A quick question for an expert out there!

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kel22

We have a two storey hutch for our new gps. We've had them since Monday so they're pretty nervous of us still and very twitchy. I had to physically put them downstairs today so I could clean out the sleeping area as they really haven't been out at all! The hatch has been open for them to go back up the ramp all afternoon but they're still sitting inside a little tunnel that's in the downstairs run area. I've tried luring them with brocolli and cabbage and made a small trail leading to the ramp but they're just ignoring it. Should I just leave them to it in the hope they'll decide to go upstairs (they've both used the ramp before) or should I make sure they're upstairs before nightfall. I don't know what to do!

Help?/
 
Hi I am no expert but if you want them upstairs can you not lift them and put them upstairs? Do you want them up there for safety? i.e away from foxes? I used to have 2 of mine in a 2 storey hutch with a ramp but no hatch and they took a while to ge used to the ramp :) It was indoors though so I did not have the worry of foxes etc

They are nervous and will come round. Keep up the trick of putting veg at the top or bottom.
 
I had the same problem with George. I would put them upstairs come night time or when its dark. Just keep putting them down strairs and they will get noisey and go up the ramp to see whats up there. Charlie loves the ramps, if its dry all he does is go up and down all day !!
 
They will go up when they're ready to, it will take a while for them to do so. They'll be nervous and scared because they're in a new environment, and now they have a ramp to master too which they've probably never had before.

If you need to move them up there for some reason then you'll just need to put them up and down yourself, but eventually they will get used to it :)

Saying that - is the ramp steep? and can they grip to it? If it's too steep they'll have trouble getting up there, so you could put something at the bottom of it to make it less steep for them. Also, are they able to grip to it or is it slippy for them?
 
Panic over! They went up. I made a trail with parsley and brocolli and the cleverer one of the two worked it out, followed by his brother! We've only had them since Monday so catching them is proving difficult. One of them bit me today too. He's obviously not feeling the love yet! They do seem to be coming out more than yesterday so hopefully that's progress.

Thank you for your comments!
 
Hehe, sounds like the food won them over ;)

Don't worry about them being a bit skittish, you just have to be patient with them really, new piggies are always like this. They'll be fine. xx
 
We have new gps and a two storey hutch too. Ours wouldn't come downstairs for the first week and a bit, now they live on both floors though (& will do until they finish eating their way through their stairs!).
 
Glad I'm not the only one with anti social ones at the moment! Ours are still really nervous, especially when I try to pick them up. The only way I can do it is if I open the roof of the hutch which they don't like. The lady in the pet shop said only to take them out from the ground level but if they won't go down there, how else am I supposed to get them out?! It's only been 5 days so far so I'll keep trying! But thank you for your comment - it helps to know that yours were the same!
 
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