New rescue - very frightened

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larnanoomia

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I've just taken in a 6month old lonely girl from pets at home.
Long story short got two boys in june who fell out, both neutered in October. Bonded one with a 1 year old rescued female from p@h she was found on the streets.
This new girl is only little, approx 6m old. She was surrendered with two bonded 2 year old girls that didn't accept her. It was only a short drive home, about 10 mins. I lifted her out the carry case and I actually had to watch she was breathing she was so still. Ive put her in her cage and she didn't walk to her cosy tunnel she just stayed still so I put her in the tunnel and made it cosy so at least she is warm. Shes my fifth guinea and ive never had one so scared that they are completely still. I've took her on knowing she could be sick etc but hopefully she's not. Shes obviously been mistreated they suspect she was left in soiled wet bedding as someone has hacked off her fur with clippers 😭
 

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larnanoomia said:
I've just taken in a 6month old lonely girl from pets at home.
Long story short got two boys in june who fell out, both neutered in October. Bonded one with a 1 year old rescued female from p@h she was found on the streets.
This new girl is only little, approx 6m old. She was surrendered with two bonded 2 year old girls that didn't accept her. It was only a short drive home, about 10 mins. I lifted her out the carry case and I actually had to watch she was breathing she was so still. Ive put her in her cage and she didn't walk to her cosy tunnel she just stayed still so I put her in the tunnel and made it cosy so at least she is warm. Shes my fifth guinea and ive never had one so scared that they are completely still. I've took her on knowing she could be sick etc but hopefully she's not. Shes obviously been mistreated they suspect she was left in soiled wet bedding as someone has hacked off her fur with clippers 😭
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Hi

Please cover the cage and place some hay close to the tunnel.

You may find these guides here helpful; they cover how to deal with traumatised piggies running on their survival instincts with plenty of practical tip but also how you can avoid predatory behaviours and using guinea pig body language to communicate simple but important concepts in her language long before she can figure humans and take yourself out of the predatory category.

Make sure that you invite her into the herd you are leading so she has got a group identity and a place where she 'belongs'; that will give her a feeling of safety. If you have other piggies please move her within hearing distance while she is in quarantine before you move her alongside.

It is going to take months or even years of patience and persistence to get her out of there; especially when she is alone and lost. Brace yourself that it is a one step forward and two steps back process but that she should come out of it that bit sooner every time.

New Guinea Pigs: How to Best Manage Arrival and Settling In
Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?

Guinea Pig Behaviours in their Context

I sincerely hope that the guide links help you to understand where she is coming from and how you can use guinea pig social behaviours to communicate and to make her feel understood. It can be very tricky to get abused and terrorised piggies out of there but I have found that the more I could make sense in their world view, the sooner I got results - even with persistent biters.

Thank you for taking on the poor mite. She is lucky to have found you.
 
larnanoomia said:
I've just taken in a 6month old lonely girl from pets at home.
Long story short got two boys in june who fell out, both neutered in October. Bonded one with a 1 year old rescued female from p@h she was found on the streets.
This new girl is only little, approx 6m old. She was surrendered with two bonded 2 year old girls that didn't accept her. It was only a short drive home, about 10 mins. I lifted her out the carry case and I actually had to watch she was breathing she was so still. Ive put her in her cage and she didn't walk to her cosy tunnel she just stayed still so I put her in the tunnel and made it cosy so at least she is warm. Shes my fifth guinea and ive never had one so scared that they are completely still. I've took her on knowing she could be sick etc but hopefully she's not. Shes obviously been mistreated they suspect she was left in soiled wet bedding as someone has hacked off her fur with clippers 😭
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How lovely you’ve taken on this little ‘lost’ soul
Wiebke has given you wonderful advice and I’m sure with piggy friends and care, devotion and love she will live her best life with you all
She has had such a sad start but she’s found a loving home with you 🥰
 
Wiebke said:
Hi

Please cover the cage and place some hay close to the tunnel.

You may find these guides here helpful; they cover how to deal with traumatised piggies running on their survival instincts with plenty of practical tip but also how you can avoid predatory behaviours and using guinea pig body language to communicate simple but important concepts in her language long before she can figure humans and take yourself out of the predatory category.

Make sure that you invite her into the herd you are leading so she has got a group identity and a place where she 'belongs'; that will give her a feeling of safety. If you have other piggies please move her within hearing distance while she is in quarantine before you move her alongside.

It is going to take months or even years of patience and persistence to get her out of there; especially when she is alone and lost. Brace yourself that it is a one step forward and two steps back process but that she should come out of it that bit sooner every time.

New Guinea Pigs: How to Best Manage Arrival and Settling In
Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs

Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering and Cuddling Tips
How Do I Settle Shy New Guinea Pigs?

Guinea Pig Behaviours in their Context

I sincerely hope that the guide links help you to understand where she is coming from and how you can use guinea pig social behaviours to communicate and to make her feel understood. It can be very tricky to get abused and terrorised piggies out of there but I have found that the more I could make sense in their world view, the sooner I got results - even with persistent biters.

Thank you for taking on the poor mite. She is lucky to have found you.
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Thank you! I could cry at how scared she is. Shes got shelter, hay, water and raichu my boy close by. Hopefully she learns she is safe soon 🫶
 
Poor little thing - well done for taking her in, sounds like she will have a great home with you after what sounds like a difficult start. She looks lovely. Hopefully this is all just behavioural but any signs of illness obviously would need vet checking.

I found the advice on here SO helpful when in a similar situation with Dottie (the one in the right of my photo). She was frozen with terror when I brought her back from a rescue, didn't want to leave the carrier, didn't move, went into freeze or 'play dead' mode. It was really sad. Even the lady who runs the rescue said she was one of the most scared pigs she'd ever seen (she had a 3 day bonding date with our other pig Winnie ,and the rescue lady said Dottie was so still it took Winnie a few hours to register her!). The rescue were happy we took her as we could offer a very quiet and calm home. Dottie was our third pig and so much more scared than the others. It was an ordeal picking her up for weighing etc at first, I wondered if she'd ever be calm. The advice on here about helping them settle in gently and very much going at their pace etc really helped us. Dottie is still a bit skittish compared to the others, but so much more secure, and she is now quite assertive about what she wants, free to express herself and has turned into quite the personality - a real sweetheart with plenty of sass too. It took time to build the trust, but we now have a nice secure bond I think. 'Cupboard love' as my vet put it (ie food) played its part in the bonding too, along with patience and being led by her.

It's lovely she has found a nice home with you.
 
LucyP said:
Poor little thing - well done for taking her in, sounds like she will have a great home with you after what sounds like a difficult start. She looks lovely. Hopefully this is all just behavioural but any signs of illness obviously would need vet checking.

I found the advice on here SO helpful when in a similar situation with Dottie (the one in the right of my photo). She was frozen with terror when I brought her back from a rescue, didn't want to leave the carrier, didn't move, went into freeze or 'play dead' mode. It was really sad. Even the lady who runs the rescue said she was one of the most scared pigs she'd ever seen (she had a 3 day bonding date with our other pig Winnie ,and the rescue lady said Dottie was so still it took Winnie a few hours to register her!). The rescue were happy we took her as we could offer a very quiet and calm home. Dottie was our third pig and so much more scared than the others. It was an ordeal picking her up for weighing etc at first, I wondered if she'd ever be calm. The advice on here about helping them settle in gently and very much going at their pace etc really helped us. Dottie is still a bit skittish compared to the others, but so much more secure, and she is now quite assertive about what she wants, free to express herself and has turned into quite the personality - a real sweetheart with plenty of sass too. It took time to build the trust, but we now have a nice secure bond I think. 'Cupboard love' as my vet put it (ie food) played its part in the bonding too, along with patience and being led by her.

It's lovely she has found a nice home with you.
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Thank you. We are on the lookout for any signs of illness with her. She is very much in play dead mode id say. I really did think she had passed away
Fingers crossed this little girl has a long life with us and with time can be introduced to my boy raichu who has been patiently waiting for a wife
 
larnanoomia said:
Thank you. We are on the lookout for any signs of illness with her. She is very much in play dead mode id say. I really did think she had passed away
Fingers crossed this little girl has a long life with us and with time can be introduced to my boy raichu who has been patiently waiting for a wife
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You can move them next to each other with interaction through the bars once the quarantine is over.

The guide links I have given you contain all the practical little details that I cannot repeat in full; but a lot of my own experiences with rehabilitating skittish and difficult to bond rescue piggies and giving them a forever home have gone into these guides.
 
Once quarantine is over and she is hopefully with Raichu, she should start to learn from him and feel safer ❤
 
She’s a very lucky piggy to have found a safe and loving home.
Moses & Miriam were still very scared when I brought them home from the rescue.
They had been dumped in woods near Lymn in Cheshire.
I followed the same advice as @Wiebke has given you.
It’s taken time but they are now vocal, active, expert furniture movers and come to the bars for food.
Hope everything goes well as you treat her with kindness and patience.
 
Merab said:
She’s a very lucky piggy to have found a safe and loving home.
Moses & Miriam were still very scared when I brought them home from the rescue.
They had been dumped in woods near Lymn in Cheshire.
I followed the same advice as @Wiebke has given you.
It’s taken time but they are now vocal, active, expert furniture movers and come to the bars for food.
Hope everything goes well as you treat her with kindness and patience.
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Amazing, thanks! Phoebe was very scared when we rescued her in november but more skittish and a runner. Shes very settled now in just a few months.
 
Merab said:
She’s a very lucky piggy to have found a safe and loving home.
Moses & Miriam were still very scared when I brought them home from the rescue.
They had been dumped in woods near Lymn in Cheshire.
I followed the same advice as @Wiebke has given you.
It’s taken time but they are now vocal, active, expert furniture movers and come to the bars for food.
Hope everything goes well as you treat her with kindness and patience.
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'Expert furniture movers' - love that in a piggy!
 
Update on little peach. She ate all her food last night in the tunnel. This morning she's made her way across the other side of her cage but hasn't moved since. I gave her some water from a syringe as she hasn't found her way to her water bottle yet.
When she is settled in more and I know she's not as scared ill take her the vets, but its a 35 min drive and she's too fragile and terrified at the moment to make it there i think.
 

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larnanoomia said:
Update on little peach. She ate all her food last night in the tunnel. This morning she's made her way across the other side of her cage but hasn't moved since. I gave her some water from a syringe as she hasn't found her way to her water bottle yet.
When she is settled in more and I know she's not as scared ill take her the vets, but its a 35 min drive and she's too fragile and terrified at the moment to make it there i think.
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Be patient and make sure that she has access to watery veg like cucumber at all times and that there is hay nearby. ;)
 
Would she drink out of ceramic water bowl? My current two prefer a bowl to a bottle.
 
Poor little girl and amazing that you have given her a much needed home. I have had a few over the years who are literally traumatised by their experiences. They became the most incredible, loving guineas I ever adopted and the process was so rewarding. As others have said, this just requires patience and allowing her to go at her pace with you supporting her. Looking forward to hearing progress as her story unfolds! Xx
 
Guinea Slave said:
Poor little girl and amazing that you have given her a much needed home. I have had a few over the years who are literally traumatised by their experiences. They became the most incredible, loving guineas I ever adopted and the process was so rewarding. As others have said, this just requires patience and allowing her to go at her pace with you supporting her. Looking forward to hearing progress as her story unfolds! Xx
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Thank you! I luckily have a front room so she has peace until she finds her feet! I also have two daughters who are incredibly patient with the guineas 🫶
 
I’m fairly sure neither Moses nor Miriam use their water bottles.
Like Peach I don’t think they knew how.
I’ve always ensured they get watery veg and the bottles are there if they want.

I’m so glad to hear that Peach has found such a lovely home
 
Oh poor little piggy! I’m glad she’s found a loving home with you. I can’t advise but following to see how she gets on!

On the water, my girls barely touch water bottles or bowls (except to poo in bowls!). I just feed them more of the more hydrating veg like cucumber than I otherwise would. Bottles are always there if they want them (they can use them because I’ve seen them do it very occasionally) and I still freshen them daily but they’re rarely touched. They got three, they’re just not drinkers.

They’re getting enough because they’re healthy, and they wee lots!
 
Hi guys. An update on little peach. Shes been with us 2-3 weeks now & she's super loud! Wheeks at any noise. She likes humans more than guineas at this point but hoping when we pair her with raichu this will change
 

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larnanoomia said:
Just this minute put little peach and raichu together to try and bond them. Shes a baby girl and hes a neutered 2 year old
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I am sure that they are going to adore each other! Husboar and wifelet bonds tend to be very close life-long love affairs in my own experience.
 
Having a nap. Raichu tried to mount her and she put her chin up to him. It fizzled out fast but he did teeth chatter. Shes 5/6months old, she was bought from p@h and was bullied non stop until I took her so I'm not sure she knows how to be a normal guinea pig i dont think she's learnt the correct behaviours. Our raichu is laid back but 100% dominant so hopefully she can accept him as the leader. I didnt expect her to be as sandy as she is
 

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Wiebke said:
I am sure that they are going to adore each other! Husboar and wifelet bonds tend to be very close life-long love affairs in my own experience.
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Can I ask quickly, can male and female have dates and be separated without it resulting in losing all progress? Peach is abit frightened so I'm not sure if she needs to have time now to relax and try again. No fights but raichu has teeth chattered again and she's burrowed under the noodle mat
 
As far as I’m aware they can’t as you go back to stage 1 after each separation
You could have her Nextdoor to Raichu for a while to settle her
I’m sure someone will be along with more expert advice
They are both lovely 🥰
 
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