Grooming in the first week?

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Appa&Momo

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Hi everyone,

I have just bought two 6 week old piggies. They are quite skittish at the moment in their first few days so giving them as much space as possible and avoiding handling for the first week where I can.

Slight dilemma - they are coronet and texel so long haired. I have read they they need grooming several times a week but I don’t want to disrupt the setting process?

Should I groom them or is it okay to wait for a week until they are more settled?
 
Welcome to the forum

We recommend they are just left to settle for the first week with a blanket over the cage to help them feel secure.
You can then start talking to them and sitting by their cage from the second week.

As prey animals they are unlikely to want to be handled but of course it is important that they get used to being handled for the essentials (weight checks every week, grooming and if they ever need any medications) at least.
How soon they are ready and how well they cope with it is very much piggy dependent and you really just have to play it by ear.

New Owners' Essential Information and Practical Tips Starter Collection
 
When Misty and Bramble (Sheltie and Texel) were new, I let them settle for a couple of weeks. I got them used to the comb by gently and slowly running it (side on) down their backs for a few times so they would get used to the feel of it. Then when they were used to that I would comb just a stroke then go side on with the comb. I increased the amount of comb strokes and minimised the side of the comb every day until they got used to the top layer being combed through, if I hit a tangle, I sorted that out (sometimes the scissors were required if it was a bad one) then stopped. When they got used to the top layer being combed I did the say with the bottom coat. Now they get a through grooming every morning after cuddle time and before coriander time.

Here is my hair cutting guide for your information.

An Illustrated Guide to Hair Cutting
 
Please let your piggies time to get their bearings and establish their new group in its new territory first for the first two weeks and then slowly introduce grooming. With long-haired piggies rather give them a short-hair cut at the back end the first time so you can concentrate on building up trust without any dreaded hair pulling.
New Guinea Pigs: How to Best Manage Arrival and Settling In
 
Thank you so much for your thoughtful responses, I really value the knowledge.

This may be an obvious question but am I okay to handle them to move them to a run for cage cleaning; or best to leave the cleaning for the first week?

Just mindful of 100 daily poos and don’t want them sitting in their urine.

I have absorbent fleece liners and extra matts in high traffic areas. Also set up a litter tray under one of their hay piles in attempt to localise the mess - but as you know, if they have to go they will go!
 
You do still need to remove the poops every day.
I never remove my piggies from the cage to do so - I just sweep around them (carefully when they were new!)
 
I used to clean them after a week but that depended on how they were settling in. With the very shy ones sitting in their hidey, apart from poo patrol I would just exchange the extra fleece pad twice a week as the rest of the cage was not messing up as quickly.

I have a special 'poo poo patrol' melody that I use for the poo patrol and cage tidy to help my newbies learn their new daily routine, another call with a different cadence for the food, a pick up melody and an 'Are wer going home now' melody etc. This helps bring order and structure into the chaos of their new life. There is plenty of reassurance and praise, and oh,oh,oh for disappointment etc. as piggies pick up on the emotion and tone much more than on the words. They will come round; most through the food lure.

Here are some more useful tips:
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?

And here is how you can work around their prey animal instincts:
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips

You'll get there. There is no precise time limit. Some piggies are making themselves at home within a couple of days and others take weeks or even months. One of my current piggies prefers to live under the fleece and only turn up for feeding - once I am safely out of reach. Never mind that she is now 5 years old and has spent more time in good care than not; old habits die hard.
 
Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for the advice and support.
It’s nearly been two weeks… little piggies are still very timid. I’m remaining patient.
I have left blankets over the cage still to allow them to feel more safe. Should I start to gradually remove this now?
They are not accepting food from my hand still and tend to hide when I’m around but I know I will need to start the grooming process soon to prevent any matting.
Will it be okay to handle for this even when they are not ready? I don’t want to disrupt all the progress they are making?
 
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