New guinea pig owner - advice needed please

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Pinky & Perky's Mum

Hi everyone!

I'm new here, got my two guinea pigs a couple of weeks ago. They are now ten weeks old. They are both girls and we've called them Pinky and Perky.

They live in their cage in our living room and we line their cage with newspaper covered in woodshavings/sawdust (not sure off the top of my head which it is but was what was recommended to us by the shop). Anyway, they have two little 'houses' in their cage that they hide in and sleep in but they wee in there and then sleep in there and I'm worried this is bad for them. So my first question is, is there a way to toilet train them to go in a certain corner or is this normal for them to sleep where they wee, they seem to wee everywhere!

Secondly, they seem very nervous when we try to pick them up and run around the cage to get away from us. When we do pick them up they sit quite still but look scared and Pinky weed on my boyfriend the other day when he was holding her. As soon as we move to put them back in cage they struggle to get free and then hide and won't come near us again. Are we doing something wrong or is this normal? Should we carry on picking them up hoping they will start to like it or leave them alone for a while? We pick them up in the way the vet showed us, holding them against our chests and stroking them, talking to them calmly.

Would really appreciate any advice you can give, we just want to be good pet owners and for them to like us! :)
 
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Welcome to the forum :)
Some piggies will be toilet trained and will go in a certain area of their hutch / cage. A lot however (like my 2 ) will wee everywhere. Mine tend to wee up the sides of their hutch but not in one particlar place. I tried to toilet train mine but they had none of it so I gave up in the end.

Guinea pigs are very nervous animals and everything you are doing for them sounds right. It took my 2 just under a year until they fully trusted us. Some take less time and some take longer. Even now, my Connie doesn't like to be picked up and will run around the hutch playing chase. Once out of the hutch however, she will sit and be cuddled. Eliza however, doesn't mind being caught but starts to figit after a while. All piggies have different personalities.
Just give them lots of time to get use to you. Try offering them food with your hand so they know not to be scared of you. Just assure them when you handle them and basically just keep doing what you are doing. They will gradually get use to you xx
 
Thanks, I feel a bit better knowing we're on the right track. They run so fast and didn't want to be doing more harm than good by chasing them round the cage and getting them all stressed out!
 
talk to them when you are hand feeding my oh thinks I'm mad cause i do this i say right whos coming out for a cuddle or shout breakfast or tea time.

it does just take time and giving them lots of hands on and if you get them out for a cuddle give them a little of their favourite treat so they will learn its a good thing getting a cuddle and increase the time you get them out for a cuddle each timee

hope this helps its what i did
 
They will probably take a little while to settle in fully trust you. It seems to take ages I know, but they will get to know your voice and your smell when you are handling them. Try sitting them on your lap, gently stroking them and give them some of their favourite food. Cucumber, grass or celery leaves often does the trick! You might find that it speeds things up to have both of them on your lap at the same time. Once one starts eating and being relaxed, the other will follow.

All my piggies would never get the hang on potty training. I know some can pick it up, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. You could look into other types of bedding if you find what you're currently using is not absorbant enough. Wood shavings aren't great for some piggies - they might start to wheeze etc., but you'll have to see how you go. I use Megazorb (it's a paper mulch horse bedding) but Carefresh is very similar. It's highly absorbant and you don't need to use much. It's also kind on their paws because it's so soft.

Charlotte x
 
welcome to the forum i have 2 piggies that are called pinky and perky too
they are almost 5 years old post some pictures of your piggies when you get a chance :)
 
Absolutely! Depends on the piggy's personality, but all will get used to you in time. My four boys cover the extremes...

Garry - shy boy (not sure how he was treated before he came to me), knows me and likes cuddles. Easiest to catch now as he tends to just stand there. However, if you enter the room and he's out in his cage, he runs for cover!

Minty - hates being picked up (maybe mistreated before he came to me with Garry) but is coming round now and is learning to like it. Bites if he's not secure. He'll come and see you at the bars of the cage, or stand and chat with you while he's chewing at the food bowl! Any loud noises, however, and he's off!

Benjamin - feisty boy. Biggest of the four and he knows it! Chews on the bars for food...including at 3 in the morning! He runs away when he thinks you're coming to pick him up, although he ultimately likes cuddles. Enjoys sitting on your shoulder as he then believes he's top dog...or pig...

Dave - cocky, very cocky. He was happily roaming around, bold as brass from day one. Nothing phases him really. If he sees Benjamin run away from a human hand, he'll do the same when you go to pick him up. You'll find him at the bars with Ben, looking for food and talking to you. Loves to popcorn!


It's a mad world, this piggy world!:))
 
I have three boars (Buddy and two brothers, Squeek & Bubble).

Buddy took about three months to settle and has gotton to the point of trusting me now.

The brothers are a different story. I got them from Pets at Home "rescue". They were born in-store and were never handled (P@H have a policy of not handling the animals - only clean them out?!). Consequently, ours were scared stiff!

We've had Buddy in total about 6 months now (roughly) and the brothers about 3 months. I've actually made some progress with the brothers over the last week to the point that Squeek will be okay with me touching him, makes a bit of a fuss when being picked up and is nervous when being held. Bubble is starting to let me touch him, makes a fuss when being picked up and is really nervous when being held (unless I hold him right next to my neck).

I've started off slow with the brothers. Started with stroking Buddy and then stroke the one closest to my hand. When I can pick them up, I only hold them for a minute or two and then, holding them so they're completely supported when popping them back in the cage. If they struggle, I remain calm, speaking calmly to them and then placing them in the cage. I hold them firmly but gently and eventually they'll learn I mean no harm. Time and patience is needed because they're so frightened.

I'm quite lucky that the boys get on so well and I think that Buddy trusting us is a big, big help. I think they see that Buddy isn't scared and that helps (at least, I'd like to think that's the case).

I'm moving them in a couple of days to their new house so it'll be a big change for all three but again, I'll let them all settle for say 24hrs (except Buddy - he'll get some cuddles!) and go back to their normal routine of being touched and handled.

Time and patience though is the key.
 
Thanks for all of the helpful replies.

When my boyfriend picked them up earlier Perky didn't put up much of a struggle although he still had to chase Pinky but wasn't as bad as previously and they didn't seem so traumatised afterwards. We will keep at it and hopefully they will grow more used to us and to being picked up.

Can't believe how much I love them already! x)
 
I agree with all of the above! :))

I have had many piggies over the years & they have all been so different! It is a case of getting to know your pig & your pig getting to know you! If you think about how long it takes people to trust each other, imagine what it must be like for a small furry when a giant tries to pick them up! But with time, love & lots of talking to them (& hopefully them to you too!), they will get much more confident & trusting of you!

Just don't be surprised or disappointed if they still hide when you try to pick them up! I have some who will still prefer to run away when my hand goes in the cage but as soon as they come out for a stroke & snuggle, they get settled & comfy! (A note here - when a pig pees on you during a stroking session, I like to think he is really settled & happy there - as well as being too lazy to jump down to find somewhere else to pee!!:(|))
 
SarahAllaway said:
(P@H have a policy of not handling the animals - only clean them out?!).
Click to expand...

Huh? Why would they do that?

I could maybe understand if they weren't handled as much as was ideal if the staff were busy ... but to have a POLICY of not handling the animals?

P@H are just idiots grrrr
 
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