I recently got a guinea pig two days ago. Today I held her for the first time and she seemed pretty chill so I let her stay while I did work online for about 5 hours, she fell asleep in my sweatshirt pocket and whenever I put her back in her cage she whines to come out and tries to make me hold her/put her in my pocket. Is it normal for her to bond so much so quickly? Shes 6 months old if that matters
Hi and welcome
Guinea pigs are group animals and not wired to be on their own. Your little baby is feeling very lost at an age where she is still fully dependent on the guidance and support from her group elders to socialise her, teach her and show her how to master her environment during the formative 'school' weeks between weaning and teenage.
This guide here tells you how things look from your girl's side:
Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs
Here is more information on how you can interact with your little girl in ways that she immediately understands because you are using her own social key behaviours and are not waiting to figure out humans:
Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips
The biggest and most loving ever gift you can make her in her life is a same species/same gender friend of her own, to help boost her mental health, physical health and longevity because you can never replace the 24/7 companionship and stimulation that she needs every single day of a 5-7 years average healthy life span. Watching her play and interact happily with a friend, and knowing that you have made her as happy as she can be is one of the best feelings ever. Guinea pigs are unique in their vocal interaction; it is their greatest charm - but you are missing out on a lot of it with a single piggy.
Companionship
Single Guinea Pigs - Challenges and Responsibilities
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs
All these guide links with lots of practical tips and information are part of our pretty comprehensive New Owners resource, which addresses specifically all the area we get the most questions and concerns about, helps you to understand behaviour, how to best care for your guinea pigs and learn what is normal and what not and when to see a vet. They are as step-by-step and precise as we can make them so no glossing over all the sticky little areas that can trip up a newbie!
Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides
Please start saving up for vet fees right from the start as part of the weekly/monthly pet maintenance and living cost so you can access a vet whenever needed. Illness and emergencies can happen very suddenly, and they NEVER happen at a convenient time! With small animals you can very often not afford to wait for days until you can sort out something.
PS: Which country are you in? We are UK based with members and enquiries from literally all over the world. Please do not use the postal code but rather add your country, state/province or UK county to location in your account details, which you can access by clicking on your username on the top bar. That helps us much better to tailor any advice to what is relevant and available where you are straight away. Climate, background, vet and rescue access, medical brand names and product brands can vary enormously from country to country.
Thank you!