Are my two normal!?

JoHo

JoHo

New Born Pup
Joined
Apr 16, 2022
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Hi there, after some advice from all cavie pros please! i‘ve had my two (gorgeous!) girls for 4 months now, they were almost 6 months old when I got them. They are lovely, friendly etc once out, they’re very shy in their hutch/home, but they never wheek at food times or make any other noises, except- when having fuss they chortle a lot, which I take as being happy. Since the weather has improved I’ve put them in their outdoor run. They just hide in their hideout & literally do not move - they don’t eat any grass, nothing! I’ve just brought them back in & they’re now stuffing their faces with grass which I cut for them from this morning! I’m at a loss, am I doing something wrong? Thanks in advance for any advice 😢
 
It may be they don’t feel safe outside. I would give them 15mins to start - especially if they’ve not been eating grass all this time. Cover the run with a blanket and put in lots of hides - boxes with two exits cut out, stools. That way they don’t feel too exposed while in there.
 
You’re doing nothing wrong. Guinea pigs are naturally shy due them being prey animals. Some piggies are quiet (I’ve never heard a peep from my Elizabeth in the 3 years she’s been here)

As for the run, it will be all new for them, new sounds and smells etc. it will take them a few tries until they are comfortable with being outside. I suggest you cover part of the run with a blanket to help make them feel more secure and provide them with lots of hides
 
Yeah agree it’s like the first time you bring them home, their scared and confused and takes time to get used to new surroundings, smells and noises and if they don’t feel safe they will just hide under cover and do nothing, it takes time,
 
Thank you all, I will keep trying them outside with the things you’ve suggested. It’s also good to know that just because they don’t wheek there isn’t something wrong. My others that I had when I was a kid didn’t shut up!
 
If they really don’t like it then just leave them. You can cut grass for them to have in the safety of the indoor run.

As for wheeking. Only one of my boys wheeked. He ramped it up when the girls moved in. I’m now sadly down to three and the original boar wheeker has taken over. Though I did hear my beautiful girl wheeking a little the other day.
 
Merab's Slave said:
My first boar pair never liked being outside in a run.
They always stayed in the hidey until in the end I left them indoors and cut grass for them myself.

If you ever see anyone cutting grass with a pair of scissors they probably have guinea pigs!
Click to expand...
I’ve literally just done this. 🤦🏻‍♀️
 
They're probably just scared outside... given a bit more time and security hopefully they will warm up to it. You can cover up the run as much as you can, etc. My experience is that my pigs were all cautious to start with, but once they figured out that nothing was going to hurt them them LOVED being outside, so I would keep trying a for a bit, giving them lots of places to hide and cover from above to help them feel safer.
 
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