RJ just sits there!

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kdryan

I feel so bad now that I have read a few postings here. Our GP is named RJ and he's about nine months old now. He doesn't like to play much and he runs away every time we try to hold him. After we do catch him, he's quiet enough to sit near us without seemining stressed out, but he doesn't like to play and he certainly doesn't do any tricks at all. What are we doing wrong?

Also, we have 5 yo twins and they would love to hold and play with him, but I'm not too sure how much leeway to give them with him. I have let them hold him in their laps, while constantly supervised, but that's about it...

Kevin
 
Hiya Kevin
Well firstly, guinea pigs are sociable creatures and are much happier with the company of another piggie. Were you to have the space, you have 2 options:
Have him neutered by a guinea pig competant vet and get him a sow...you will see a complete change in his personality, I promise :)

Try bonding him with another boar. This can be tricky and it is best to adopt one from a rescue so that your piggie can choose his mate. www.barmy4boars.co.uk has excellent advice on bonding boars ;)

As for your 5 year olds, they will mean well but on their lap under supervision is the only way to go I am afraid. Piggies are delicate and if dropped, could be seriously injured or even killed.
 
We did try getting him another pig to play with, but it was a female and seconds after putting her in the cage, RJ started trying to do the big nasty with her. I had heard that two males would act somewhat homosexual and one would try to dominate the other for a few days and then things would straighten out and they would become best buds. I figured two gay pigs were better than a dozen straight ones, so I got another male and stuck him in with RJ. This also explains why I had a male Guinea Pig named Sally. :) Almost immediately he began bullying him and biting him to the point where part of his lip was ripped open and a huge scab formed. Needless to say, we removed the other male and found him a new home right away, and took quite a hit on it money-wise for our efforts once you figure in a second cage, toys, bottles, etc.

Whenever I have spoken to vets about neutering him, they just keep trying to talk me out of saying it's dangerous and unnecessary for a Guinea Pig. This contradicts what I have read, but it happened several time with different vets, so I wasn't sure how to react.

So here we are.

BTW, do any of you take your pigs out and bathe them?
 
Ok, with regard to what you have just said:

Obviously if you put a female in with him, he will mate her and you will have a litter within 70 days or so...not a good idea. The babies can be hard to sex and the males would have to be taken out before they get her pregnant again and their siblings..back to back breeding, inbreeding etc, so please dont go there :)

As for bonding males, you cannot just put another male in with him and expect them to get on. You have to choose a piggie with regard to his character and introduce slowly on neutral territory. RJ`s cage is his territory, so naturally he will fight with another male who has been stuck in there. If you read the info on the link I gave you, you will learn a lot.

As for bathing, it depends on personal opinion. Some bath every 6 weeks or so but I only do mine if they are very smelly. I have 4 boars and do their grease glands with swarfega and wash their bottoms with special guinea pig shampoo (www.gorgeousguineas.co.uk) every couple of weeks, but not fully bath them unless necessary as they dont like it.
 
Just to add about neutering, I personally would not neuter my boys as I feel the risks outweigh the benefits but lots of people on here have had their boars sucessfully neutered but you really have to do your homework with regard to the vet. They have to be trained and experienced with guineas to do this operation and many are not. If you let us know what area you are in, perhaps we can help with regards to a vet if you want to go down this route.
 
Hi & welcome Kevin :)

I also wouldn't get my boars neutered as I feel the same as Lavenderjade. Obviously the vast majority of these operations go well & with no complications, but just the fact that the risk is there means I don't want to put my pet's though it. Also, as you have asked several vets & they have all said it's too risky then I take it they are not experienced in this field & don't want the responsibility of it.

It would be great to get RJ a pal. A rescue is the best place as then you can take RJ along & they can see which piggie he gets along with. There would still be no guarantee they would carry on getting along once you take them home, but you then have the option of taking the rescue pig back there.

I have recently adopted a new pal for my boy & they get along great with no problems, but it is all down to their personalities. What you will need to do is sterilize the cage, dishes, toys etc. with baby sterilizing fluid so that it doesn't smell of RJ. Also re-arrange the toys, dishes etc. so it's all in different areas of the cage. It will be best to use two dishes for food so they won't start fighting over getting food & maybe even two water bottles, although mine drink so little I haven't bothered with having two. :)

Sometimes they don't get on living together unless there is a divider between them or two cages side by side. They could then chat thought the bars & even lie together with the bars in between but this way they still have the company of their own kind.

Good luck with what ever you decide Kevin O0
 
Hi Kevin

How long have you had RJ? Maybe he is still settling into his new house if you've only recently got him? Or he may just be a quiet piggie. My piggie is very docile but is timid too. He likes me and my daughter (7yrs) but certainly doesn't like my husband and is scared of my 5yr old son who just runs about like 5yr old boys do and scares him. I have to make sure my kids don't chase him so sitting on their laps is probably the only thing they can do just now.

If I get him in his run or inside for floor time, he'll maybe go and explore for 5 mins and then sits in his cardboard box for the rest of the time. But he's definately happy cause he's all stretched out totally chilled watching the world go by with a few squeaks thrown in for good measure.

We are going to be getting a friend for our piggie too. If you read the barmy4boars link it gives really good advice. Reading that site was enough for me to decide not to get my piggie neutered and to go down the route of getting a male boar, and that if they didn't get on they can live side by side (which i thought looked a lovely idea)

Good luck finding a friend for RJ :)
 
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