenfold as they won't be so frightened of you. Piggy prey instincts are sometimes very strong. Don't forget if you are a piggy to get to the end of the day alive is an achievement! Your piggies are still running on prey instincts at the mo until they get to learn that you don't see them as food!

Never forget piggies are like men - the way to their hearts is through their stomachs!