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Missing guinea pig

S

Somersetguineaowner

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jul 29, 2019
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Regretfully, whilst putting fresh bedding and food into my guineas hutch and outdoor run at 8.30 p.m last night I let my 2 guineas run around the garden. Since they seemed to be enjoying it, I left them as I went in and outside the house. When at 9.30 p.m I came to put them away one was missing :-(. I am devastated as heard no sounds to indicate anything wrong. The fence is secure. Anyone who replies doesn't need to be hard on me for my foolishness, I am already doing that over and over again :-(.

I'm looking for ideas on where she might be, and what to do. I would guess she weighs 2lbs so unlikely (hopefully) a bird of prey or cat as I've never seen them in the area. I've put up signs, notified the vets and walked around small adjoining wood. I've opened the hedgehog holes that I've cut in the fence putting food by each one in case somehow she did get out.

Any other ideas gratefully received...thank you x
 
An upturned box with food and things strongly smelling of “home” in a few spots so there is somewhere to hide as if she is out there somewhere she will be hiding. You need to provide somewhere she feels secure to sit under.
 
Somersetguineaowner said:
Regretfully, whilst putting fresh bedding and food into my guineas hutch and outdoor run at 8.30 p.m last night I let my 2 guineas run around the garden. Since they seemed to be enjoying it, I left them as I went in and outside the house. When at 9.30 p.m I came to put them away one was missing :-(. I am devastated as heard no sounds to indicate anything wrong. The fence is secure. Anyone who replies doesn't need to be hard on me for my foolishness, I am already doing that over and over again :-(.

I'm looking for ideas on where she might be, and what to do. I would guess she weighs 2lbs so unlikely (hopefully) a bird of prey or cat as I've never seen them in the area. I've put up signs, notified the vets and walked around small adjoining wood. I've opened the hedgehog holes that I've cut in the fence putting food by each one in case somehow she did get out.

Any other ideas gratefully received...thank you x
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Hi!

Please put out ideally several walk-in boxes that you have lined with used bedding that smells like 'home' and some fresh hay close to bushes and cover and hope for the best. Piggies are territorial and generally do not move far away/come back where they belong.

Make your usual food noise and bring out the companion the cage so if your piggy hears them wheeking, it may have an incentive to follow the sound.

Please close any hedgehog gaps to prevent your piggy from leaving the enclosed garden.

Never chase a piggy, as that triggers its flight instinct. I have found that serving dinner and having the companions wheeking in response has usually turned up any accidental/adventurous run escapee over the years if they were not already sitting next to the run containing their friends after a happily little poke through the nearest flower border

Unfortunately, leaving any piggies to free roam in any garden without full-on supervision is never a good idea; foxes, weasels, sea gulls etc. are other predators in urban or more rural areas. Guinea pigs are also very good at sitting still and hiding in thick cover. if they get spooked, run and get lost, then they can struggle to find their way back. :(
 
Thank you, a neighbour has covered up hedgehog gaps... nothing could have got into the garden apart from a bird :-(. So upset with myself as she is a lovely guinea, chunky and a real whistler, finishing work early to look again.
 
I'm so sorry you're piggy has gone off exploring. I've seen quite a few people have success playing guinea pig sounds from youtube, they are naturally herd animals and seek the safety of others, hearing familiar sounds may make her come out of hiding. I hope she comes back from her little adventure soon ❤
 
I'm so sorry this has happened. Xx
If she is familiar with human sounds, maybe you could try saying things that you normally would to get her excited and maybe she'll hear it? Maybe rustle food bags and call her name? You could even take your other piggies out into the garden in a run or play sounds of guinea pigs chortling and see if she comes out.

Put out tunnels and pigloos and places to hide that smell of the hutch and her companion.

Most importantly keep looking! Check under bushes and under anything that you think you would hide under if you were a guinea pig.
Good luck,
I hope you find her soon x
 
Somersetguineaowner said:
Thank you, a neighbour has covered up hedgehog gaps... nothing could have got into the garden apart from a bird :-(. So upset with myself as she is a lovely guinea, chunky and a real whistler, finishing work early to look again.
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I sincerely hope that she'll turn up again!
 
Somersetguineaowner said:
Regretfully, whilst putting fresh bedding and food into my guineas hutch and outdoor run at 8.30 p.m last night I let my 2 guineas run around the garden. Since they seemed to be enjoying it, I left them as I went in and outside the house. When at 9.30 p.m I came to put them away one was missing :-(. I am devastated as heard no sounds to indicate anything wrong. The fence is secure. Anyone who replies doesn't need to be hard on me for my foolishness, I am already doing that over and over again :-(.

I'm looking for ideas on where she might be, and what to do. I would guess she weighs 2lbs so unlikely (hopefully) a bird of prey or cat as I've never seen them in the area. I've put up signs, notified the vets and walked around small adjoining wood. I've opened the hedgehog holes that I've cut in the fence putting food by each one in case somehow she did get out.

Any other ideas gratefully received...thank you x
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8.45 pm Queenie HAS REAPPEARED BUT KEEPS GOING BACK THRU FENCE GAP IF I GET NEAR - INTO WOODS OTHER SIDE. Waiting game with all ideas from here. Ive strong faith and have been thru huge human trauma (suicide of young loved one) like many of us so hoping she comes back as emotional resilience low. Lesson learned if she ventures in again x
 
Hello. 6.45pm. She’s back this morning. Impossible to get to other side of fence due to undergrowth and she’s on alert. I’ve put lots of snacks, and moved hutch/run where she normally lives so she can see other guinea and ideally go under it ... plus put spare hutch/lots of things to go under. Not going to spook her. At least she knows where to come back to. She’s the smartest guinea I’ve had in about ten. They’re just the sweetest animals. Thank you SO MUCh to everyone for taking time to reply. What a wonderful thing the internet can be x I’ll let you know as soon as she is back to stay x
 
Just got her - all the ideas were brilliant. Will make donation in thanks to this site. A blessing and evidence of not losing hope x She’s miffed mind you as she’s not impressed on being on my lap - not her thing, she is very independent whereas other one loves fuss x
 

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Somersetguineaowner said:
Just got her - all the ideas were brilliant. Will make donation in thanks to this site. A blessing and evidence of not losing hope x She’s miffed mind you as she’s not impressed on being on my lap - not her thing, she is very independent whereas other one loves fuss x
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Brilliant news!
 
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