Scared guinea pigs

New guinea pig owner

New guinea pig owner

New Born Pup
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Jun 27, 2020
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Hi, I'm a new owner & would just like some advice if possible. I got 2 male piggies 9 days ago from P@H. They're 10 weeks old & live outdoors. I have tried to feed them veggies by hand but they're too frightened to come over. I have brought them indoors using a carrier & placed in a play pen & let them explore & hide but didn't touch them then put back in hutch. They don't seem as flighty as they were on day 1 but I would just like advice on timescales for settling in/bonding tips etc. I'm worried about grooming them later down the line if they are scared of me. Is it better to back off & leave them be or just go for it & pick them up?
 
I am afraid timescales are impossible to give. Some piggies settle much quicker than others - one of mine was happily taking food from me within six weeks. The other still won’t consistently do it after two years with me.
You can only take things at their pace.

Below is a link to a collection of guides. The first sedition gives lots of separate guides and information on setting new piggies.

Some other important points -
please check their sex yourself if you haven’t done so already. Pet shop missexing unfortunately happens. The sexing guide is in the link
Ensure your cage is big enough. Two boars need more room, particularly once they hit their teens. A cage of 6ft x 2ft is the recommended for two boys. Lack of space can lead to fall outs
While more boar pairs make it together than not, as pet shop piggies, there is no guarantee that they were correctly character matched before sale. To have a successful bond, they must be compatible in character. Hopefully your two will be absolutely fine, and as I say more make it than not, but when it comes to boars, have a plan b in mind in case there are any problems down the line
 
I have two boars that are 5 months old - I’ve had them since they were about 12 was old - Bobby is the lively one and after about a week he would take veg from my hand and he always comes running up to me whether in his hutch or playpen - he’s still a little wary but let’s me touch his paws and feed him - he is very skittish and not too keen at being handled unless food is there ! He’s not overly keen on being brushed - Geoff on the other hand comes towards me but then runs away - he is more gentle and is happy to be handled and groomed and I’ve cut his nails easily - So the boys may vary in temperament- I rehomed mine from a family that no longer wanted them but they do seem to compliment each other - good luck and just take each day as it comes and enjoy your lovely boys - post some pics for us please 😊
 
Thank you, I've learnt so much from this forum & the guides. I'm surprised at the amount of information you don't get from the pet shop when taking the piggies away. Here is a pic of my boys. They are definitely more confident during indoor play time 😊
 

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Oh those pics ! What gorgeous boys Truffle and ? It’s great he is eating from you - you will enjoy discovering their little ways 🥰
 
Truffle & Riri 😊 Truffle is still eating from me & is straight there when food is involved. Riri will brush passed my hand & smell the food but won't eat it. He seems to like getting his hair brushed though. They sound similar to Bobby & Geoff 😍
 
Ah they are lovely ! It’s early days and you are clearly loving them - it’ll be fun seeing how they settle in over the next weeks - have to been able to confirm that Truffle and Riri are boys ?
 
I've only held them in the snuggle sack so far so haven't been able to lift them to check. Pets at Home advised me that all the guinea pigs they had in were male but I do need to try & look asap as well as trying to weigh them.
 
New guinea pig owner said:
I've only held them in the snuggle sack so far so haven't been able to lift them to check. Pets at Home advised me that all the guinea pigs they had in were male but I do need to try & look asap as well as trying to weigh them.
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Do definitely check. I’m afraid you wouldn’t be the first to bring home mis-sexed piggies from a pet shop
 
Ok thanks 😊 I'm going to try tomorrow. I've looked at the guides so hopefully I can tell from looking. If I struggle am I allowed to post pictures in this thread or do they need to be send to a different one?
 
I’m sure you can post pics but boys are quite distinctive as least luckily mine were !
weighing can be a bit tricky - I have a large sandwich box base that I use on my scales and I do it in the playpen so no chance of jumping away or off anything. - then just take the weight of the box or other off the total weight. Mine are quite used to being weighed now - try to do it at the same time of the day so you get consistent readings ! Sounds like you’ll be busy 🥰 😃
 
New guinea pig owner said:
Ok thanks 😊 I'm going to try tomorrow. I've looked at the guides so hopefully I can tell from looking. If I struggle am I allowed to post pictures in this thread or do they need to be send to a different one?
Click to expand...

Pop any pictures in the pregnancy section. The notable contributors monitor the care sections so they are most likely to be seen there.

Do be aware though that sexing needs to be hands on, you need to be able to feel for a penis ridge and see inside the slit so of course us looking at a photo has its limitations
 
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