New guinea pig not eat

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Yoav

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היי,
לפני 30 שעות קניתי שני שרקנים.
הם הסתתרו במשך מספר שעות, אך לבסוף אחד מהם התנהג באופן נורמלי יחסית.
אבל האחר (נקבה) בקושי זז, לא ראיתי אותו אוכל / שותה.
ניסיתי להאכיל אותו, אבל היא ברחה.
לפני שעה היא התחילה לאכול מעט את הנסורת.
מה לעשות?
תודה וסליחה על האנגלית העמוסה
 
Hay,
30 hours ago, I bought two guinea pigs.
They hid for several hours, but finally one of them behaved relatively normal.
But the other (female) barely moved, I didn't see him eating/drinking.
I tried to feed him, but she ran away.
An hour ago she started eating the sawdust a little.
What to do?
Thanks and sorry for the cluttered English
 
Yoav said:
היי,
לפני 30 שעות קניתי שני שרקנים.
הם הסתתרו במשך מספר שעות, אך לבסוף אחד מהם התנהג באופן נורמלי יחסית.
אבל האחר (נקבה) בקושי זז, לא ראיתי אותו אוכל / שותה.
ניסיתי להאכיל אותו, אבל היא ברחה.
לפני שעה היא התחילה לאכול מעט את הנסורת.
מה לעשות?
תודה וסליחה על האנגלית העמוסה
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome

We are an English speaking forum that is based in the UK with members from all over the world - but sadly none from Israel.
Please try to post a google translation if your English is not good.
Thank you.
 
30 hours ago, I bought two guinea pigs.
They hid for several hours, but finally one of them behaved relatively normal.
But the other (female) barely moved, I didn't see him eating/drinking.
I tried to feed him, but she ran away.
An hour ago she started eating the sawdust a little.
What to do?
Thanks and sorry for the cluttered English
 
Newly brought home guinea pigs are often very quiet and scared and need time to settle in. Put plenty of hay near them in their hidey houses so they can eat it without having to come out into the open while they are scared. Cover part of their cage with a blanket so they feel more secure. It’s best not to try to handle them for a couple of days until they have settled in. Hay is the most important part of a guinea pigs diet, so they need constant and easy access to a lot of it.

I have added in some useful guides below for you to read through

How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips

New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information
 
Last edited:
So is it normal?
Not return to the store?
 
it’s normal in the sense that guinea pigs are prey animals and are generally very scared until they settle in, it can take them a while to settle. They aren’t cuddly creatures who instantly have confidence. But guinea pigs do need to eat constantly so make sure they have lots of hay close by (they can’t eat sawdust as per your original post though) and watch her from a distance to ensure she does eat her hay. Make sure they have plenty of hidey houses to hide in when they are feeling insecure
 
Your guinea pigs come from a commercial breeder. They are transported to the shop (often over longer distances in the case of a country wide pet shop chain). When they are being sold, they have never had friendly interaction with humans and have never been in a home. They are feeling very lost and very frightened.
This link tells you how nw pet shop or breeder guinea pigs experience a new home: Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs

Please put plenty of hay, some pellets and a little vegetable in the cage. Then place a large bathing towel or a bed sheet over the cage and if possible leave the room. Your guinea pigs will come out to feed when they feel safe.
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?

Taming will take a lot longer. Learn about prey animal instincts. How you can avoid behaving like a hunting predator. And how you can talk to your guinea pigs in their own language to make friends in ways that they can understand.
These links here tell you how:
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
How To Pick Up And Weigh Your Guinea Pig Safely

Here is our diet advice. Hay is making 80% of the daily food intake.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

Look out for these common problems in bought guinea pigs: New guinea pigs: Sexing, vet checks&customer rights, URI, ringworm and parasites

Here is our full information collection for new owners. Please bookmark it and use it as a helpful resource:
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides
 
Welcome to the forum.
When I have had new guinea pigs I have always given them a week to settle in before doing anything more than feeding them.
I talk to them all the time so they learn to associate my voice with food and begin to feel safe.
When they are comfortable it would be lovely to see some pictures.

I am impressed with your English
 
Hello, and welcome
My boy Finn also came home as a baby boy and acted very cared but now, he is 2.5 years of age.
Glad to have you on the forum.
 
IS ALFALFA OK FOR GUINEA PIGS?
They are 2 months old
 
Yoav said:
IS ALFALFA OK FOR GUINEA PIGS?
They are 2 months old
Click to expand...

No, they shouldn’t be fed alfalfa. Alfalfa a legume (not a grass hay) and is too high in calcium. You need to feed them a lot of grass hay.

(Alfalfa can only be given in very small quantities to pregnant mothers and very young babies but it still must never replace a grass hay)
 
No, they need grass hay to form the basis of their diet. Alfalfa is not a substitute
 
but in Israel, there is only alfalfa
 
You cannot get hold of a meadow hay, timothy hay or orchard hay or similar grass based hay at all?
Such grass hay needs to form 80% of a guinea pigs daily diet.

Alfalfa isn’t a grass hay and is not a substitute for grass hay as it is too high in calcium. If you can’t get a grass based hay at all, then I don’t know what to suggest as it is so important to their diet.
 
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