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Not eating/pooping at night

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Sparrow

Sparrow

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We're new owners to a cute little Abbysinian Guinea Pig! We've had her for just over 1 week. The past several mornings I've noticed that it seems like she's not eating or pooping very much at night. A couple days ago she seemed poorly during the day as well, and we wondered if it was because we were dog-sitting and the guinea pig wasn't getting as much attention. It also seemed like maybe she didn't feel well because her cage got too dirty. We've since cleaned her cage and plan on cleaning it more often (we're learning!). Yesterday she perked up and was popcorning, etc. But again this morning it looks like she didn't eat or poop much at night. What can we do? I'm guessing this can't be normal as they're supposed to eat all the time.

Thanks for any help and advice you can offer!
 
Sparrow said:
We're new owners to a cute little Abbysinian Guinea Pig! We've had her for just over 1 week. The past several mornings I've noticed that it seems like she's not eating or pooping very much at night. A couple days ago she seemed poorly during the day as well, and we wondered if it was because we were dog-sitting and the guinea pig wasn't getting as much attention. It also seemed like maybe she didn't feel well because her cage got too dirty. We've since cleaned her cage and plan on cleaning it more often (we're learning!). Yesterday she perked up and was popcorning, etc. But again this morning it looks like she didn't eat or poop much at night. What can we do? I'm guessing this can't be normal as they're supposed to eat all the time.

Thanks for any help and advice you can offer!
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Guinea Pigs aren't nocturnal animals, therefore they don't tend to eat at night as their too busy snoozing. As long as she is eating,drinking, pooping etc in the day i wouldn't worry. Does she have a friend? As from past experience this can make them seem sad and lonely.
 
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Hi and welcome!

Please make sure that you have plenty of hay near her hidey; it should make up to 80% of the daily food intake.

If you can, get a same sex friend; please consider rehoming from a good rescue. Guinea pigs are herd animals and not really wired to be on their own.
http://www.guinealynx.info/companionship.html
 
Thank you. Can you point me to a source that confirms that they aren't nocturnal? I had read that they only "sleep" around 4 hrs. in a 24 hr. period. And in the first several days that we had her it seemed like she pooped a lot at night. Yes, I'm learning that a friend might be a good idea, but I'm not sure if we can afford another one at this point.
 
If we DID get her a same-sex friend, would I be able to put the new piggy in the cage right away? We don't have another cage, but I've read new piggies should be quarantined? However, it seems in pet stores that they put new ones together all the time.
 
Also, about how much does it cost to feed 2 guinea pigs per month (in *.S. dollars)? We're using fleece bedding, so that shouldn't be much of a cost issue.
 
Sparrow said:
Thank you. Can you point me to a source that confirms that they aren't nocturnal? I had read that they only "sleep" around 4 hrs. in a 24 hr. period. And in the first several days that we had her it seemed like she pooped a lot at night. Yes, I'm learning that a friend might be a good idea, but I'm not sure if we can afford another one at this point.
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http://jackiesguineapiggies.com/guineapigbehaviour.html

scroll down to 'sleeping'
 
Sparrow said:
Also, about how much does it cost to feed 2 guinea pigs per month (in *.S. dollars)? We're using fleece bedding, so that shouldn't be much of a cost issue.
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I have no idea how much it would cost in dollars, but i know that one extra little mouth doesn't amount to that much difference. We have five pigs and every time we say 'one more won't hurt' haha! But were at our limit now!
 
Petstores treat animals as stock. They don't treat animals as they should. Some rescues will quarantine for you. If you can afford one piggie, it only costs a little more to feed two. Could you tell me what cage your piggie is in now? What food she is eating? Any details about your piggie? Have you named her yet?
 
Thank you, Amysguineapigs! So it CAN be normal for them to not eat or poop very much at night? She really was doing great yesterday during the day, especially as I was hand feeding her some veggies/hay. She's such a friendly little thing and already loves to come up and "greet" people.
 
gpmomma said:
Petstores treat animals as stock. They don't treat animals as they should. Some rescues will quarantine for you. If you can afford one piggie, it only costs a little more to feed two. Could you tell me what cage your piggie is in now? What food she is eating? Any details about your piggie? Have you named her yet?
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I looked forever and ever trying to find a guinea pig that wasn't from a petstore, but none of the shelters home them around here. Our piggie is in a 23" by 47" inch cage with an open top. She's eating Kaytee Orchard grass. We started out with Timothy Hay, but thought there may be an allergy in the family so now we're truing the Orchard grass. She gets Kaytee Pellets (I think with herbs) and then some veggies (romaine lettuce, carrot, cucumber, bell pepper, kale, tomato, green beans, etc.) Our piggy's name is Marshmallow - my daughter named her that because she looks like a lightly toasted marshmallow (white with light tan). She's probably around 5 to 6 months old, though we're not positive of that. She's definitely not full grown.

So really the only place we could probably get another piggie is from the pet store (if we did get another one). Believe me...I've looked and looked and there's nothing close by.
 
What state are you in? Is the food kaytee timothy complete guinea pig food? Add another level on the cage and that should be enough room I think. Kaytee brand doesn't have really good quality hay, oxbow does, and farm hay is usually in the middle but less $. Look on craig's list and ebay for people near you who are giving away a pet for free.
 
gpmomma said:
What state are you in? Is the food kaytee timothy complete guinea pig food? Add another level on the cage and that should be enough room I think. Kaytee brand doesn't have really good quality hay, oxbow does, and farm hay is usually in the middle but less $. Look on craig's list and ebay for people near you who are giving away a pet for free.
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We're in Missouri. Yes, it's Guinea Pig food. Are you saying add another level if we get another guinea pig? I don't think we can do that with this cage. Oh, I DO have some Oxbow Orchard Grass, but it seems a lot dustier than the Kaytee brand, so I haven't opened it yet. So if we DID get another piggy, could I add her to the current cage right away or no?
 
gpmomma said:
Which petstore did you get Marshmallow from?
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From Petco. It's the only pet store around here, and even that one is a half hour away. The next closest one is Petsmart, an hour and a half away. But they only sell male piggies.
 
gpmomma said:
Is that little Marshmallow as your avatar? She is SO cute!
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Yes, that's her! She looks like a slightly toasted marshmallow, huh? So what size cage is acceptable for 2 piggies? And I'm guessing it would have to be cleaned more often? Just trying to think things through, as I'm not sure if we can get another. I really should have learned more first, but we certainly don't want to take Marshmallow back!
 
Oh, and I would appreciate if someone could respond about what is "normal" for eating and pooping at night.

Thanks so much for all your help, everyone!
 
My boys don't poop as much as night they sleep when I do. Soon as I turn off my tv they take themselves off to bed! As long as they are pooping like troopers during the day allow for them to sleep at night. Mine tend to follow my pattern & also wake up when I do... Then the pooping commences!
 
Sparrow said:
Yes, that's her! She looks like a slightly toasted marshmallow, huh? So what size cage is acceptable for 2 piggies? And I'm guessing it would have to be cleaned more often? Just trying to think things through, as I'm not sure if we can get another. I really should have learned more first, but we certainly don't want to take Marshmallow back!
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A cage should be 4x2 for two pigs and nope i clean my two pigs out once a week. But if yours are on fleece you'll have to 'poop scoop'. Our three girls lived on fleece but now they live on hay and they love it, theres 3 of them and their cleaned out once a week too.
 
Ps. I have 2 boys on fleece & clean them 2ce a week... I poop scoop twice a day at feeding time...
 
PAMELAKT said:
Ps. I have 2 boys on fleece & clean them 2ce a week... I poop scoop twice a day at feeding time...
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Even with just one guinea pig so far, it seems the cage needs to be cleaned twice per week, so I guess I thought that would mean with 2 piggies, it would have to be like every other day! Poop scooping isn't such a big deal. :)
 
Hi there. If you get Marshmallow a friend you cannot put them together right away. You have to keep the other piggy apart for two weeks as it would take this long for any illness to show. It is vital you do this as Marshmallow could become ill if the other guinea pig was to carry anything themselves.

My advice to you would be to get a c and c cage and make a nice spacious home for Marshmallow and a friend. Guinea pigs are social animals and become very lonely living alone. They can even get depressed. It is not just a question of the extra mouth to feed but the vet bills if either was to become unwell. I never knew how many times I would need a vet until I got guinea pigs myself.

My girls are on a layer of towels and two layers of fleece. I collect poops three times a day and change the bedding every three days. There is no way you can leave it longer as the towels become very wet. With more guinea pigs you would not have to do it more then this. I have five guinea pigs and this is what I do.

Guinea pigs are not nocturnal at all. They like to snooze throughout the day and night.
 
Na fleece is quite good, I clean my boys about every 3 days so works out twice a week. I do have plug in air freshners cos my flat is tiny...

You won't need to clean every other day..
 
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