New Owner Advice?

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SazzaG96

SazzaG96

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Hi there!

I'm a recent new owner of 2 male guinea pigs and I was hoping for some advice in general about looking after them.
They are in a 2 x 3 C&C cage with a loft and I use fleece bedding that is washed every 3 days!
They get fresh veggies morning and night and nuggets and hay!
Is there anything extra food wise I should be doing?

They are getting more confident day by day however if I come into the room they are still really skittish and I was wondering how I could help them become more comfortable also.

I have noticed on my longer haired piggy he seems to be getting poo and pee on his hair near his bum/his side,
He's not extremely long haired but I was wondering if this is normal and if I should clip the hair nearer his rear!
Sorry for such an essay of a post but it certainly is a learning curve when finding the best way to care for piggies!

Thanks,
Sarah
 
I would say a 2x3 cage is too small for 2 pigs. I have 2 and they are in a 2x5 cage, I was advised 2x5 or bigger is needed for 2 pigs. My Toast has long ish hair at her bum and tends to get sawdust stuck in in at but I just give it a wipe and keep her well groomed and she's fine but you can trim it if it's getting in the way..

My 2 girls were quite skittish when I first got them it just took time for them to come round and get used to me. I would sit and talk to them just to get them used to my voice and used to me being around, and if they weren't quite up for being held, I'd just put my hand in the cage for them to sniff :p some piggies can take months and months to warm up to you, just persist :D x
 
It's very normal for new pigs to be nervous and skittish. They will get more comfortable with time and exposure to normal household noises. I also try to make sure to hold new arrivals daily (in a towel so they can burrow in and hide.) I also make sure to feed them treats on my lap and from my hand so they come to associate me with positive things.

A lot of longer-haired pigs do need hair trims around their hind ends to keep from getting pee and poop stuck in their fur. I've had two sheltie crosses and just do trims with little manicure scissors during lap time. I also have a slicker brush that I go over them with daily to remove any loose hairs and prevent the longer hair from getting matted. Hope this helps a bit!
 
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with new piggies! It's really help me understand the different actions my Guinea pig Levi tends to do.
 
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