Help and advice with newly adopted piggies!

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ladysarah

Hi all,

First post here!

I adopted a pair of guinea pigs at the weekend. I've long wanted piggies and thought that getting a rescue pair would be nicer than shop bought. I have two boars that are 8 months old, given up for adoption as their owner had died. They are indoor piggies at my house, and as far as i know, have always been together. I'm just looking for some help and advice on settling them in. They are very timid (I'm not surprised as they have been through a lot recently) and hide in their house if i get too close to their cage.

I've been talking to them and giving them yummy veggies in the same red bowl each day, hoping that they'll associate the nice food with me. So far, i still cant stroke them without them running back to their house. Do you think this is normal? Am i expecting too much?

I'm happy to be patient, i just wasn't sure if the best approach was to try and get one out to handle in order to let him get used to it, or whether to wait until they'll happily approach me? I dont know if their old owner handled them a lot. The rescue place didnt know a lot about them. One is more fearful than the other right now.

I've also seen one of them doing a rocking like motion to the other, almost like a sway side to side. Is that normal? I've heard them purring to each other a lot, and also chasing each other around, sniffing each others tails/bottoms. It was just this swaying thing that i found a bit odd.

Any advice welcomed in helping me settle these two piggies in!
 
Hi and WELCOME :D

First of all are you sure there both boars as you said the rescue didnt know much about them ?

The rumbling if of the same sex is just a dominance thing and the one mounting the other is the dominant one and just showing the other whos boss O0

Guinea pigs are naturally scared and always hide away when your near them its just how they are ::) But, i would handle them now as the longer you leave it the more frightened they will be, as long as theyve settles in a few days they should be fine which in your case they should of got used to their environment by now ;) Remove the house and pick them up or if its a house where you can take it out to get the piggys thatll be better 0:) They need lots of veg and fruit and some play time outside theyll LOVE that
 
Hi Sarah,
Congratulations on your new piggies, make sure you post some pictures once they are out a bit more. :o) :smitten:

The swaying is a dominance thing, swaying the hips and bum, you may even find that they mount each other, still a dominance thing though.
The noise isn’t purring, it’s a rumbling, a warning, a little argument between the 2 of them, warning one away. It’s ok though, all normal. :)

I have 2 boys about the same age as yours, have had them about 5 months. One is quite timid, has been like that since I bought him, seems to be just his nature, he will come and take food out of my fingers now (as long as I sit there long enough) but he will never be happily picked up or stroked, although he is perfectly ok once I have him out on my knee. 0:)The other piggie is just that, he would be quite shy if he wasn’t such a fatty! He loves his veg, could be bought to him by an ogre or a lion, he wouldn’t care. ;D ;D

Be patient, talk to them lots, just sit next to them talking and feeding them veggies, they will get used to you but I have found that it can take quite a while. :smitten:
 
congratulations on your new arrivals WE WANT PICS!

It sounds like they are still settling in so give them time food is definetly the way to their heart so you are doing the right thing there!
They will be frightened but they will get used to your voice eventually. You could get them out and handle them for 5 minutes by putting them on your lap on a blanket. Some times they can be too jittery for this so just stroking them in the cage may help then move to holding them.

The swaying and purring is them being males ::) I am guessing that they def are males if yes then they are just doing what boys do.

The best advice i can give is stick around on here ask all the questions you want and everyone will do their best to help out we are al friendly here!
 
Thanks for all your advice, and super quick replies!

They were sexed when i bought them, and one is definitely a male as i've seen his bits :o but i'll get the vet to double check when i take them there to be registered next week.

I'm glad that the noises are okay, it really does sound like purring, or like a series of little squeaks, and they do this to each other when they are both out of their little house, usually while sniffing each others noses. It was just the swaying that worried me, but id read a bit about boars needing to have one dominant male, and its definitely the white one of the pair! I think i'll try handling him first as he spends more time out of the house than the other Beige one, and can often be seen lying down and relaxing.

I've got a fluffy towel out, and a tiny slice of apple (which they both seem to love) so i'm going to try and pick up the white one and see if he'll let me hold him for a few minutes. I'm hoping the naughty slice of apple might distract him enough for a quick cuddle.

Thanks for all your help, will certainly let you know how things go, and i really hope that in a few months time they'll really be integrated into our family life and running amuck!
 
Awwww thats all they need love and cuddles from you :D :D Let us know as we are always here to help you ;) Good Luck O0
 
Aw good luck holding him, just be confident with hime and he'll feel safer and not wriggle so much. Thay all take time, some are more reaxed than others, sounds as if you're doing a great job though. Keep us updated :) and welcome to the forum!
Love Emma x
 
Welcome, stick at it, they are all different and some take longer to settle.
Food is definately the way to go
Good luck. O0
 
Just a quick update to say that i've held the white one twice now. He sat very still the first time (probably scared to death) but today he was a little more interactive. I'm going to try and hold him for 5-10 mins every day, and then start on the Beige one who isnt as bold. Fingers crossed they'll both be more relaxed around me when they realise that i'm not going to hurt them and slowly start to want to come out for cuddles.

I do have another question if that's okay. As i said, i have two boys. The White one is the dominant boar, but he seems a little obsessed with the Beige one's rear end, often sniffing it and chasing him around sniffing his bottom. Is that normal? and is it okay? They dont fight, not that i have seen anyway, and seem to get on well, trilling to each other, and they sleep together at night. I just wondered if their behaviour was okay?
 
Hiya

I have got three girls and they sniff bums a bit sometimes too! So it sounds normal to me. I'm getting three boars tomorrow one of them is a foster piggy from the RSPCA so i will get to know what boys get up to after tomorrow.

Have u posted some pics yet?

You will love this forum its very addictive and everyone is nice :smitten:
 
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