*1st Time Adopting Baby Guinea Pig* Advice Welcome

[Krizzo]

This is two firsts for me: First time creating a post & first time adopting a baby guinea pig.

So hello & welcome,

Starting from childhood on I've always had a connection with small animals. I've been blessed to be a mommy to now two guinea pigs. My late guinea pigs name was Krizzo he was my little baby and partner in crime. However at this time I'm not ready to speak about his passing.
Yesterday after searching and calling every Humane Society in my area. Grieving over Krizzo and thinking non stop if I am finally ready to adopt a little one again. By chance I found a guinea pig that not only is a sweet little gal but a mini me of Krizzo.
Personally I believe it was a sign. The little gals name was Doe I however changed her name to Evelynn. She's my first baby guinea pig and is now a month and 13 days. I have two books which I am reading and look on websites but I believe most people on this chat will have more so personal and helpful tips as to being owners themselves.
To wrap this up please do not be afraid to give us tips on baby guinea pigs needs and how to make her second day home to her future journey with no stress and happiness.

Thank you from myself Madalynn and baby Evelynn

 

[pig in the city]

This is two firsts for me: First time creating a post & first time adopting a baby guinea pig.

So hello & welcome,

Starting from childhood on I've always had a connection with small animals. I've been blessed to be a mommy to now two guinea pigs. My late guinea pigs name was Krizzo he was my little baby and partner in crime. However at this time I'm not ready to speak about his passing.
Yesterday after searching and calling every Humane Society in my area. Grieving over Krizzo and thinking non stop if I am finally ready to adopt a little one again. By chance I found a guinea pig that not only is a sweet little gal but a mini me of Krizzo.
Personally I believe it was a sign. The little gals name was Doe I however changed her name to Evelynn. She's my first baby guinea pig and is now a month and 13 days. I have two books which I am reading and look on websites but I believe most people on this chat will have more so personal and helpful tips as to being owners themselves.
To wrap this up please do not be afraid to give us tips on baby guinea pigs needs and how to make her second day home to her future journey with no stress and happiness.

Thank you from myself Madalynn and baby Evelynn

Welcome. Glad you have found a new piggy. She is very young to have been rehomed so please consider getting her a friend asap as she will be desperate for piggy company, an adult sow would bond well. Baby piggies are wonderful and grow up fast, so enjoy!

 

[Swissgreys]

The best thing you could possibly do for her is find her a companion. She is very young to be on her own, but piggies of all ages are happier with a piggie friend.

My other tips would be patience, patience and patience!
We also currently have a new addition, and I am desperate to pick her up, but I am waiting because I want her to have time to settle in.
I am the first to admit it is quite hard though
We are slowly introducing small pieces of fresh veg to get her to associate us with positive things (food).
I also sit by the cage and just chat to them to get them used to my voice.
For the first few days I try to hold off on loud noises in the area near the piggies (kids music practice, hoover, etc).

I hope some of that helps and good luck with your new piggie.
Do let us know how she is getting on.

 

[GPTV]

So sorry about Krizzo's passing, but hopefully a few of his piggy ways can live on in baby Evelynn, she'll never replace him but you can use Krizzo's time with you to bring happiness to other piggies & you can pass on the knowledge he taught you for the benefit of others. popcorn pain free over rainbow bridge little Krizzo xx

Congratulations on finding Evelynn have a look through the "stickies" at the top of the sections, pregnancy & new owners would probably good places to start (i'm not saying she's pregnant its just it will have lots of advice on babies & minipigs generally)

try & get yourself a cheap pair of cheap digital kitchen scales & weigh her weekly to check she's gaining weight gradually, some nice coarse hay to get her teeth in check, maybe even some alpha alpha hay to boost her calcium at first, but not giving it too often as it can cause stones in the bladder/ urinary tract if fed in big quantities long term (as with any high calcium food).

talk to her quietly to get her used to you whenever you enter the room she's in, when you handle her try picking her up with cosies ,boxes or tunnels to start off with as they will be less frightening than your hands. minipigs are VERY skittish after the initial "freeze frame too frightened to move stage" hold her gently but firmly so she feels secure & doesn't try to bolt off across your lap etc. laptime & piggy zoomies don't go together well!
caress her ears & by her eyes to reassure her & it feels like mummy pig grooming her, this should help her settle too.

photo's take loads of photo's (post them on here too at nearly a piggy pics spamming rate, we can drool over them )
take photo's without the flash until she is more tame as this will startle her at first & she may associate you holding her with frightening flashes

but as the others have said, she is a piggy wired for companionship of her own kind, so try & get another piggy of the same sex (check her genitals to make sure you know which she is for sure... post a clear pic on here if in doubt). try another rescue piggy to adopt. if she is definitely a girl then another female of any age will probably bond quite well & quickly with her. if she turns out to be a he then an older boar who has passed hormonal puberty would probably be best for an easier bond.

But be patient with her & ENJOY they grow up so fast. good luck new mama

 

[Krizzo]

Thank you everyone. It's AMAZING to get advice from people who actually care about piggie parenthood Just a quick heads up Iv'e had some confusion on navigating this site. Until I catch on I'll most likely have delayed responses.

Carrying on:
I've never had the opportunity to own two guinea pigs at the same time. I recently moved back with my family, when I brought Krizzo home I was living on my own. For my parents they're not keen on the idea of having two piggies. I have hmm an average sized cage where two would be a tight squeeze. I recently on the other hand bought and set up a beautiful rabbit hutch. It was going to be Krizzos second cage for fresh air outside.

So here comes my paranoia: Lets say I adopt another guinea pig (which I'm hoping to do after my questions are answered)

What if I come home/ wake up and they killed each other? Is that possible or common?

What if one gets sick (I pray that wont happen) and I didn't get to the vet in time would they both die/ get sick?

What if Evelynn isn't happy or they both are not happy?

What if they start to fight? How would I stop it? What do I do in that situation?

Will they still be loving and affectionate towards me when I adopt another one?

What if when I bring Evelynn to the Humane Society to meet the other guinea pig they're fine at the shelter and I bring them home they start fighting?

What if Evelynn isnt happy and is scared of the piggie?

Is a rabbit hutch a ok cage for piggies? I'll upload it as soon as I take a pic. I did read about for a week or so. It had a lot of positive reviews and people said it's perfect for two or three piggies, chickens and rabbits.

What age should I get the piggie at? With Evelynn being just a month old? At the Humane Society I just looked they have a four month old female for adoption.

_____________

Phew thank you if you managed to read all of that!

For the piggies my family loves animals and as soon as I bring a pet home they get the aweee factor and welcome them in So I'm not to worried about that. I certainly have enough supplies for two.

Welp I'm all done with questions at this moment lol

 

[Krizzo]

This is the rabbit hutch I bought for Krizzo as a outside cage for fresh air
It is able to be a inside cage as well. Which if suitable for piggies it would become the only cage for inside use.

Size: 40.75 x 24.75 x 36 inch

• 45.5 x 36 x 24.75 inch

• One-story hutch
• Retreat area on upper level
• Hinged roof with locking arm opens from above
• Pull-out plastic tray for quick and easy cleaning
• 2 doors and metal slide latch

 

[GPcrazy]

The hutch looks really nice. I believe it might be a little on the small side though. Ideally you need something at least 47 inches long, but 55 inches long is preferred. And 27.5 in wide is also preferred.

From what I understand, if a rescue bonds two piggies and is satisfied that they're well matched, it is fairly safe to say they will be happy together. So it's unlikely they will bond well at the humane society and then fall out at home. A big enough cage does also go a long way in ensuring happy piggies though so if they're housed in too small a cage/hutch that could potentially cause arguments between them and result in them being unhappy. If their home is big enough though they should be fine.

Females are less likely to have major fall-outs than males. That's certainly not to say that males can't live together (although it's unwise to have more than 2 males together), but especially when young males have a higher fall-out rate than females as they go through puberty (4-14 months).

If they're bonded well then the chances of them suddenly turning on each other and killing each other are miniscule. I'm anyway fairly sure you would see warning signs of lots of fighting before it got to that point. I believe it's extremely rare for guinea pigs to kill each other.

If they do start fighting badly (as in drawing blood and doing serious injury), then you throw a towel over them to temporarily disorientate them, and then separate them. Keep them where they can see and talk to each other (so maybe just add a separating grid into the hutch), but don't let them actually come into physical contact with each other. If they just squabble then that's fine and often important for them to establish and maintain their hierarchy. Only separate if they're really causing injury and drawing blood.

If they get sick - if it's something contagious then it's best to get both checked, and I think you might need to keep the sick one in quarantine until they're better. Your vet would advise you though in what's needed.

I'm sure Evalynne would love a friend. No matter how much time we spend with the piggies they also need someone that speaks their own language. If you take her to a rescue and they let her do piggie dating, she will choose someone she likes, and she will be happy. They will ensure that they bond well. It's more risky if you just bring home a strange guinea pig and do the bonding yourself, but if you take her to a rescue that knows what they're doing it's fairly safe to say they will get on well and bond well.

She will not be less loving towards you. Having a friend guinea pig is different to having a human friend. She will still be loving towards you and you will get SO much more from her and see so much more enjoyment from her in her behavior and many other ways.

I think a 4 month old would be a good age. I'm not too clued up on ages though, but they would both be young which would mean they'd both have lots of energy and enjoy similar things etc, so I think that would be a good thing. An older piggie is good for teaching them things etc, but sometimes the older ones don't always like the major energy of younger ones.

 

[Swissgreys]

I am so glad you are working out how to use the Forum - it has been a brilliant source of information for me as I am relearning about guinea pig ownership.

So to try and answer some of your questions;

Firstly the hutch.
It is beautifully made (we have the same brand under a different label), but sadly it is much too small. This doesn't mean you can't use it occasionally, but it isn't big enough to be a suitable full time home. You could still use it for a change of scenery or to allow them a few hours outside in the fresh air, as well as when you clean out their main cage and need somewhere safe to put them. Plus I think it is always a good idea to have an 'alternative' place for them to stay if you have a problem with their main hutch.

What sort of cage are you currently using inside?
A wonderful option would be to consider a C and C cage. I am guessing you are in America, so they are easy to get hold of from places like Guinea Pig Cages Store

The beauty of a C and C is that it can be made into pretty much any shape to fit whatever space you have available to you.
Plus they are cheaper than a lot of other more traditional, smaller cages.

As for Evelyn fighting or being unhappy with another guinea pig, this is highly unlikely, mostly due to her age.
Chances are very high she will get on well with another sow, but as others have already said, before you introduce her to another guinea pig make sure you have checked that she is definitely a girl, as well as the pig she is being introduced to. Hopefully the local Humane Society will help you with this.

We recently introduced a young sow to our existing group of 3 guinea pis, and whilst there were a couple of scary (for me) moments, this was largely due to the fact that our new guinea pig is older than yours, and seems to be ridiculously brave . But things settled down very quickly and she has been happily integrated into the group now. Seeing them all interact with each other is one of the huge benefits of having more than one piggie - they are so funny with each other.

If you do the introductions yourself please read the thread on the forum about introductions and bonding. There is also a great one with photos showing what to expect and how to read guinea pig body language. I found this super helpful.

As far as illness goes of course it is possible that if one pig is ill, the otehr will catch it, but I would also suggest that if your guinea pig is happier because they have a companion then they are less likely to get ill because they will be more active. There is no science at all behind this - just my own random thoughts

Good luck with whatever you decide.
You sound like a really caring and committed owner and clearly want to do the best for your guinea pig.
And don't forget to let us know what you decide.

 

[DM030819]

The advice above is excellent. The only think I'd like to add is that little pigs can eat alfalfa hay and pellets, it helps during the growing process. It's not recommended for piggies over 6 months old, but it would be good for you little lady. You can get both alfalfa based pellets and also alfalfa hay for them to eat. My boys love it, but they're all too big for it now.

 

[Krizzo]

Exciting news everyone! After proving my "case" with my parents. Showing books, computer articles, most IMPORTANTLY drum roll please. You all helped! To everyone who has given me advice I thank you.

UPDATE :
The 4 month old piggy I'm looking at is still up for adoption! I'm going in on Tuesday to adopt her. I'm praying that she is still available when Tuesday comes around. It's first come first serve at the shelter, its hmm like a 40min drive and when I adopted Evelynn I had to wait 4 painstaking hours before I could even see
her and finally adopt her. If anyone saw Evelynn before me bam she would have gone to them. They don't honor holds on animals.

I'm working on selling the rabbit hutch on Craigslist. Its not necessary now because....... I bought a new cage for my piggies.

 

[Krizzo]

Half of my message only sent nooooo! I went into explication of what the cage entails and the process I believe is correct on how to introduce guinea pigs.

 

[GPcrazy]

Excited for you! I'm sure Evelynn will be thrilled to have a friend. Fx'd the one you want is still available when you go!

 

[Keiko The Pig]

The Midwest is a great cage I have one for my two boys that I'm trying to expand currently as they grow. I'm sure Evelyn will adore a companion. My boy Keiko (brown piggy in picture) was about 2 months when I brought in Milo (white piggy) who was only 5 weeks. They bonded instantly. Milo was the only boy born so he had been without company until I could adopt him, and Keiko was at home with me for about a month alone as well. It was amazing how much happier Keiko got but it did not change how cuddly he was towards me. He still instantly lies down with his little leg out when I go to pet him and Milo has picked up on his affection towards humans as well! It really is a win win situation having two piggies they're a joy to watch and they aren't nearly as lonely when left to themselves. My boys have lived together for about 4 months now and they still wheek in excitement when I get home from a day or night out. Once your piggies settle in the fact that they have each other will make them much more comfortable and help them come out of their shells good luck with the bonding!

 

[Swissgreys]

Huge well done to you for taking on board all of the suggestions, and then convincing your parents.
You have a very lucky little piggie, and I have everything crossed that you will be able to get her friend on Tuesday.
Don't forget to update us of course!

 

[madguinealady]

Your pig and any other girl you take on are very lucky.You will be a great owner.Fingers crossed you get the girl you want and they get on.

 

[Krizzo]

Thank you so much everyone!

The little girl I was actually going to adopt tomorrow. Has been adopted, I'm not trying to be to bummed because she has hopefully a forever home now.

Plus side Evelynn went to her first vet appointment this morning. She's up to weight for her age, perfect eyes,nose, teeth, heart and she has an amazing set of vocal cords lol. She even got her nails trimmed.

I finally will be able to upload pictures of us. It's just been extremely hectic with all my family the past few weeks.

 

[Krizzo]

 

[Swissgreys]

She is a very beautiful guinea pig for sure, and hopefully another possible companion for her will come along soon.