Quiet Guinea Pig And Lack Of Activity In Outdoor Run

Greeny · Jul 28, 2014

I think it's worth posting to get some opinions and some advice. We have 4 guinea pigs, Punky we have had the longest although not that long at just over a month and we now have 3 new guinea pigs which we had got on Thursday named Benny, Biscuit and Flash.

I completely understand that they are new to their surroundings and in the main have settled as expected. Flash we think is a very young guinea pig possibly the youngest but is very quiet and keeps himself to himself most of the time and prefers the quiet life laying in a secure sheltered place. Our only concerns are that he is too quiet and that he may miss out on vital food and water. I do take a crafty look and make sure food is not far away from him and he does eat. My girlfriend offered water on her finger today and Flash was very receptive to it and drunk a fair bit.

I must admit we were waiting for assistance a long time before we confirmed the piggies we were going to look after and it was only right at the very end that we saw Flash was even there! The decision was made to buy Flash pretty quickly after that. It seems as though the behaviour is common in Flash. I would like to know what others think about his behavour and if he is just a very shy and reclusive little guinea pig or that it could be an underlying problem.

Secondly we have a cat that snoops around and tries to dig into the run every night even though we learn't our lesson with Scribbles and bring them in over night time or if we are out for prolonged periods. The first day they were in the run they were very happy running around and playing however when we needed to move the run each time they are in it they are bearly playing just hiding out in the house or the hutch part of the run. Is it the cat's smell that is putting them off and hiding whilst out in the run and if so is there any way to get them to feel safe again regardless of this pesky cat? Back in the indoor cage they become more themselves again.

Thanks in advance.

Steve

Kristina · Jul 28, 2014

My guinea pig Spencer displayed the same behaviors you're describing for at least 3 good months or so before he started to venture out. In my opinion and experience, this is perfectly normal for the first few months. Offering food from the hand or even just spending time by his cage talking to him will definitely make his settling process go quicker and smoother

As far as the behavior of your other pigs when being moved, I believe this is normal. Any kind of change takes a while for a piggy to get used to. Moving their cage about often will make it harder for them to adapt to their new surroundings. But it's definitely tough when you have a predator to worry about so I understand :/

Greeny · Jul 28, 2014

Thanks Kristina, makes me feel better about Flash. Its just very strange that on the first day introduction they were a lot more active in the run than the next times after the run was moved to a patch not much more than a metre away. Hopefully it will all settle in time.

helen105281 · Jul 28, 2014

It seems to me that he is just more timid than the others but the cat is probably not helping as piggies are prey animals. It may be that in time he might detach himself from the group and you may need to think about keeping him in a pair with whichever pig he gets on best with. If you are worried though you could get him a health check with the vet.

maxdawn · Jul 29, 2014

I would put a extra water bottle in the their cage/hutch to make sure no ones stopping him from drinking. I used to have a problem with cats. My pigs are used to my dog but they are scared of the cats. I put netting over their run and hutch and pegged it into the ground. This did stop the getting to close to the run.The netting is the kind gardener use to protect their plants from cats and birds. I think it was only a couple of pounds from B&Q
Also for the first few weeks I put a big fleece blanket over the run. This made the run into one hidey. They loved it and now they are very comfortable being outside

Kristina · Jul 29, 2014

In my experience with guinea pigs I think consistency is key. They are very particular about where things are (in most cases). When I finish putting Spencer's cage accessories in after a cleaning, he insists on moving them all back to where he wants them LOL silly pig

aussiecavies · Jul 29, 2014

Hello,
my little girls, Molly and Sweetie pie arrived about a week and half ago. One, Molly is timid and Sweetie is highly active. At first they hid and then explored but Molly would only follow Sweetie, not actually go out of the pigloo by herself. Sweetie is the dominant one and so Molly was chased a far bit too, so at least she was out of the pigloo although it was not nice to watch.
Now they have settled in they are much better and I had an old plastic mixing bowl and cut a hole in the side so Molly had her own pigloo to hide in. All that happened was that Sweetie shot in there too as soon as Molly did. Just now, Sweetie popped out and ran around and Molly followed, so they are much better.
Molly loves a cuddle and so does Sweetie and the first time I saw them popcorn I was more pleased than they were. When I go to pick them up, I snap my fingers three times as I saw ayoutube video where a woman trained her piggies to do tricks with treats and one word commands. That is what made me think of snapping my fingers so that that they hear the noise and know what is about to happen to them.
Molly of course just props in her tracks, (probably terrified), but Sweetie runs sometimes and others just waits to be picked up. They have such different personalities and so perhaps your Flash is like my Molly. Timid until more accustomed to the new friends and home.
They sound very well cared for and that is just wonderful. Byeee

Greeny · Jul 29, 2014

Thanks a lot for your answers and advice. We are dedicated to the care of our pigs and will implement ideas that have been suggested :tu: