Hi I’m hoping people get back to me soon. I got piggies yesterday and they haven’t drink anything I think they have eaten a little bc there was a poop but they have also stayed still. Is this normal or should a take them to a vet.
Hi!
Give your piggies time to settle in and get their bearings. Place a sheet or towel over the cage to give them a feeling of safety. Make sure that they have hay (should make around 80% of their daily food intake), a little veg (ideally including a chunk of cucumber for fluid) and just a few pellets and always fresh, cool water close to their hideys. They will come out when nobody is around.
Take the time to read the information in the green link below in order to understand where your piggies come from, how their prey animal instincts function and how you can work around them. You will find the tips and information in the links very helpful, including a little course in guinea pig whispering. Be patient and give your piggies time and space to find their bearings in a totally alien environment since they have hardly had any human contact and have never been in a complex home environment before while they are badly missing the safety of their own group and the guidance from adults to help them master their environment and teach them what is safe and what not.
Here is the link:
Settling In And Making Friends With Guinea Pigs - A Guide
Please also make sure that your guinea pigs are safe from the worst of the summer heat. Guinea pigs can die from heat stroke, many sadly do each year.
Hot Weather Management, Heat Strokes and Fly Strike
You will get more qualified answers in our various Care sections, which are specially there for any questions and problems. The most sensitive sections are specially monitored by experienced members. We do try to answer every post as quickly as possible but please accept that we are UK based. Our Chat sections are for talking about your guinea pigs and showing pictures.
If you need information in a hurry but we are in our down cycle, you will find our New Owners guide collection very helpful. It is pretty comprehensive and addresses specifically all the most often asked questions and cries for help in a practical and detailed way. In 15 years of existence I would hope that we have figured what kind information is wanted and needed.
Here is the link for bookmarking, browsing, reading and re-reading at need:
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides
Our full and even more extensive information resource can be best accessed via the guides shortcut on the top bar. It is one of the largest around.
