Advice Needed Please About My New Boys

[Drezella]

Hi everyone,

Well I'm very happy to say that I picked up my two beautiful boys last night from the rescue centre. Mum and I haven't handled them at all apart from lifting them from their transport box into the cage. We've just left them alone and spoke to them whenever we go past the cage. They are currently hiding in one of their strawberry beds, scared to death, the poor things. There is evidence that they popped out for a bit though last night whilst we where in bed, as the other bed was squished and there are veggies on the floor. The bowl of veggies has certainly gone down since I put it out for them, so I know that they are eating.

Anyway, I'm concerned because they've been in one of the strawberry beds all night and have pooed and weed in it, and I can smell it a bit already. I'm out at the moment but should be home around lunch time. So I'm going to change their water bottles and empty the old veggies out. I'm just wondering how I can clean the bed that they are in, as I obviously don't want to distress them by moving them, but at the same time I don't want them sat in their own wee and poo. There is another bed in the cage, should I gently tip them into that, then take the other bed out for cleaning? Advice please.

 

[Chief Guinea Pig]

Just shoo them out with your hand. You're trying to be kind not mean to them!
It is better than leaving them in pee and poop.

 

[Chief Guinea Pig]

Gently of course though!

 

[Drezella]

Ok, thanks for the tip, I'll try it later. Yeah I definitely don't want them staying in there, it needs cleaning.

 

[Flutterby]

I swap my materiel beds out every 3 days along with the fleece and hoover then out every time I hoover the fleece daily, so that they aren't sat in anything. A good idea is to get some old towel and make pads out of it for the huts that you can put in and take out to change daily.

I use 6 beds at a time with my girls, so I actually have 12 beds in total so I can do a total swap and wash every 3 days

 

[Wiebke]

I have got a double set of cosie (with some extras), fleeces and towels for my two dozen piggies, so I can swap for a clean out and at need. You can always provide an improvised hidey by pegging an old hankie to the bars or by cutting some door openings in a suitably sized cardboard box, which you can fill with soft hay (this is also a good way to lift them out of the cage for a cage clean without having to chase and handle them). If your boys are very fearful and not moving around much, place a towel or fleece over the top of cage to give them an added feel of protection.

Here are more tips:
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/how-do-i-settle-shy-new-guinea-pigs.36239/
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...stincts-and-speak-piggy-body-language.117031/

 

[Drezella]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I have a spare bed ready for when these two are being washed. I'm hoping to invest in more shortly. I also have stocked up on towels and fleeces ready to change the bedding.

They wouldn't come out of the bed before when I was trying to clean them, so I had to tip them out, but they went straight into the other bed, so I was able to take the base out and the puppy pad, and replace it. So at least they will be nice and dry now. They plucked up the courage to come out before for their veggies, and Paddy even let me sit next to him and chat to him whilst he was eating, so cute. Small steps.

 

[Maisy and Poppy]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I have a spare bed ready for when these two are being washed. I'm hoping to invest in more shortly. I also have stocked up on towels and fleeces ready to change the bedding.

They wouldn't come out of the bed before when I was trying to clean them, so I had to tip them out, but they went straight into the other bed, so I was able to take the base out and the puppy pad, and replace it. So at least they will be nice and dry now. They plucked up the courage to come out before for their veggies, and Paddy even let me sit next to him and chat to him whilst he was eating, so cute. Small steps.

Yes, at first piggies are quite timid!