soon to be proud new owner-couple of questions am unsure of xx

[jade61]

hay i have just bought two gorgeous baby guinea pigs today. They were born just over a week ago so they are not ready to come home yet-have a few weeks before they can come home-so excited

Have a couple of questions..

Once they are here and have been put into their new home how long should i leave it before i get them out the cage and hold them etc? Will they be ok the day after?

I read you feed them twice a day- is this correct? i have guinea pig food ready. I know they eat vegtables etc and hay- is this all they eat? If i hold the food in my hand is there a high chance they will bite my hand or will they go for the food- can they tell the difference?

And finally lol what kind of things/toys do they need in there cage? Do they need a place to sleep etc? Am unsure as to what to put in their new home..

Hope to hear from you all soon thanks xx

 

[Emiley]

I've just reserved 2 more baby piggies aswell
One is only 3 weeks old and the other is 4 weeks, so it will be a couple more weeks until I can bring them home.

Let them settle in for 2-3 days before you try to stroke them or pick them up. When putting food in for them, if they come up to your hand let them sniff it.. they MIGHT nibble just to get to know you. They will remember your scent, so the more you put your hands in near them.. they will know it's you and that you wont harm them.

I give my piggies a constant supply of excel pellets/nuggets, I only give muesli as a treat. Fresh timothy hay should be provided at all times, either get a hay rack or a ball to keep it off the ground so they dont wee or poop on it. I also feed my piggies a small piggie dish of fresh veggies twice a day - lettuce, pepper etc and sometimes parsley. They need veggies/fruit for vitamin c - peppers and parsley are my personal favourites.

As for hand feeding.. piggies do know the difference between the food and your fingers, however they may sometimes catch you as they take the food. This probably wont draw blood, it usually feels like a little nibble.

Toy/hidey wise.. give them places to 'hide' like tunnels and/or a pigloo house. In the winter/colder nights mine have a 'snuggle-oo' which is a fabric tunnel bed and in the summer/warm nights they either have open top beds or baskets to share. They need lots of wood to chew on, this helps keep their teeth nice, as they can overgrow.