New Piggies Are Hiding!

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Suza24

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Hi!
We picked up 2 new 10 week piggies this morning. Once we had put then into their new cage indoors, they disappeared into their sleeping compartment and we haven't seen them since! We have put food and water in the non sleeping part, but they haven't yet come out to have any.
I realise they are only babies and new to their cage but should I be worried if they don't eat or drink anything? We are not in the same room as them so it's not been very noisy for them.
What advice can u give us inexperienced piggy owners please?
Many thanks :)
 
Ooooh trust me that's completely and utterly totally normal :)
You have nothing to worry about right now. Piggies are notoriously shy at first and it can take them time to venture out in the presence of people. They will get there, don't worry. Just take a note of the water levels and food levels, and when you notice they've gone down you know they are eating. The lure of food should outweigh their nerves, especially when the scary humans are not around! :) :)
Try putting their food and water right by the entrance to their sleeping compartment, and then as the days go by move it further away.
There's no set time for when a piggy starts to relax, it can vary greatly and actually some take months to really relax. Don't let this put you off, once they bond with you it's well worth the patience x

It's like little baby steps with some of them, and each little breakthrough with their confidence is a reward in itself :)
 
:D Hello and :wel: to the forum! This is perfectly normal behaviour for new piggies. They may hide away for several hours, but they will come out to eat eventually. Don't worry. It may be better if you move them to a room where there is some human activity. That way they can gradually get used to humans being around. If they are on their own all the time, any sudden human appearance will be huge shock. Don't be afraid to turn the radio on or use the vacuum near them either. They have to get used to all these sounds. Have you got 2 boys or girls? We would love to see some photos, when they are more used to you! There are many threads on here, to help new piggie owners. I hope you have fun exploring the site! :tu:
 
As for if they don't eat or drink anything, then yes, you will need to step in and take them to a vet, it IS dangerous for them to go without food as their guts can shut down when they're empty. BUT what you are going through right now is normal and is what most new pigs do, so as I say, put the food right near them so they don't have to battle their fear by venturing out just yet. It's rare that a piggy will starve itself, so please don't worry about what I have just written above. It is something that each owner must know though x
 
Hi and welcome!

What you are experiencing is very normal for prey animals that have not had much in the way of friendly human interaction and in new and potentially hostile territory. Please food, water and hay close to their hidey, cover the cage with a blanket to give them a feeling of safety and let them be. They are more likely to come out and explore when nobody is around. Don't worry yet.

You can find lots more tips on how to settle in your new piggies amd slowly make friends with them, as well as other useful information for new owners to get started right into piggy life via this link here:
" Starter Kit" Of Information Threads For New Owners
 
Thank you for your replies. It's made my daughters and I feel a bit better! We have got 2 sows..... think I'll move everything a bit closer to see if I can tempt them! :)
 
:wel:Hello and a warm welcome to you and your piggies. The replies you've had are spot on. Piggies are naturally prey creatures and very sensitive to change. Everything is new to them.
This thread is very helpful How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs? as is this one How To Understand Guinea Pig Instincts And Speak Piggy Body Language
If you can make them feel as safe as possible, by keeping everything covered over they will be less afraid. At first they may fear coming out so its best to put hay, food and water near their hideys. And then when they are a bit braver, move it slightly further away but with a tunnel, tube or stool for them to walk through, or hide under or inside so that they feel safe.

It's easy to tell when fresh veg have gone (if you count circles of cucumber etc) but if in doubt about pellets being eaten , you can weigh the bowl with contents at the beginning and end of each day and see if the weight has decreased.

Please just give them time to settle - some piggies settle very quickly but others take several weeks before they will start to respond to you and not simply leg it away from you and appear to play dead. Patience, kindness and bribery with herbs will win them over in the end.
 
Welcome, I was posting very similar to you a month or so ago. My pigs are still shy but I can see one eating hay and the other is growling his way about the cage as I type. It is taking ages to get their trust.

Do you have a towel over the top of the cage? That really helped ours, they could come out of the hidey but still feel hidden. We gradually moved the towel back and away.

And a word of warning. First morning we came downstairs, one of them was stock still. He did not move a muscle in his fleece sack. I poked him. Nothing. I started to say to my son "I'm sorry, I think he might be dea...." and he shot out of the bag to the other end of the cage. I nearly had a heart attack. They are great at playing dead when worried...
 
Tigermoth said:
Welcome, I was posting very similar to you a month or so ago. My pigs are still shy but I can see one eating hay and the other is growling his way about the cage as I type. It is taking ages to get their trust.

Do you have a towel over the top of the cage? That really helped ours, they could come out of the hidey but still feel hidden. We gradually moved the towel back and away.

And a word of warning. First morning we came downstairs, one of them was stock still. He did not move a muscle in his fleece sack. I poked him. Nothing. I started to say to my son "I'm sorry, I think he might be dea...." and he shot out of the bag to the other end of the cage. I nearly had a heart attack. They are great at playing dead when worried...
Click to expand...
Haha! I'm happy to say that both piggies came out once the room was dark and I can see that they've eaten. I'm hoping they have also had something to drink. ....!
Small steps.....! :)
 
Yep, that's piggies, small steps, but each one rewarding :)
 
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