Crazy Ernie

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shiro

shiro

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Hello everyone, I'm new, sorry my first post is rather a panic induced advice asking one.

I'm new to keeping guinea pigs. I have 2 males called Eric and Ernie who are about 5 months old now. I got them at about 2 1/2 months and we've been doing great until now.
I have them in a home built pen in my flat in the main room and they get free time in the flat when i'm home (I work from home so it's most of the time)

Ernie is the more hyper nervy pig and Eric is a big softy tho tends to be shyer but I've been handling them both regularly without much problem.

2 nights ago, Ernie managed to get out of the pen in the night.
I found him hiding under the sofa and had to catch him and put him back after he wouldn't go of his own accord. Eric seemed worried he had been missing and they spent the day hiding together.
Neither ate much all day and they hadn't eaten in the night.

Anyway I thought things would go back to normal after that and let them out today. they were very nervous but did come out eventually. But Ernie didn't want to go back in the pen. I put him back this evening and went out the room, I came back to find him climbing up the hay rack out of the pen!
i caught him and he was calm in my lap but soon as I put him back he went nuts and hurled himself at the bars and started climbing the hay rack again!

I had read before I got them that pigs can't climb!
I have a dog crate that's enclosed so i have put Ernie in that now.

I'm really worried tho about why he seems so scared of the pen and his ability to escape and that he might hurt himself.

I should say that he and Eric seem to get along fine. Since Ernie's escape they have been alsmost inseperable and taking comfort being near each other when previously they never slept close together.

I should also say, I put a PG tips box out for them to play with. I brushed out the loose tea but it still smelled of tea, and Ernie does like to eat cardboard and has nibbled it.
I'm wondering if Ernie has got hyper from tea?
Do you think that's possible?

Can anyone give me some advise please?
I'm really worried about them.

Thanks
 
sorry cannot help - hopefully someone with more experience will be on soon.
"bump"
 
Hello and welcome to the forum. Hope you enjoy it here.
What is your pen made from ? How high are the sides ? Is there maybe something in it (e.g the PG tips box or possibly the hay rack) that he could jump on top of to help him get out ? If so, maybe it could be moved away from the sides ?

Hopefully someone else will be along soon to help,

xx
 
Thanks for bumping this topic.

The pen is made from wire shelving cubes, I think it's called a C&C cage?
It's a foot high.
He's using the hay rack as a ladder so I will have to redesign the hay rack.
The tea box has been binned! ^^"

They still seem jumpy this morning. I have given them access to the pen but they are staying in the dog crate.
It looks like they have eaten at least tho in the night.

They are more nervous than when they first came home which is why I'm so worried. :/
 
Have you tried completely cleaning out the pen? Something sounds to be spooking them out in there. What are they bedded on? Have you cleaned it with anything different lately?
 
Hi, Lacey was exactly the same, she should climb the pen to get out every single day and night, I built it higher, she jumped it, she just didnt like being in there but since building a C&C off the floor she hasnt even attempted it.
 
Dear me, so it's a total myth that pigs can't climb then! 0_o"

He has gone back to the pen now, I think I will have to keep an eye on him and if he keeps trying to escape I will put grids pver the top to stop him.

sport_billy, I had cleaned them out at the weekend as usual, using the same cleaners a I usually do. The only change was I swapped the positions of thier hay rack and hammock over. I've put it all back as it was now just in case.

Thanks for your replies everyone, it's much appreciated! :)
 
What a little Houdini! Try not to stress too too much about him not wanting to go back in his cage. As it seems you give them loads of floor time, they likely prefer that to the cage. I know I would. At 5 months, they are probably starting to have more hormones coursing through them, so their behaviour is likely to change since they're really coming into their own now. As long as they are both safe and healthy, just enjoy the ride hun!
 
Thanks for the reassurance! :)

So they are becoming stroppy teenagers huh? That'd sure explain a lot. XP
I think I'll keep them in the encosed cage overnights tho just for my own peace of mind to ensure they can't hurt themselves.
 
Just an update, and again to thank everyone who responded to my post. :)

Eric and Ernie have settled down again and are behaving much more like they used to.
Ernie hasn't made any more escape attempts and they are happy to go back in thier pen tho they stay on one corner all the time, I'm sure they will get thier confidence back in time.
They are mwheeping for thier food again and Eric even did a little popcorn this morning.
Ernie is still a bit nuts when I pick him up or put him back, but he's always been slightly crazy even before his escape! XD"
 
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