Getting To Know My Piggy - Help!

[Kim Barkas]

So we got a guinea pig only a few days ago. He has hardly been handled and has had no piggy company for a while, so we wanted to get him settled and then get another as a friend (even if they do end up staying in separate cages!).

He hides a lot, especially when we walk into the room, but he does come out and chats away with us. We get load squeaks when we open the fridge door and when he sees us first thing in the morning - think this is just because he wants food! He is long haired so we gave him two days talking to him regularly but not attempting to pick him up. then past two days we have cuddled him and brushed him. He was very still initially but then seemed better, and squeaked like he does for food when we put him down.

Today, he was making a sort of wheeking but it was lower pitched and quieter. He then kept looking at me. Then he made a "tutting" noise which I think sounded like teeth chattering so I guessed he had had enough so I put him back.

I am not really sure what the noises mean - I have watched youtube videos and things but nothing really sounds like him, and cannot tell if the loud squeaks are excited or upset ones. Also, he spends a lot of his time in his shelter, what else can we do to help him trust us? Any advice greatly appreciated!

 

[Wiebke]

So we got a guinea pig only a few days ago. He has hardly been handled and has had no piggy company for a while, so we wanted to get him settled and then get another as a friend (even if they do end up staying in separate cages!).

He hides a lot, especially when we walk into the room, but he does come out and chats away with us. We get load squeaks when we open the fridge door and when he sees us first thing in the morning - think this is just because he wants food! He is long haired so we gave him two days talking to him regularly but not attempting to pick him up. then past two days we have cuddled him and brushed him. He was very still initially but then seemed better, and squeaked like he does for food when we put him down.

Today, he was making a sort of wheeking but it was lower pitched and quieter. He then kept looking at me. Then he made a "tutting" noise which I think sounded like teeth chattering so I guessed he had had enough so I put him back.

I am not really sure what the noises mean - I have watched youtube videos and things but nothing really sounds like him, and cannot tell if the loud squeaks are excited or upset ones. Also, he spends a lot of his time in his shelter, what else can we do to help him trust us? Any advice greatly appreciated!

Hi and welcome!

You may find the tips in our New Owners' guide collection helpful in building up a relationship with your boy. We have based our interaction tips mainly on guinea pig body language, as that is the part we can replicate easiest in a way that a guinea pig can instinctively understand.
We do not have a sound guide, for the simple reason that our hearing is not good enough to perceive the fine details. Communication happens on many levels, sound, body language, scent and situational context, and all have to be taken into context. The good news that guinea pigs are great communicators, so if your boy is starting to talk to you, it is actually a good sign, even if he is mostly telling you off at first!
New Owners' " How To" Starter Kit (which contains a section on settling in and making friends with guinea pigs as well as one on behaviours)
This is the best sound page I know of without any glaring mistakes, as is the case with many other online videos and audios: Guinea Pig Sounds

I know that most owners think it is safer to introduce a companion only after their first piggy has settled, not realising that a single piggy is likely to come round more slowly as it is going to feel rather insecure and lost on its in new surroundings.
If you can, please consider finding a companion at a rescue that offer boar dating under expert supervision, so the piggies can decide whether they like each other and are character compatible - this maximises the chance for a successful bond while minimising the risks of a fall-out. By going to one of our recommended rescues (if that is possible), you can be sure that any adopted guinea pig is fully quarantined and healthy and it is also properly sexed. It is actually by far the safest way of avoiding the usual pitfalls that await the unwary. Please be aware that anybody can call themselves a rescue (or a breeder) and that results can be accordingly. Hence the lists of places we can guarantee for that you are in safe hands!
Recommended good standard UK rescues: Guinea Pig Rescue Centre Locator
Recommended rescues in some other countries: Guinea Lynx :: Rescue Organizations (the UK list is not up to date)

Since we have members and enquiries from all over the world, it helps us a lot in giving you advice that is tailored to what is relevant and available where you are if you please added your country, state/province or UK county to your details. Please click on your username on the top, then go to personal details and scroll down to location. This makes it appear on the left of each post you make. Thank you!