Pepperdog
Adult Guinea Pig
3 weeks on and I cant express how much I am loving my girls 
I can mostly catch then from the run without too much problem, in the hutch they are a lot easier to catch hold of as they are not as skittish and accept the routine. I think part of the run issue is they dont want to come in again, not that they dont like being caught
They are much more comfortable being held, crystal really is laid back and will snuggle in to my chest and sort of chirp at me - think she is happy, she isnt struggling like she previously did and she lets me stroke her (I even trimmed her back nails with no problems). Fudge gets a bit upset when she want to be let go of, it seems to be because she wants to go eat her veg or go back in the run rather than because she hates being held as she has on occasion settled in my arms and closed her eyes. Minty is much improved and was the quietest she has ever been while I handle her, she even seems to enjoy having her head and nose stroked, and just now when I carried her back from the run to the hutch she was perfectly happy snuggled under my boob where she had snuggled into while in my arms - I dont mind, if it makes her happy :red
I spot clean every morning and health check the girls before letting them have their veggies which I can then observe them eating while I carry on with the spot cleaning and tidy away the stuff in the shed.
But they have the whole hutch available, they have no problems going up the ramp as I have seen them do this each time I put them in the bottom section, they are up the top soon enough. Fudge did go part way down this morning but minty was in the bedroom chatting to her and she came back out again.
Do you think the bottom section is too open plan for them to be happy in - should I put fleece over the front section (on the bottom half the wire mesh not all the mesh) so they feel more secluded? Then as they get more comfortable to decrease the cover. I was thinking of using something to cover the front wire (the sides and back are solid wood so its only open at the front) as pepper gets far too excited by the sight of them so this would block her view of them too - perhaps not fleece, perhaps a bit of net curtain eventually so the light still gets in and they will feel safer from the big wide world.
I have put a fleece on one side of the run (its a triangle) as they just hid in the corners, with the fleece on they are running about and grazing the grass happily which is why I wondered if putting a cover on the section where they are (leaving the top open for light and air) will help them feel the same in the bottom part of the hutch. Its a shame that they are not using all the space they have and I would like them to have as much room as possible.
I can mostly catch then from the run without too much problem, in the hutch they are a lot easier to catch hold of as they are not as skittish and accept the routine. I think part of the run issue is they dont want to come in again, not that they dont like being caught
They are much more comfortable being held, crystal really is laid back and will snuggle in to my chest and sort of chirp at me - think she is happy, she isnt struggling like she previously did and she lets me stroke her (I even trimmed her back nails with no problems). Fudge gets a bit upset when she want to be let go of, it seems to be because she wants to go eat her veg or go back in the run rather than because she hates being held as she has on occasion settled in my arms and closed her eyes. Minty is much improved and was the quietest she has ever been while I handle her, she even seems to enjoy having her head and nose stroked, and just now when I carried her back from the run to the hutch she was perfectly happy snuggled under my boob where she had snuggled into while in my arms - I dont mind, if it makes her happy :red
I spot clean every morning and health check the girls before letting them have their veggies which I can then observe them eating while I carry on with the spot cleaning and tidy away the stuff in the shed.
But they have the whole hutch available, they have no problems going up the ramp as I have seen them do this each time I put them in the bottom section, they are up the top soon enough. Fudge did go part way down this morning but minty was in the bedroom chatting to her and she came back out again.
Do you think the bottom section is too open plan for them to be happy in - should I put fleece over the front section (on the bottom half the wire mesh not all the mesh) so they feel more secluded? Then as they get more comfortable to decrease the cover. I was thinking of using something to cover the front wire (the sides and back are solid wood so its only open at the front) as pepper gets far too excited by the sight of them so this would block her view of them too - perhaps not fleece, perhaps a bit of net curtain eventually so the light still gets in and they will feel safer from the big wide world.
I have put a fleece on one side of the run (its a triangle) as they just hid in the corners, with the fleece on they are running about and grazing the grass happily which is why I wondered if putting a cover on the section where they are (leaving the top open for light and air) will help them feel the same in the bottom part of the hutch. Its a shame that they are not using all the space they have and I would like them to have as much room as possible.
