Baby Guinea pig bonding

[Ari uwu]

Hello! I just got a baby piggy a week ago. I would really appreciate any taming tips for new guinea pig owners. He is currently on shavings for bedding and was wondering if I should switch over to fleece? I also wanted to know how many times I should take him out of his bin for lap/floor time.

He is a bit shy and it is difficult to take him out of his cage. He rarely comes out of his little castle house inside of his cage, usually only for food, water, hay, etc. but when he does come out around me (usually when I have lured him with some veggies) I approached him with my hand to pick him up and he runs back in the castle house. Then I just have to lift up his castle and chase him with my hands or capture him with a blanket while he runs frantically around his bin, this makes me feel horrible and terrifies the living heck out of him.

Is there another way to do this? Sorry for a bunch of questions! I'll appreciate any replies. Thanks.

 

[Piggies&buns]

If you wish to change his bedding to fleece, then it is your choice, type of bedding comes down to personal preference. However shavings can cause respiratory issues in some guinea pigs, but you also need to know what sort of wood the shavings are made from are some aren’t safe for guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs are prey animals, most don’t like each being touched and certainly don’t like being picked up - it cuts too close to their prey instincts. Some come round to the idea over time but it can take many months before they get comfortable with being touched in their cage but most never like being picked up especially by hand straight from the cage Please don’t ever chase him around his cage with a blanket - that will scare him and you will never gain his trust. The best way to start is to offer food from your hand. Once he will take food form your hand while he is in his cage, then he will be learning to trust you. It took one of my guinea pigs a couple of months to be happy to do that. It has taken my other one 18 months to trust me enough to take food from me. In terms of being able to take him out of his cage, the best way is to herd him into a pet carrier or box, and then pick him up from that carrier/box. Don’t ever force contact as it will scare them but as you need to be doing health checks and weighing your piggy ever week, then it does need to be done, but you need to take your time and don’t chase him.

I note you say ‘a baby’ guinea pig. Please be aware that guinea pigs are highly social herd animals and must never be kept alone. They must be in pairs and that is especially important for a baby. They suffer from loneliness if by themselves. They also learn from each other. Please look into finding him a suitable character compatible male friend as soon as possible. A pair of Male guinea pigs should be in a cage ideally measuring 150cm x 60cm as this ensures there is enough space for each Male piggy when they become teenagers, which can be a testing time!

I attach a collection of useful guides for new owners. They cover guides from how to settle any piggies and how to do health checks to ensuring you have a big enough cage and how to feed them properly.

New Owners' Most Helpful How-To Guides and Information

Could you please also add your location to your profile as it helps us tailor our advice specific to your location, climate etc.

 

[Ari uwu]

Thanks for the reply, I take your advice seriously and I am looking into adopting another male. The only concern is that he was the only one in the cage when I got him. So it's a 50/50 chance they will not get along, then I'll end up with 2 single guinea pigs. If you have any youtube videos or links on introducing babies that would be greatly appreciated. And he is already taking food out of my hand, but every piggy goes at a different pace.

 

[Piggies&buns]

A successful bond comes entirely down to character compatibility and mutual liking, so, yes, if you were to just get another piggy then you have no idea whether they will be compatible. Even if he hadn’t been alone when you bought him, there is equally no guarantee that he would have got on with his companion even then if they had simply been put together without any consideration for their characters. More boar pairs make it together than not though and it is important that he has a friend.

However baby guinea pigs generally do get on when they are young, it is usually when they become teenagers (4-14 months of age) and hormones and their own ideas on dominance start to emerge that is the real test of whether they are compatible.

While age is much less of a factor than character when it comes to a successful bond, if you were to try to bond him with a similarly aged boy, then they would both be hitting their teens at the same time, which can result in fall outs. Bonding him with an adult (a piggy over 18 months of age) can be more successful as only the youngster will be largely hormone driven.

Your profile doesn’t show your location (it can be helpful if it does as we can tailor our advice) but the best and most successful way to find him a friend is to enlist the help of a rescue centre as they can find a character compatible friend which will ensure success and a stable bond.

I have linked in our very useful guides on bonding. If you were to attempt a bonding yourself, then the second guide specifically explains the procedure of how to introduce two piggies to each other.

A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Bonding and Interaction: Illustrated social behaviours and bonding dynamics
Dominance Behaviours In Guinea Pigs
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

Cage Size Guide

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum.
Hope you find it helpful.
We would love pictures of your boy and his companion when you are able to find one

 

[Ari uwu]

Thanks for the replies

And thanks for the links!

The pet store I bought him from only has young male guinea pigs, but there is a humane society where I'm located. So right now I'm just waiting on guinea pig arrivals. And they do neuter them before adoption so it won't matter if I get a boy or girl, right?

In the meantime, Are there any ways I can bond with him so he isn't lonely?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thanks for the replies

And thanks for the links!

The pet store I bought him from only has young male guinea pigs, but there is a humane society where I'm located. So right now I'm just waiting on guinea pig arrivals. And they do neuter them before adoption so it won't matter if I get a boy or girl, right?

In the meantime, Are there any ways I can bond with him so he isn't lonely?

It is not normal for female piggies to be spayed as a matter of routine as it is an invasive operation. If your local centre do spay females and you can be 100% sure thet any female you get is spayed, then that is fine for your boy to be put with a female but as I say, it’s not normal. If the females aren’t spayed, then it will be your responsibility to get your boy neutered and have his six week wait before putting him near a female.

if you get your piggy a Male friend, then neither of them need to be neutered.

In the new owners guides I linked in for you on my first reply, there is a set of guides on how to settle guinea pigs. You can try those tips to try to bond with him. No amount of human interaction will replace same species companionship though so do keep looking for a character compatible friend.