Having my first little worrie.. please help..

Vander74

Vander74

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi guys picked up our 2 little girls yesterday & have seen them both eat some hay & a bit of veg, they don’t really seem interested in pellets and neither have drunk.. they were out during night (as were opposite end of cage this morning) & this morning but just been hiding in their hay all afternoon, trying to clear up there cage without disturbing them too much & when emptied there fleece house inside out there were wee stains like in picture, are these normal ? One of them keeps making a cooing sound too but only when under hay so unsure which one .. know I’m a newbie and could be worrying over nothing but can someone just give me advise on this please xx
 

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Our little girls already to come home and them now somewhere in the hay! X
 

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Guinea wee oxidises and often goes an orange colour. What I can see in you photo looks perfectly normal to me
 
The wee stains are perfectly normal they are just stones being broken down my guinea pigs have them all the time. As for the food I wouldn't worry right away they are probably feeling scared and homesick, they will soon settle in:)
 
They may not have been awake throughout the night for guinea pigs only sleep for an average of 4 hours.
 
Veggies Galore said:
This is a good thread

Settling In And Making Friends With Guinea Pigs - A Guide
Click to expand...

Thank you I read nearly all your guides before we picked the girls up and I must say they are very informative and really helpful, think it’s just doing it in real life when they are your responsibility is a little scarier but sure it’s even more scarier for them with everything being so new! Feel better now I know their urine is normal xx thank you xx
 
Worrying about the piggies is perfectly normal for us slaves.
Hope the advice given has helped.
They are probably still feeling scared by the move and new environment.
Give them time and lots of patience as they settle.
Welcome to the world of a piggy slave
 
Piggies take a while to settle in. Think of it from their point of view.

They have been ripped away from their family and put in a strange and scary place (a shop) where scary loud giants (you) look at them and make funny noises. Then just as they are getting used to that they are put in small boxes on their own and are put somewhere different with different smells and different noises. No wonder they are scared! I know I would be in that situation. Give them a while to get used to their new surroundings. Provide plenty of cover (a towel over the cage will make them feel safer) and lots of hideys and bribe them with food. They will soon learn that you are not frightening. The piggy whispering techniques are really good. Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
 
Merab's Slave said:
Worrying about the piggies is perfectly normal for us slaves.
Hope the advice given has helped.
They are probably still feeling scared by the move and new environment.
Give them time and lots of patience as they settle.
Welcome to the world of a piggy slave
Click to expand...
Thank you for the kind words , makes me feel a little less insane. Lol.. I honestly found motherhood with both my daughter and son a very instinctive experience, I just somehow knew what to do and when to keep them happy & healthy and assumed these little furry babies would be the same but I can’t remember last time I was so worried! Ha ha my daughter did so much research after she asked for them last year (to prove she was serious & it wasn’t a fad) but obviously she’s only just 11 so I’m supervising & helping her & feel that over whelming need to do my best for them already.. lol! I’m worrying now that they haven’t come out from their hay in hours so concerned they are not eating their nuggets or veg & they still haven’t drunk anything :-/ xx
 
I've had my girls for around 4 weeks now and mine were exactly the same for a while too, they hid under they hay for days and would only come out and eat once we left the room, they didn't drink either and I started to get really worried, but slowly but surely they started to settle in, I put their cage in the living room where their is frequent coming and going and they soon got used to it and stopped bolting for their house as soon as someone came in the room, I talked to them gently everytime I went up to the cage but however tempted I was to pick them up for cuddles I didn't touch them for a few days, after a few days they started eating out of my hand and that seemed to be the start of us making friends, within a week we had lots of happy noises and even some popcorning, this was when we started getting them out for cuddle time, now 3 weeks later they have really settled in, their personalities have really come out, they come out to see us when we walk into the room and start wheeking and climbing up on the bars to see us, of course this is probably because they think we have food lol, but they're happy so I'm happy! I know it's hard not to but don't panic, be patient with them because I promise you from newbie piggies parent to another, it will be well worth the wait! 😊
 
They will do when you leave them overnight. Just see the amount of poops they leave behind them. They are poop machines and appetites with fur as @Merab's Slave so eloquently puts it! They will be fine once they have settled in. The help thread that @Veggies Galore gave you is a good one too.
 
Betsy said:
Piggies take a while to settle in. Think of it from their point of view.

They have been ripped away from their family and put in a strange and scary place (a shop) where scary loud giants (you) look at them and make funny noises. Then just as they are getting used to that they are put in small boxes on their own and are put somewhere different with different smells and different noises. No wonder they are scared! I know I would be in that situation. Give them a while to get used to their new surroundings. Provide plenty of cover (a towel over the cage will make them feel safer) and lots of hideys and bribe them with food. They will soon learn that you are not frightening. The piggy whispering techniques are really good. Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
Click to expand...

Hi, That’s exactly what me & hubby have been saying, must be such a scary experience for the little piggies, have read most of your guides on here as research before we hit piggies, they are really good, very informative & certainly helped me feel prepared but still when the little girls are here can’t help but worry they are doing ok & want to know I’m doing everything ok for them and most I can to make them feel safe, we are trying to spend some time talking gently to them (or to the hay where they are if you get what I mean) & some time leaving them alone so if they do come out we are not peering at them all the time, we left them completely alone for over 24 hrs then the rest of family had a quick cuddle with them so I could change their hay and do a pooh clean & put in fresh water food etc..they seemed fine whilst actually being cuddled but went straight back to hiding in hay once back in cage, will be as patient as they need of course, just wanted to know their wee marks are normal and the way they are behaving is ok and we are doing things right by them x
 
EmmaW said:
I've had my girls for around 4 weeks now and mine were exactly the same for a while too, they hid under they hay for days and would only come out and eat once we left the room, they didn't drink either and I started to get really worried, but slowly but surely they started to settle in, I put their cage in the living room where their is frequent coming and going and they soon got used to it and stopped bolting for their house as soon as someone came in the room, I talked to them gently everytime I went up to the cage but however tempted I was to pick them up for cuddles I didn't touch them for a few days, after a few days they started eating out of my hand and that seemed to be the start of us making friends, within a week we had lots of happy noises and even some popcorning, this was when we started getting them out for cuddle time, now 3 weeks later they have really settled in, their personalities have really come out, they come out to see us when we walk into the room and start wheeking and climbing up on the bars to see us, of course this is probably because they think we have food lol, but they're happy so I'm happy! I know it's hard not to but don't panic, be patient with them because I promise you from newbie piggies parent to another, it will be well worth the wait! 😊
Click to expand...

Thank you I’m so grateful to all the fellow newbies and more experienced guniea pig parents on here for settling my mind, they are my daughters pets really but think that makes me more nervous as got to do right by piggies and my daughter! Lol x
 
Betsy said:
They will do when you leave them overnight. Just see the amount of poops they leave behind them. They are poop machines and appetites with fur as @Merab's Slave so eloquently puts it! They will be fine once they have settled in. The help thread that @Veggies Galore gave you is a good one too.
Click to expand...
I was honestly amazed by amount of poop when changed their hay earlier, they are so tiny and cute how can they poop so much! Lol 😂
 
Well Everyone I don’t know if our piggies sensed my worry but me and family were just sitting by cage and suddenly out they pop ! They have eaten some pepper & a few nuggets and are now going absolutely crazy running around through their tubes and in and out of their hidies, are chatting away too, could it be because it’s cooler indoors now or do they tend to like early evenings? Xx
 
Vander74 said:
Well Everyone I don’t know if our piggies sensed my worry but me and family were just sitting by cage and suddenly out they pop ! They have eaten some pepper & a few nuggets and are now going absolutely crazy running around through their tubes and in and out of their hidies, are chatting away too, could it be because it’s cooler indoors now or do they tend to like early evenings? Xx
Click to expand...
They tend to be more active mornings and evenings
 
Vander74 said:
Thank you I’m so grateful to all the fellow newbies and more experienced guniea pig parents on here for settling my mind, they are my daughters pets really but think that makes me more nervous as got to do right by piggies and my daughter! Lol x
Click to expand...
Bless you, it is really nerve wracking when you first bring them home, I thought I was completely prepared beforehand but realised there was so much I didn't know! But this forum has been a god send and I've found answers for everything I've wanted to know on here, lots of amazing advice! Your piggies will be absolutely fine, the fact that you care so much about getting it right shows they're in safe hands, and if all else fails just remember the way to a piggies heart....is daily veg! 😂 x
 
EmmaW said:
Bless you, it is really nerve wracking when you first bring them home, I thought I was completely prepared beforehand but realised there was so much I didn't know! But this forum has been a god send and I've found answers for everything I've wanted to know on here, lots of amazing advice! Your piggies will be absolutely fine, the fact that you care so much about getting it right shows they're in safe hands, and if all else fails just remember the way to a piggies heart....is daily veg! 😂 x
Click to expand...

Thank you so much, they seem to love peppers & ate a little carrot & cucumber but have left the parsley and spinach I put out tonight and left most of the curly kale I left this morning .. do I just keep trying with their greens?x
 
Vander74 said:
Thank you so much, they seem to love peppers & ate a little carrot & cucumber but have left the parsley and spinach I put out tonight and left most of the curly kale I left this morning .. do I just keep trying with their greens?x
Click to expand...
Keep trying different things, they will show you what they do and dont like, mine are quite fussy with salad and veg and I'm just working out what they will eat, they love spinach, curly kale, peas, broccili, they will only eat carrots and cucumber if there's nothing else left, they love black grapes but won't eat green ones, red and green peppers are good but not yellow, my husband said the piggies shopping list is getting more complicated than our own 😂😂
 
EmmaW said:
Keep trying different things, they will show you what they do and dont like, mine are quite fussy with salad and veg and I'm just working out what they will eat, they love spinach, curly kale, peas, broccili, they will only eat carrots and cucumber if there's nothing else left, they love black grapes but won't eat green ones, red and green peppers are good but not yellow, my husband said the piggies shopping list is getting more complicated than our own 😂😂
Click to expand...
Thanks will keeping trying, me and my daughter actually keeping diary at mo as trying to keep it low calcium high vit c too.. all very complex! Lol x.
 
EmmaW said:
Bless you, it is really nerve wracking when you first bring them home, I thought I was completely prepared beforehand but realised there was so much I didn't know! But this forum has been a god send and I've found answers for everything I've wanted to know on here, lots of amazing advice! Your piggies will be absolutely fine, the fact that you care so much about getting it right shows they're in safe hands, and if all else fails just remember the way to a piggies heart....is daily veg! 😂 x
Click to expand...
Just like men really - a way to a man's heart is through is stomach!
 
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