Tips for new guinea pig owner!

[BarracuddaYouda]

DD has wanted guinea pigs for the longest time. Two weeks ago I bought two sow guinea pigs who are sisters. In the two weeks we visited them several times as I was getting all the things I needed for them.

I bought them home yesterday and it was rather an ordeal getting them into their hutch/run.

They were in a carry case and I chatted to them the journey home. I gently transferred them into the garden where I set up a playpen with toys etc and spent some time playing with them. Neither of them wanted to be handled.. it was then time to put them in the run and as I wasn't able to pick them up I used the carry case. One got in easily, the other darted around and had to be chased around the garden! I finally got them both in.

Run has dried food, hay, bowl of veggies, lots of toys and hidies and both guinea pigs have a soft bed.

I checked on both throughout the day and they hadn't moved at all! I changed their food and water at night and covered their hutch up with a blanket. This morning I went to see them and there was a lot of poo! So I cleared it all out whilst two very nervous guinea pigs were darting around, I kept chatting to them the whole time. After cleaning out, I replaced the hay, water and food and I folded up the beds for them both (it's more like a fleece blanket) and I can see they're both hiding underneath them.

I'm worried they're not exercising or moving but also know this is very common. There's an indoor play area for them too with tunnels and hidies and chew toys which I haven't managed to get them into yet. I don't want to traumatise either of them by trying to handle them.

Shall I just continue doing what I'm doing? DD is due home today from school (has EOW with dad) so will see them for the first time at home. Should we be trying to handle them whilst they're so nervous?

Any tips grateful received. They have access to space, toys, hidies and all the usual hay, water and veggies. I've bought the largest run my garden could accommodate and have also created an indoor area too.

Are they outside all the time? Firstly make sure the run is very secure. I’ve had one escape in the garden (luckily she was lazy and a bit stupid and didn’t go far) and predators can get in really easily.

Are they babies or rehomed adults? Obviously all their personalities and preferences differ but my first experience of guinea pigs was DP’s 3 and they were almost 3 when I met them, we now have babies and they are VERY different. The older ones (2 have sadly died now but we still have one who is 6), don’t/didn’t really want to be handled much at all. DP hadn’t been very cuddly with them and by the time my DC and I met them, they preferred to be left alone to be honest. In time they got used to cuddles and were very tolerant of my SEN DC, but you could tell they preferred their own space! Of course that might’ve just been how they were. But, we got the two new ones as babies and they come out and run all over us. Take food by hand, sit on laps, one climbs us like we are furniture! We get them (and the remaining old girl) out every day for cuddles and hand feeding and they love it. One is braver than the other so it’s just their personalities I guess.

Moving home and being transported would’ve been scary for them and we were told not to touch them for 2 days once they were in the cage. We managed one day and by then they were climbing the bars trying to get to us so we gave in and had a very short cuddle. They were very scared the first few times. We got them out for 5-10 minutes at a time at first, now they choose when to go back. Usually about 20-30 minutes each. Sometimes together, sometimes just one. Now they aren’t scared at all, the food helped I think! They still run when I go to get them out, DP is better at it than me. Baby claws are sharp and I got a bad slice a few weeks ago and I now use a small plastic tub with food in, we are trying to train them to want to come out, and they eventually climb in. I just stand there for ages until they climb in rather than stress them out, then once they are out I carry them back against my chest and they love to eat my hair.

Ours live inside and will eventually get time on the grass each day, except our grass in all dead at the moment and needs a revival. Every time we pass the cage, they wheek for food. It’s adorable. The braver one lets me stroke her without food now, or even whilst she is eating. As does my old girl. The other one not so much, although she’s better than she was. She adores my DS though and cuddles into him.

In their run they need lots of spaces to hide. Tunnels or huts or, we call them hidies but they are just upside down trays meant for stationery. Most pigs will hide most of the time. My brave girl missed this memo and spends all day on top of the hut! They are prey animals so spend their whole lives in survival mode, they want to feel safe from predators coming from above. I’d have more huts than pigs so they can move around, get away from each other (or not, ours often ram themselves into one).

They'll move when they want to. They are mostly pretty lazy, especially adults. But they are fast! And the popcorning is cute. There will always be loads of poo. None of mine have ever been fussed about toys but I know others are.

I wouldn’t handle them for a day or two, let DD see and talk to them but try not to stress them out. Let them get used to you both. I read that they recognise their human’s voices in time.

Cant think of anything else but they’ll be fine in time I’m sure, they are great pets. I hope DD loves them!

My two are lazy potatoes they sleep far more than my rabbit.

Mine love broccoli stalks the bit you cut off - free and v well received! Their other fave things are a tunnel made of woven grass stuff and what dd2 calls 'the carrot shed' it's in the range and PAH it's a shelter with food stuck to it sounds gross but they last ages and the pigs love them.

Actually my himmy snoozes almost upside down and I thought he was dead a few times! He isn't he's fine today!

They line stacking cups but with toys unless it's really easy they won't bother. They are very very lazy!!

However my piggies are way more chilled than the rabbit. Mine are indoors and do not care about the dog barking, the vacuum cleaner not dd2 hairdryer and music! Literally barely notice!

We've had lots of piggies over the years.
They all have different personalities. Some remain timid and never enjoy being handled, others gradually become very tame and love being fussed.

They will be very nervous. I would leave them for a few days in the same place just to settle and put their scent on everything, then start hand feeding them maybe a slice of cucumber, just put your hand near them and wait. Maybe just very slowly give them a little rub behind the ears before you hand it over!
Then handle for a short time every day.

I always make a sort kissing/squeaking noise every time they're fed and they will associate this with food (they love eating!) and they will get excited and popcorn make a wheeking noise.

Just take your time, it's a gradual process.

Sorry if I've stated anything obvious 😃