First Time Piggie Owner

[Georgia Hodge]

hi all!

I got my first guinea pig today. Rescued from a local centre. He's about a year old and I'm not sure of his background however the other guinea pigs there that had been abandoned etc were clearly labelled as such. I have been told that he isn't keen on being with other guinea pigs so he had to be on his own but with lots of human attention.

Got him home (as yet unnamed) and he seemed quite happy with the cage and immediately started to nibble on his food and didn't seem too bothered about going into his hide which I was chuffed with.

I have a nice and quiet house with no kids or large pets (just a bearded dragon but he only comes downstairs for an hour or two each evening).

I was wondering if this seems like a positive start? How long should I wait before trying to pick him up as I don't want to backtrack. He's quite happy just nibbling food from my hand at the moment so maybe I should leave it at that?

Any other tips for first time owners would also be greatly appreciated! I want to make sure he's happy as it was so heartbreaking seeing him on his own in that shelter

 

[Wiebke]

hi all!

I got my first guinea pig today. Rescued from a local centre. He's about a year old and I'm not sure of his background however the other guinea pigs there that had been abandoned etc were clearly labelled as such. I have been told that he isn't keen on being with other guinea pigs so he had to be on his own but with lots of human attention.

Got him home (as yet unnamed) and he seemed quite happy with the cage and immediately started to nibble on his food and didn't seem too bothered about going into his hide which I was chuffed with.

I have a nice and quiet house with no kids or large pets (just a bearded dragon but he only comes downstairs for an hour or two each evening).

I was wondering if this seems like a positive start? How long should I wait before trying to pick him up as I don't want to backtrack. He's quite happy just nibbling food from my hand at the moment so maybe I should leave it at that?

Any other tips for first time owners would also be greatly appreciated! I want to make sure he's happy as it was so heartbreaking seeing him on his own in that shelter

Hi and welcome

You may find our various guides for new owners via this link here helpful. they deal with the most often asked questions by new owners as well as some important aspects that many are not aware of, including settling in and making friends, understanding behaviour, housing, diet, toy ideas that really work, climate support, learning what is normal and not in a guinea pig body, being prepared for illness etc.
New Owners' " How To" Starter Kit

Many shelters are not necessarily piggy savvy, so you may want to consider whether your boy might actually appreciate next door piggy company from another single boar for mutual stimulation in the longer term.

 

[sport_billy]

Hello, welcome to the forum. Will type a little more tomorrow when on a laptop, but just wanted to say hi and welcome

 

[Georgia Hodge]

Hi all, thanks for replies I have had already. Spent some more time just hand feeding today. He seemed to nibble my arm a little. It didn't hurt and certaintely didn't seem intended to hurt me as it was very brief but still, is there a reason he may do this? I've read a section about it but I'm still not sure what he's trying to tell me (if anything)! He's still not having it when I try to gently stroke his nose but it's only day two and as soon as I back away he comes back for a sniff of my hand and some more food!

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all, thanks for replies I have had already. Spent some more time just hand feeding today. He seemed to nibble my arm a little. It didn't hurt and certaintely didn't seem intended to hurt me as it was very brief but still, is there a reason he may do this? I've read a section about it but I'm still not sure what he's trying to tell me (if anything)! He's still not having it when I try to gently stroke his nose but it's only day two and as soon as I back away he comes back for a sniff of my hand and some more food!

Babies explore the world by nibbling. Guinea pigs, like all rodents, don't have a vomit reflex but they have double the amount of taste buds compared to a human to learn what is safe to eat via tasting. Just earn is trust via food and respect his likes and dislikes.

 

[snuffsandpumps]

Hello!
My advice is not to rush in with the holding- leave it about a week before you start. Begin by stroking the head, then gradually pick up, increasing the holding time every day. If you are like me, you won't like the wait, but I made the mistake of picking up from day1, and my guineas were affected by that. Also if your pig bites your clothing, or even you, it can mean- "put me down, I need the toilet!" a lick means affection, as does nuzzling the face or neck. Yep, definitely spend lots of time with him, the more you put in, the more you get out of having a pig. Naming tips- when I named mine (snuffles and pumpkin) I chose names that were easy to call, and defined for them to recognize. Good luck and I hope this helps!