GuinGuins
New Born Pup
I just adopted two guinea pigs from a home that had too many. They are about 3 months old, sisters. This is the first time they're away from their mom and brother. I want to take care of them perfectly and have so many questions but no one to ask. these are my first Guinea pigs.
The cage I was given is a bit smaller than it should be, I know that, but it's an issue that I have to resolve with my husband still. But I will have this cage for at least another few weeks. Right now, it's not really possible to pick up my guinea pigs because there's not much open space in it and I don't want to force them out of their hideys just to pick them up. I just took the one out of the cage by lifting her out in her hidey. She came out on the floor so I picked her up but I think i scared her because I was afraid she was going to run away so I moved quickly. I tried to hold her but she was squealing terribly so I had to put it back in. Will she forgive me? I've only had them for about 4 days. How do I get them used to me and bond with him without being able to pick them up? I try to give them greens every time I approach the cage or right after I do handle them, like today. They will eat the food out of my hands mostly and know when it's coming and seem excited but still don't like to be touched. And at a week I will take everything out to clean their cage completely so at that point I will have to pick them up to put them in their temporary pen.
I've done research and they have been itching themselves multiple times every hour so I think the stress of moving to a new place and all the changes to their habitat has brought on some mites or something. I read that they can carry them with them and will only exit symptoms when they have been stressed which they definitely have in the last few days. I got some ivermectin from Los Angeles Guinea pig rescue to treat them but I'm just really nervous. Has anyone else dealt with this? I'm an anxious pet owner and this is the first time I've had guinea pigs and it's way different than any other pet I've ever had.
The people that I got them from said that they have had guinea pigs for 14 years but I don't agree with the things that they told me they do, like they said they don't put anything in their cage for them to hide because it only makes them more shy and they feed them food with treats in it and they said the more you pick them up the tamer they will be and you should chase them to pick them up. So I've added four spots for hiding, there is a smaller second level with one of those hiding spots to give some more room and that has helped a bit but now I just don't know how I'm going to be able to pick them up to trim their nails or give them their medicine or anything like that and I'm really anxious about it.
The hideout on the second layer also has to be just a cardboard box because I don't have the money to buy another kind right now. Is the cardboard box safe?
My research also said that it will take them about 2 weeks to establish their hierarchy but I'm also anxious about that because the one chases the other one around quite a bit and when the submissive one squeals it breaks my heart. She will flee to one of the hideys while the dominant one sits there and eats and she'll make little chirping noises and I just want to reach in and save her. She literally just be sitting there minding your own business and the dominant one will come over and make her move to a corner.
The cage I was given is a bit smaller than it should be, I know that, but it's an issue that I have to resolve with my husband still. But I will have this cage for at least another few weeks. Right now, it's not really possible to pick up my guinea pigs because there's not much open space in it and I don't want to force them out of their hideys just to pick them up. I just took the one out of the cage by lifting her out in her hidey. She came out on the floor so I picked her up but I think i scared her because I was afraid she was going to run away so I moved quickly. I tried to hold her but she was squealing terribly so I had to put it back in. Will she forgive me? I've only had them for about 4 days. How do I get them used to me and bond with him without being able to pick them up? I try to give them greens every time I approach the cage or right after I do handle them, like today. They will eat the food out of my hands mostly and know when it's coming and seem excited but still don't like to be touched. And at a week I will take everything out to clean their cage completely so at that point I will have to pick them up to put them in their temporary pen.
I've done research and they have been itching themselves multiple times every hour so I think the stress of moving to a new place and all the changes to their habitat has brought on some mites or something. I read that they can carry them with them and will only exit symptoms when they have been stressed which they definitely have in the last few days. I got some ivermectin from Los Angeles Guinea pig rescue to treat them but I'm just really nervous. Has anyone else dealt with this? I'm an anxious pet owner and this is the first time I've had guinea pigs and it's way different than any other pet I've ever had.
The people that I got them from said that they have had guinea pigs for 14 years but I don't agree with the things that they told me they do, like they said they don't put anything in their cage for them to hide because it only makes them more shy and they feed them food with treats in it and they said the more you pick them up the tamer they will be and you should chase them to pick them up. So I've added four spots for hiding, there is a smaller second level with one of those hiding spots to give some more room and that has helped a bit but now I just don't know how I'm going to be able to pick them up to trim their nails or give them their medicine or anything like that and I'm really anxious about it.
The hideout on the second layer also has to be just a cardboard box because I don't have the money to buy another kind right now. Is the cardboard box safe?
My research also said that it will take them about 2 weeks to establish their hierarchy but I'm also anxious about that because the one chases the other one around quite a bit and when the submissive one squeals it breaks my heart. She will flee to one of the hideys while the dominant one sits there and eats and she'll make little chirping noises and I just want to reach in and save her. She literally just be sitting there minding your own business and the dominant one will come over and make her move to a corner.
