• PLEASE NOTE - the TEAS facebook page has been hacked, take extreme care when visiting the page, for further information visit here

Leaping piggies

Sally Newbie

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jun 21, 2020
Messages
164
Reaction score
90
Points
275
Location
Lancashire
Hi!
So we've had guinea pigs for just over 2 weeks. They have been accessing the grass from their hutch but not by using the ramp anymore (did at first but not interested now) as they prefer to "plop" out of the hutch and then climb back in. Although they seem ok, I thought I'd better check with you guys this is ok! The 2nd picture belows shows the height they are plopping from. The first picture shows a log tunnel that I put there in the hope that they would step on that first to come out but today one of them did a super leap from the hutch over the log tunnel - I could put her in for the Grand National at this rate.
Secondly, at "Grass time" we are increasing this slowly. They don't exercise much when they are out of the hutch, just mainly eating grass but they wander about a bit. I like to imagine that they are being enriched! During this time I take their bedroom boxes out of their sleeping area which kind of forces them out a bit otherwise they will just sit in them looking out. I put the bedroom boxes in the run as hideys. Is this all ok or am I being a bit mean?IMG_2756.JPG
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2761.JPG
    IMG_2761.JPG
    79.9 KB · Views: 22
I’m unsure of how safe “plopping out” is, but if they refuse to use the ramp try to at least have a soft landing. Like a pillow or a folded up blanket so there’s less chance of them getting hurt
 
If that bit of wood is what you are using for a ramp it's a bit steep and has no sides so your piggies won't feel safe using it. It also has no grips for them so they won't find it particularly easy to use which is most probably why they have stopped using it. Have you got a length of drainpipe? If so you can stick a bit of old carpet in the bottom with some waterproof double sided tape (Amazon or eBay). Let your piggies run up and down on it while in the hutch and on the grass to scent mark it (you may need to put some food on it to encourage them onto it) for a day or so and secure it to the hutch using a couple of cable ties. Piggies follow scent trails.
 
Their not running around much in the run is normal. Mine have hides in their runs but will usually wander around munching on grass and not much else. Maybe a lay down occasionally.

Perhaps encourage them out the hutch onto grass by using a phrase or little son so they know it’s grass time.
 
The ramp has got wooden grips placed all the way down and originally I turned it into a tunnel with a shoebox (see attached pic) that Puff would go up and down with no problems with the wooden grips until she learnt that she could get in and out of the hutch without using it. So she felt safe using it. I only took the shoebox tunnel off recently as Cheese would just stare down into the tunnel ramp, despite placings of carrots all the way down it, and I thought if she could see where it went it might help (it didn't). The ramp would have had Puff's scent on it. I'll get some old towels folded along the front to break their landing and put the shoebox tunnel back on, thank you.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2739.JPG
    IMG_2739.JPG
    155.7 KB · Views: 13
Shoebox ramp back today and old towel bunched up to the right of it seemed to work! No more leaping piggies!
 
Back
Top