Newbie Guinea Pig family - tips appreciated!

SqueakersNYC

SqueakersNYC

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
May 14, 2019
Messages
83
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Location
Brooklyn, NY
Hi all

I’m actually living in NYC at the moment but I’m Scottish so hope it’s ok to join... had a really unfriendly encounter with a USA Guinea pig forum for asking too many questions...!

We adopted our two girls Buddy and Yum Yum at the weekend. I have no clue what I’m doing but have spent some serious cash on a cage with all the bits and pieces 😆😆

Have also got a playpen with a mat and some fleece to put down.

They were pretty neglected at their previous home and are not used to much human contact. They have both taken some veggies out of my hand since they arrived but are still pretty skittish. I was told not to go playtime in the pen for a few days until they’re more settled and have just been handling them for a few mins each day.

Am I doing the right things?!

Also one of them is super bossy and gets kinds of aggressive with the other. Is this normal or should I be concerned? No blood shed so far!

Thanks all!
 
Welcome, and ask away! Everyone here is very friendly and full of good advice.
How long have you had them? Generally it's best to leave them for a day or two, then try to handle them daily. The Guinea pig whispering tips here work a treat for skittish pigs, I highly recommend taking the time to read through all the guides on this forum. They will advise you on cage sizes, settling in pigs, food, routines, health and pretty much everything you'll need to know.
The dominance behaviour you are seeing sounds pretty normal, especially when in a new space, the dominant piggie will want to reassert their place in a new environment. Depending on how long you have had them you may also be seeing your piggie in season and again first time in a new place will be stronger. As long as it is not constant for weeks, no blood is drawn and your other pig is not showing signs of being depressed or being chased away from food this behaviour is OK. Again, there is great advice about this sort of behaviour in the guides.
Hope you enjoy your new piggies and they settle in quickly. May we see pictures?
 
Welcome to the forum
What gorgeous piggies.
You can never ask too many questions, after all we’re all committed to giving our piggies the best lives and we do that by learning from each other.
There is a wealth of information on the forum as well as people to answer questions.
You will probably find the questions others ask provide you with help too.
More pictures of those cuties please
 
SqueakersNYC said:
Hi all

I’m actually living in NYC at the moment but I’m Scottish so hope it’s ok to join... had a really unfriendly encounter with a USA Guinea pig forum for asking too many questions...!

We adopted our two girls Buddy and Yum Yum at the weekend. I have no clue what I’m doing but have spent some serious cash on a cage with all the bits and pieces 😆😆

Have also got a playpen with a mat and some fleece to put down.

They were pretty neglected at their previous home and are not used to much human contact. They have both taken some veggies out of my hand since they arrived but are still pretty skittish. I was told not to go playtime in the pen for a few days until they’re more settled and have just been handling them for a few mins each day.

Am I doing the right things?!

Also one of them is super bossy and gets kinds of aggressive with the other. Is this normal or should I be concerned? No blood shed so far!

Thanks all!
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome

Yes, you are doing well so far!

You may find our rather comprehensive new owners guide collection very useful, as we specifically address all the areas we get the most questions and concerns from new owners about and have also added guides that help you to work out what is normal and what not and that help you to minimise the risk of major headaches in the long term (saving up for vet care right from the start, diet and regular weighing/health monitoring).
We have included detailed advice on how to settle in guinea pigs, making friends with them in their language (piggy whispering), safe handling; understanding prey animal instincts and social behaviour; housing and enrichment (including dangerous toys and cage accessories); diet, care and health monitoring; learning what is normal and what not; early signs of illness, how soon to see a vet and tips on care until you can see a vet etc...
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

You can access our full guide collection on a very wide range of topics via the shortcut on the top bar but you are always welcome to ask any questions in our Care sections, some of which are specially monitored by experienced members we fully trust. They are the ones with a special signature.
Being friendly and supportive is our expressive forum policy, and we work hard to maintain an atmosphere in which anybody can ask any question and will have it answered in a friendly and factual manner as soon as we can due to time differences. We have not forgotten that we have all started out knowing nothing and taking our time to learn, often by trial and error if we are long term owners. We are also mindful that we are still all learning as our knowledge is still evolving... ;)

Since we have members and enquiries from all over the world, you can help us by adding your country and city to location in account details, which you access by clicking on your username on to the top bar. This allows is to always tailor any advice to what is relevant and available where you are, from climate, vet access/cost, medical and other brands etc. straight away. Our default is UK based. ;)
 
Hi and welcome. Two lovely piggies :love: and well done for giving them a second chance at a better life.
 
Welcome to the forum! You can never ask too many questions! Everyone here is so friendly and helpful :) Your piggies are absolutely adorable :love:
 
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