Hello, Rehomed Guineas taming help please .

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Purple Mania

Purple Mania

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Hello there ,

I have rehomed two gorgeous Guineas, they are 7 months old, and have not been handled hardly at all .

I have had them for 24 hours, and they hide constantly in their igloo in thier indoor cage , they come out, but when they hear me, they make a run for it .

I know its early days, but they seem so stressed.

Can anyone give me advice how to make them as comfortable as possible, also with them being 7 months old, is it too late to tame them to be handled, and if its not, please could someone give me advice on how to do this

Many thanks

Purple x
 
You need to make them feel as comfortable as possible. Holding them on your lap inside something like a fleecey blanket or towel will help them feel more relaxed as they will be able to burrow if they feel they need.

I make and sell cavy cozies in aid of rescues, but I've closed my shop until the New Year (www.cavycozies.com for reference). Cavy cozies are great for getting piggies used to handling, but anything like a tea cosy or even an old fleece hat can also be used.

Good luck!
 
As you have only had them for a day, give them time to settle into their new home. It is a huge ordeal for them so they will be a little shy, nervous and afraid of anything unfamiliar - are they eating/drinking etc. as they may seem disinterested for a time and worry us but with time, will gain confidence and soon be wheeking every time they hear your voice rolleyes
Talk to them at every opportunity, offer little veggies from your hand so they will know your smell and your efforts will be rewarded.
I rehomed three Himi girls not long ago from their hutch outside, they'd had almost zero human interaction and were the most scared, skittish little things I've ever met :( With perseverance, two of them are cheeky and love a fuss, one is still very shy but trust me, they'll grow to love you :))
 
This is totally natural behaviour for guinea pigs. It takes them a while before they get to know you and their new home. Do not try to pick them up for a few days. Leave them to settle. You can sit by the cage and speak softly to them. After a few days you can start to handle them but bare in mind they are prey animals and you holding them is very scary. It will take them a long time before they are used to you holding them. You need to be very patient and gentle. It is never to late to get them tame. I have two that were not held for two years and they are slowly getting used to me.
 
Goodness me they were quick replies ! THANK YOU !

Thanks for the link Suzy, that sounds just like my two new additions .

They desperately needed cleaning out ( basicly I went to see them and bought them home with me so they had not had their weekly clean ) , it took me a good half an hour to manage to coax them into a box today, but they were absolutely terrified, I felt so mean, but felt it meaner to leave them in an enviroment that needed cleaning ........ have I done the right thing ( I know its a bit late now, but as I'm new to guineas, everything is new to me, and I want to get the best advice ) ....

I have them in their indoor cage in front of the settee ...... my reckoning was that they would get used to our voices there ..... but would they be better in a quieter part of the room ?

My son is ten and is desperate to handle them, but Ive said under no circumstances should he stress them out, they may need a couple of weeks to settle before we even attempt to handle them ..... is this the right course of action .

I stumbled across this forum on google, I'm so glad I did ..... thank you ever so much for your replies so far :)
 
They only need a few days not weeks. They will be so nervous and timid when first held so ensure your son is sitting on the floor with you placing one in his arms so they cannot jump off him and run away. It is lovely you have them in the room with you as they will get more used to you.
 
They are definately eating and drinking, as their dry food and greens were gone this morning .

I have thought about my son and I feeding them when he gets in from school, that way, he isnt rushing out of the house in the morning after giving them breakfast, and this way he can spend some proper time with them .... will it make a difference what time they are fed , is an afternoon feed ok ?

we have talked about getting our guinea pigs for about four or five months, the responsibility etc and decided that we would rehome some in the new year, but I heard about these two, and they needed a home quick, so they with us, they are really lovely, they had names ...... but we have renamed them, One has a little curled up lip ( no problem to him ) , so he has been renamed Elvis , and the other one is called Jackson ( after Michael !)
 
When you say feed what do you mean? They should have unlimited hay and clean water available at all times. Twice a day they should be fed vegetables and a bowl of nuggets. Which one do you use? How lovely you were able to take on these boys. I hope to see photos of them. :)
 
I have given them the guinea mix ( is it muesli) , which the previous owner handed to me, its one for Guineas enriched with vitamin C this morning . ... and we were going to top it up ( the dry) and give them their greens at night, but was wondering if my son can prepare and give them their greens when he gets home from school ?

They actually had no hay when we collected them, but I knew from reading on line that this is essential for them, so I have put some in their hidy hole and have put some in a hay rack for them . ... I'm pretty sure that on the picture we saw of them initially before they came home with me, there was hay in the cage, but I'm not certain . As for water, they have one bottle, but its a big massive one, should this be ok, or should they have one each ( would they know which one was theirs,,, or is that a daft question )

I just want to make sure that our new pets are pampered , and dont mind if anyone tells me I'm getting things wrong , because I want everything to be just right for them :)
 
Your son can feed them - you can arrange the feeds to suit your day, just as long as you establish a firm routine; that makes it easier for piggies to settle in.

In terms of greens, you may find this thread helpful. Guinea pigs only need about 50-100g of mixed veg, ideally including a high vitamin C veg like a slice of pepper, some broccoli or some parsley, dill or coriander every day.
http://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=42

You are doing great by coaxing them into a box and not hunting them down. It will get easier with time once your newbies get their bearings and realise that nobody is out to do unspeakable thing to them! Let your son try to entice them to take food off his hands once they are a bit more confident - that is a good way of building up trust.
 
Purple Mania said:
I have given them the guinea mix ( is it muesli) , which the previous owner handed to me, its one for Guineas enriched with vitamin C this morning . ... and we were going to top it up ( the dry) and give them their greens at night, but was wondering if my son can prepare and give them their greens when he gets home from school ?

They actually had no hay when we collected them, but I knew from reading on line that this is essential for them, so I have put some in their hidy hole and have put some in a hay rack for them . ... I'm pretty sure that on the picture we saw of them initially before they came home with me, there was hay in the cage, but I'm not certain . As for water, they have one bottle, but its a big massive one, should this be ok, or should they have one each ( would they know which one was theirs,,, or is that a daft question )

:)
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How awful they had no hay! That is appalling. I am glad they are no longer with such people any more. With the muesli you are feeding them, eventually try to get them to eat nuggets as they are better. They are a complete food and stop selective feeding. I feed mine Burgess Excell and they love it.

One water bottle is enough for them but they will need two of everything else such as cabins and tunnels so they do not fight over them.

Why dont you give them some vegetables in the morning and your son does the same after school? Two portions a day is far better for guinea pigs.
 
I have been looking at the photos, there was defo hay in the cage , but anyway, no harm done, they are snug and cosy and have plenty to of hay to eat now :)

They have both been out tonight :) , previously they ran and hid, with just the sound of someones voice , where as tonight, they were ok with us talking, but hid when we moved off the settee ........ but its progress.

Thanks for the advice about two of everything, I bought a bendy wooden arch chewy thingie ( my vocab is unique I know :) ...... ) and they seem to be having a bit of argy bargy over this, so I will get another one tommorow , I dont think they have had these things in the cage before, so maybe they are defining whos it is ? ....... am I wrong for introducing things in their cage before they are settled ?

These little fellas are going to be our buddies for a good few years to come , sorry if I sound if I'm panicking, I guess I am really ... but I know I'm in safe hands on here for help :) Thanks everyone x
 
it is not too soon to introduce things in their cage. They need to have things for stimulation and explore. Two of everything just stops fights. You should get them wooden cabins too as guinea pigs love them. They can sit on top and also chew on the wood.

It is understandable you are nervous as you have never had guinea pigs before. Feel free to ask anything you want to here. Nobody knows all there is before having experience so no need to feel shy.

They will get used to your movements. Having guinea pigs in the same room is wonderful as you can start to watch them when they come out and do not realise they can be seen. :)
 
Thank you , the advice from everyone is so helpful .

Can I ask, should I remove the long droppings from the cage daily,( I have read the do two sorts and eat the little ones ) I went into my pet shop yesterday to bend the ladies ear who advises on the guinea pigs, but I forgot to ask this , she did say that once a week is enough for them to be cleaned out ....... to me, it seems such a confined space to only be cleaned out once a week ? ( They are in a large ferplas indoor rabbit cage ) .

Last night was sweet, the braver of the two, appeared to be taking the greens and bringing them to the igloo to share with the other one, it reminded me of a piece of spagetti where you meet in the middle ( vivid imagination I have ) .
 
I have tuned in Radio 2 quietly for them to listen too whilst I'm out, to try and settle them a bit more ....... my husband thinks Ive gone stark raving bonkers !
 
He he.....no not bonkers. People undermine piggies, but well looked after spoilt piggies really do give so much love and laughter back.
The smaller poo's are the ones they eat they wont be in the cage. The long firm ones are the ones the leave around the cage so gracefully in one spot rolleyes. NOT! he he.
I brush up poo's every two days and clean out properly once a week. But I work full time and I would clean out more regularly if I could.
Your doing a good job....try not to panic.
My rescue Harry wouldnt take food out my hand initially so I spent some time just placing it in front of his igloo, slowly so he could smell me and eventually he just grabbed it out my hand he he......piggies and veggies......no man shall stand in their way lol
 
Another daft question from me ( sorry ) ...... I have given them carrots, celery and cabbage this morning, but have prepared some for when my son gets home from school to give them ... is this ok, or will me cutting it up already destroy the vitamin c content.
 
Hi there sounds like you are doing great. You may want to give the piggies different vegetables later on as they will get bored having the same thing twice. I see nothing wrong with pre paring the vegetables in advance. If you are concerned about them getting enough vitamin C then you can buy the tablets from hayexperts online. I crush them and put them on a slice of cucumber for my girls.

Which bedding are you using? I use fleece and do a poop collection two or three times a day.
 
I have omitted the carrots and put in some peppers for later .... my reckoning is, that I couldnt stomach the same meal twice a day, so neither should my new friends .

I had used Hay in their igloo for bedding , should I be using something different ?
 
It is up to you but I use fleece as I find that is the nicest bedding for my piggies. You have to prepare fleece before you can use it by washing and drying it three times without fabric conditioner. I put a layer of towels and then two layers of fleece down.
 
How big is their cage? I have found that so many of the shop bought cages are actually really expensive for the space. It is always good to have the biggest cage possible for the space you have so that there is space for enough houses and other toys as well as space to run around.

For example I had my original two girls in a two level ferplast cage. It was good for the space but it still wasn't easy to fit all the toys I wanted for them. It cost around £130.

DSC03587.jpg



I then moved to a C & C cage or to give it its full name cubes and coroplast cage. This is a cage made from metal grids and corregated plastic. They are much cheaper for a much bigger cage. This setup cost me around £80 and housed my 5 girls

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The size difference

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I would second the idea of handling your piggies in a blanket of fleece pocket as it makes them much less nervous and will make it easier for your 10 year old to handle. These are cosies from http://www.cavycozies.com/

DSC07487.jpg

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Welcome to the forum you'll love it here and learn so much I know I have.
 
piggyfan said:
It is up to you but I use fleece as I find that is the nicest bedding for my piggies. You have to prepare fleece before you can use it by washing and drying it three times without fabric conditioner. I put a layer of towels and then two layers of fleece down.
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Is the fluffy bedding you get for hamsters suitable, I'm worried about them not being cosy enough as Ive got home from work and they have munched thier way through the hay in their house .

They are in a ferplas indoor rabbit cage , my friend who has guinea pigs thought it might be better to replace the plastic igloo home with a natuaral bendy twig one, and fill it with hay, that way they can watch us, but hide at the same time whilst they get used to us, ... is this a good idea or not ?

I noticed that some photos have fleecy material in them ( like the fleecy jumpers ) do they not chew this, soil in it etc ?
 
I am unsure what bedding you mean. Fleece is ideal. Sure they wee on it but you just wash it. I collect poops three times a day and change it all every three days. I love it. Pig loos are fine. You do not need to put hay in but it is okay if you have. I got my fleece from Primark and it was only three pounds each. They will need two hidey houses so they can have space. You can use both the twig one and plastic one. Sure they will eat the hay you use. They love it! :)
 
They had a full clean out yesterday, and I have cleaned the poo this morning, the cage was clear, and tonight when I got home from work ... it looks as though I didnt bother, so my son had a plastic bag to pick it up with , but gave up with the bag, and is now doing it with his fingers as I type .... I guess if he doesnt mind , I dont as long as he has a good scrub afterwards .

We volunteer in an Animal sanctuary, , he is used to picking up horse pooh with his hands ( gloved ) ... so I guess guinea poo is a walk in the park, ha ha !
 
Purple Mania said:
Is the fluffy bedding you get for hamsters suitable, I'm worried about them not being cosy enough as Ive got home from work and they have munched thier way through the hay in their house .
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I wouldn't give them fluffy bedding for hammies although I wouldn't give it to hammies either as I always thought it could get stuck in their pouches. Assuming I am thinking of the right bedding. The piggies are indoors so as long as the house is warm enough for you the pigs will be fine even if they have eaten their hay.
 
threelittlepigs said:
You need to make them feel as comfortable as possible. Holding them on your lap inside something like a fleecey blanket or towel will help them feel more relaxed as they will be able to burrow if they feel they need.

I make and sell cavy cozies in aid of rescues, but I've closed my shop until the New Year (www.cavycozies.com for reference). Cavy cozies are great for getting piggies used to handling, but anything like a tea cosy or even an old fleece hat can also be used.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

My husband will be delighted when he gets home to find the fleece jumper he bought me cut up to cuddle our guineas , that was great advice, and may seem sensible advice but to me who is a complete beginner I hadnt thought of it .

We managed to get hold of them one at a time, they were going nuts darting away from us and I was worried about over stressing them, we got there in the end, we have had a little cuddle wrapped in the fleece of each one , and a talk to, how long should be hold them for each day whilst they are gettting to know us ? They seemed pretty calm once we actually managed to hold them, we stroked them on thier heads to the nape of their necks, I had read not to stroke near their bottoms ........ where is the best place to give them a fuss ?

Thanks for all the advice x
 
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