We’ve had our two pigs for exactly a month today and I’m really concerned that they are just not happy. It’s rather getting us down seeing their sad little faces peering out of their hidey holes. They don’t popcorn, they don’t wheek, they just sit there, hoping we don’t look at them. They don’t even seem to like each other that much even though they are sisters, they very rarely go into the same hidey hole and on the rare occasion they run about (only for a few minutes and only at night when the lights are dim) they go up to each other and raise their heads in what seems to me quite an angry manner.
We got them at 6 weeks old from a breeder (which I now understand probably wasn’t the right thing to do, I so wish we’d had rescue ones). Though she clearly cared about them and they all had lots of space and the girls had free run of the garden. She said that their father (whom we saw) was one of the only guinea pigs she’d had who was really quite aggressive towards other boars – eg if she mistakenly left his cage open whilst getting his food he would try to get out and bite another nearby boar.
I’m hoping that they are still settling in. They have gone from living outside in a shed with lots of other guinea pigs and their mother to being inside with us, our three children and lots of noise. We have a cage in the kitchen and a run in the sitting room. But basically they rarely move from their hidey holes – it is quite an occasion if one of us spots that one of them is out and about.
Strangely, though they are clearly nervous of us, they will sit on our knee and wolf down veg, when they’ve finished they pull frantically at our clothes and then when we put them back in their cage or run will have a quick look around, see if there’s any new food, have a quick bite and then back to their hidey holes until we next pick them up and give them more veg. Apart from when sitting on us they must do their eating in the night (they are putting on weight and their output is plenty!).
What can we do? Should I keep them just in the cage (which is sort of behind the kitchen table and is raised), until they are more settled, they seem even less likely to come out of hidey holes in their run as it is on the floor and I think they feel more exposed as we walk right by it.
I went into Pets at Home today to get some food and there were 6 young pigs in one area, all of whom were running around popcorning and eating and just looking generally happy. They didn’t run for cover when they saw me. One was even asleep with its eyes shut – I thought, given what I know of PaH that it must be ill, but no, I saw it wake up, yawn, stretch and popcorn off. It makes me feel so sad that I can never imagine our guinea pigs doing anything like this at all.
I’m annoyed that we got them from a breeder. And I’m really sad that my children won’t have the lovely experience I had with my guinea pigs when I was young. Or am I overreacting? Is it just a matter of time? Is there anything I can do to help them? - add a third pig? Are they psychologically damaged? Many thanks for any ideas or advice.
We got them at 6 weeks old from a breeder (which I now understand probably wasn’t the right thing to do, I so wish we’d had rescue ones). Though she clearly cared about them and they all had lots of space and the girls had free run of the garden. She said that their father (whom we saw) was one of the only guinea pigs she’d had who was really quite aggressive towards other boars – eg if she mistakenly left his cage open whilst getting his food he would try to get out and bite another nearby boar.
I’m hoping that they are still settling in. They have gone from living outside in a shed with lots of other guinea pigs and their mother to being inside with us, our three children and lots of noise. We have a cage in the kitchen and a run in the sitting room. But basically they rarely move from their hidey holes – it is quite an occasion if one of us spots that one of them is out and about.
Strangely, though they are clearly nervous of us, they will sit on our knee and wolf down veg, when they’ve finished they pull frantically at our clothes and then when we put them back in their cage or run will have a quick look around, see if there’s any new food, have a quick bite and then back to their hidey holes until we next pick them up and give them more veg. Apart from when sitting on us they must do their eating in the night (they are putting on weight and their output is plenty!).
What can we do? Should I keep them just in the cage (which is sort of behind the kitchen table and is raised), until they are more settled, they seem even less likely to come out of hidey holes in their run as it is on the floor and I think they feel more exposed as we walk right by it.
I went into Pets at Home today to get some food and there were 6 young pigs in one area, all of whom were running around popcorning and eating and just looking generally happy. They didn’t run for cover when they saw me. One was even asleep with its eyes shut – I thought, given what I know of PaH that it must be ill, but no, I saw it wake up, yawn, stretch and popcorn off. It makes me feel so sad that I can never imagine our guinea pigs doing anything like this at all.
I’m annoyed that we got them from a breeder. And I’m really sad that my children won’t have the lovely experience I had with my guinea pigs when I was young. Or am I overreacting? Is it just a matter of time? Is there anything I can do to help them? - add a third pig? Are they psychologically damaged? Many thanks for any ideas or advice.
It's okay, Piggies are prey animals, the prey instinct is huge in piggies and takes a while to overcome.
) and they couldn't be happier.
